Four years after stunning the industry with its spherical tourbillon, a second generation timepiece guarantees even greater accuracy
Demonstrating its commitment to continuous innovation, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 to mark its 175th anniversary this year.
When the Gyrotourbillon 1 debuted in 2004, it created a sensation in the industry for its first-ever spherical tourbillon. The exclusive device has two carriages mounted on axes set at a 90 degree angle. This design allows the watch to function free from the effects of gravity to maintain time accuracy.
The second version of the Gyrotourbillon houses a cylinder-shaped balance-spring for the first time, which enables the three-dimensional motion of the spherical tourbillon to spin its two carriages. The inner carriage can complete a full turn in 18.75 seconds, much faster than the 24 seconds required by the Reverso Gyrotourbillon. The new system guarantees even greater accuracy.
The first generation of the Reverso Gyrotourbillon is equipped with a Breguet device for rotating the carriages. The outer carriage, however, still needs a conventional 60 seconds to complete a rotation.
Patented in 1782, the cylinder-shaped balance-spring, with end curves, was the masterpiece of English watchmaker John Arnold. Due to its large size and complication, the mechanism was mainly used for marine chronometers and big pocket-watches. The watch industry was disappointed that the device failed to be generously applied in other time measurements as it was widely recognised as performing much better than a flat balance spring. Jaeger-LeCoultre's adaption to a wristwatch is definitely a breakthrough.