How exactly does the tourbillon work and why is it considered one of the most advanced developments in the world of watchmaking? Today we’ll take a closer look at the device and examine why it is so prized by luxury watch enthusiasts.
What is a tourbillon?
Tourbillon is a circulating capture device. Its name comes from the French and literally means “swirl” or “whirlwind.” The structure is in the form of a cage, which houses the capture and regulator of the watch, i.e. the capture wheel with anchor and balance. The escapement is the watch’s main assembly, which transmits mechanical energy from the gait gear to the regulator, making the watch walk and releasing the gear by a fixed angle of rotation, which makes it possible to measure time. The escapement wheel works with the regulator to keep it moving. It is locked and unlocked by the regulator, so that the watch mechanism moves at equal intervals. The balance, or flywheel with a return spring, which is the most important part of the gait regulator, is also significant. It determines the extent to which the watch is precise and resistant to possible disturbances. The tourbillon circles the central axis of the watch once a minute, which brings to mind a whirling trombone. This is where its French name comes from. The tourbillon helps to maintain the precision of timekeeping, which is why it is so prized by admirers of luxury timepieces, such as the Jaeger LeCoultre watch.
On what principle does the tourbillon work?
The principle of the tourbillon related to precise timekeeping in conditions where the clock is exposed to various interfering factors. Tourbillons appear in timepieces of good brands, such as Oris. Watches can thus measure time more precisely, as they are better protected from interference. The key components of a timepiece, such as the balance, escapement and wheel, are constantly affected by magnetic fields, temperature, shock and the force of the earth’s attraction.
The tourbillon, through the regular rotation of the cage in which the capture and balance wheel are placed, effectively compensates for the positional errors of the balance wheel due to gravity-induced imbalance. By rotating evenly around the axis, the tourbillon minimizes the impact of an unbalanced balance, resulting in more accurate timekeeping. The position of the watch during use is also an important consideration, as the gravitational influence on the balance’s operation is more detrimental when the watch is in an upright position. Precise balance becomes a key element, although practically difficult to achieve, since the center of gravity of the balance is always at a certain distance from the axis of rotation. The tourbillon, being a circulating catching device, acts as a kind of average, offsetting errors associated with design imperfections in the components by constantly changing their position. In the case of pocket watches, where they are usually stored in an upright position, the tourbillon was important, eliminating positioning errors resulting from holding the watch in one position for long periods of time.
In today’s wristwatches, the mechanisms are much more advanced than in the 19th century, when the tourbillon was invented by Abraham Louis Breguet. However, they still appear in timepieces from luxury brands, such as the Hublot men’s watch. The tourbillon is already mainly a decorative element, highlighting both the craftsmanship and artistry of the watchmaker and the brand that equipped its watch with this unique device.
