When the De Bethune DB28 Tourbillon Deadbeat Seconds launched in 2012 it represented the upper echelon of the catalog and could be considered something approaching a brand flagship. And in Tim Mosso’s opinion, it certainly has the presence of a flagship.
The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon lives up to its name. It has a date, a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and a tourbillon. But it has more: this watch has character. Assigning human traits to a cold machine is a – romantic – fool’s errand, but it’s also irresistible in the presence of a masterpiece. A. Lange & Söhne’s warmest watch is more than a machine with a heartbeat. It has soul.
The Arnold & Son True Beat Tourbillon Escapement (TBTE) embodies two of the Swiss watch industry’s greatest talents: craftsmanship and AstroTurf. Beautifully built but tenuously tied to an historical dead guy, the True Beat is a triumph on substance. With essentially no history but outstanding modern credentials, this tourbillon proves that talent alone can yield a great watch.
Love them or hate them, one thing that most collectors know is that tourbillons are very expensive. That’s all changed with Patria’s Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition costing ‘just’ CHF 18,000 for a beautifully hand finished Swiss Made tourbillon.
Alex has been a serious watch collector for decades, but it’s only in the last few years that he has focused his attention to independent watchmakers. Here he shares the story of his collecting journey and why he bought a Vincent Deprez Tourbillon Classique Souscription Edition
To Alexey Kutkovoy’s overview of complicated Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshores (ROO), here is a very special combination of complications: chronograph and a tourbillon.
In Tim Mosso’s opinion, a tourbillon watch like the Breguet Classique Grande Complication 5317 would cause a sensation. On its own terms as a modern luxury article, the 5317 is both a wonder and a comparative value.
As Joshua Munchow swiped through posts on Instagram one day, he was stopped in his tracks, toothbrush dangling from his gaping mouth, eyes wide, and one singular thought running through his head as he stared at his phone: Grand Seiko doesn’t make movements like this. This is an avant-garde tourbillon movement with a constant force escapement and incredible, exposed mechanics! What in the world . . .?! Meet the T0.
The Patek Philippe 5101 ten-day tourbillon isn’t perfect: it’s not notably shock tolerant, there’s no lume, and one could fault its 25-meter water resistance. But most important of all for Tim Mosso is that he can’t afford it! However, since its supernova 2003 debut, the 5101 has established a towering reputation that is, if anything, insufficient to convey the eye-watering beauty and milestone status of this sinuously shaped machine.
What makes high end watches so desirable is the artistry involved. For some watches, it is artistry in their complexity, or their superlative hand finishing, or intricate dials, and some feature actual artwork like miniature painting. Then there are a very few timepieces that offer all of that artistry and more: one such timepiece is the unique piece Louis Moinet Savanna Tourbillon Tiger.