The Death Star was always a case of over-egging the pudding. Sure, on paper the idea of a planet-sized weapon capable of destroying whole worlds looks great but in reality the huge amount of research and planning, and then the astronomical build costs created what was, in the end, a pretty large target. But it looked great, right?
Tourbillons are complications within watches that, put simply, correct the effects of gravity on the movement, which can if left unchecked lead to lost seconds and inaccuracy. That's the theory. In practice, much like the Death Star, the incred- ibly intricate tourbillons aren't entirely necessary, a case of style over substance. However, tourbillons are a great way for watchmakers to show off their technical prowess and make their watches more desirable and collectable.
Bell & Ross is a brand that isn't ordinarily associated with grandiose watchmaking, never mind tourbillons, but with the BR Minuteur Tourbillon Pink Gold (right) the brand confounds all preconceptions. Limited to 30 pieces and priced at almost HK$2 million, the BR Minuteur Tourbillon is a cacophony of complications, and all the more desirable for it. Retaining the signature Bell & Ross case design, the face is elongated slightly in width to fit four dials as well as a beautifully machine-polished tourbillon. Three dials indicate the time, small seconds and power reserve, and there is a large independent timer on the left. The watch comes in 18-carat pink gold with a black leather strap, but there is also a black titanium with rubber strap version.
The Roger Dubuis Pulsion Flying Tourbillon Skeleton in Titanium (below right) is a bit of a mouthful and will set you back a princely HK$1 million but, as tourbillon watches go, this is Champions League material. Housed in a menacing 44mm black-titanium case, the eyes are immediately drawn to the gleaming tourbillon located at the seven o'clock position, which is emphasised by the sparse skeleton dial. This watch features a flying tourbillon, which means that instead of being supported by a bridge either side attaching it to the face, as on the Bell & Ross, it supports itself from the bottom, allowing it to 'fly'. Again, this is engineering for the sake of engineering but it's impressive nonetheless. The Pulsion line was designed to cater to the more adventurous gent who may find himself in the water or scaling walls and so, aside from the titanium case, this watch features a rubber strap with the sort of titanium deployment buckle you might find on a diver's watch. The power reserve is an impressive 60 hours and, as with all Roger Dubuis watches, the Pulsion Flying Tourbillon Skeleton in Titanium carries the Geneva Seal, which means the whole movement has been machine- or hand-polished to its glittery best.
From a big and brooding watch to something smaller and more eccentric. The FP Journe Tourbillon Souverain (below left) is the thinking man's tourbillon timepiece, with an emphasis on how such a complication can blend seamlessly into the dial and overall design of a watch. There is a whole lot of gratifying symmetry to this piece, with the tourbillon mirroring the time indicator and split at the 12 o'clock position by a power reserve counter and at the six o'clock position by a small seconds counter. The design retains all FP Journe's noted playfulness, with quirky fonts and cobalt-blue dials working well with the platinum and black leather strap. The small 40mm dial comes in platinum and costs HK$1.17 million; a cheaper, smaller 38mm red-gold version is priced at HK$1.09 million.