Three of the best tourbillon watches, even if the function is completely pointless
Gravity-defying tourbillons may no longer serve much of a purpose in timekeeping, but they look great
Despite everything “big watch” will tell you, mechanical watches are pointless. There, I’ve said it. That might seem odd given this is a column dedicated mainly to mechanical timepieces but there’s little to be gained from not acknowledging that fact. Your mobile phone tells you the time more accurately. So why do I care about mechanical watches?
They are so much more than something that tells the time; they are fashion, sophistication, jewellery, status. More than that, they are a celebration of the mechanical arts – one of pointlessness.
Nothing encapsulates the utter uselessness of mechanical watches better than the tourbillon function, the sine qua non of superfluous features. And I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise. Briefly, a tourbillon is a rotating cage that holds the escapement to average out the effects of gravity on the movement. It was invented by Breguet hundreds of years ago, when gravity was an issue, but came back into fashion over the past decade, when high-end watchmakers were looking to justify their premium pricing. It’s pointless, as the tourbillon makes little difference to timekeeping. But tourbillons are hard to engineer – and they look great. So this week’s column is a tribute to pointlessness in all its glory.
When the trend was white hot, five or six years ago, every Tom, Dick and Harry was chancing it. Now it has died down, elite brands such as A. Lange & Söhne are back to being the purveyors of tourbillons. The company’s 1815 Tourbillon is a wonderful example of the function, which dominates the bottom half of the watch and is beautifully rendered to show the full drama of the rotating cage.
It is part of the L102.1 movement, one of the best in the business, which is hand decorated, hand assembled and has an impressive 72 hours of power reserve. Adding to the heritage look are a white enamel dial and 39.5mm platinum case. Limited to 100 pieces, the 1815 Tourbillon doesn’t come cheap: A. Lange & Söhne has hit the premium-price trifecta of limited quantities, tourbillon and brand and has priced the piece at US$197,200.