Loading ...

$type=slider$au=0$cm=0$snip=0$rm=0$c=5$l=0$sp=6000

The Tourbillon, history of a watchmaking feat

June 26, 1801: a special date for Breguet. On that day, the tourbillon, one of the most fascinating horological devices, was patented by Abraham-Louis Breguet.

Let's step back in time and chronicle some of the key events that led to the current advancement of this highly appreciated watchmaking feature.

Abraham-Louis Breguet conceived the idea of a new type of regulator called "the Tourbillon", around 1795 after returning to Paris from a few years exile in Switzerland (where he was born in 1747) during the Reign of Terror that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution.

Portrait of Abraham-Louis Breguet, circa 1798

At that time Breguet was already considered one of the greatest horologist of his time (and he still had to create many of his greatest inventions and masterpieces!). Today we can safely define him the greatest watchmaker of all time, the one who revolutionised the technique and the design of timepieces.

An exceptional inventor with a deep understanding of physical laws, Breguet realised that the way a watch run was affected by changes in its position. Changes were particularly evident when timepieces were kept in vertical position, which happened often considering that pocket watches were kept in the waistcoat pocket most of the time. He understood that the main cause of this behaviour was gravity. While it was not possible to eliminate the gravitational forces, he thought that it was possible to compensate them by installing the regulating organ (the sprung balance) and the escapement inside a mobile carriage performing a complete rotation about its own axis once per minute.

Breguet’s tourbillon: the balance wheel (A) inside the carriage (B) which revolves with pinion (C) carrying the escapement and balance around the stationary wheel (D)

With this invention, Breguet not only improved the accuracy of pocket-chronometers, but created one of the most appreciated and sought after horological devices. An additional benefit was the enhanced lubrication due to the constant change of point of contact undergone by the balance pivots in their bearings.

In order to obtain the patent, Breguet had to present an application file that included an illustrative watercolor plate and a letter to the Minister of the Interior. It is interesting to read an extract of that letter.


"Citizen Minister

I have the honor of presenting to you a dissertation containing the description of a new invention for the use with time-measuring devices. I call this device the Tourbillon Regulator [...]

By means of this invention, I have successfully compensated for the anomalies arising from the different positions of the centers of gravity caused by the regulator movement. I have also succeeded in distributing the friction over all areas of the circumference of the pivots of this regulator and the holes in which these pivots move. This is done in such a way as to ensure that the lubrication of all chafing parts should remain constant despite the thickening of oils. Lastly, I have eliminated many other errors that impair the precision of the movement [...]

It is after due consideration of all these advantages, of the advanced means of production that I have at my disposal, and of the considerable expense I have incurred in procuring these means, that I have decided to claim the right of establishing the date of invention, thus ensuring compensation for my sacrifices.

Respectfully yours, 

Breguet"


On June 26, 1801 (or 7 Messidor, year IX based on the Republican calendar in force in France at the time), the French Interior Minister granted Breguet a patent which would last for a ten year period for his invention.


Extracts from the patent granted to Breguet by the French Interior Minister 



 The first tourbillon: Breguet No. 1252 "Tourbillon expérimental à échappement à force constante"

Given the complexity of the device, it took some years before the first tourbillon watch could be actually produced. After two experimental models (the watch No. 169 gifted to the son of London-based horologer John Arnold in 1809, and watch No. 282 completed in 1800 and sold much later by Breguet’s son), the first Tourbillon would not be commercialised until 1805.

The tourbillon invention was finally presented to the public at the National Exhibition of Industrial Products that was held in Paris in September and October 1806. The Report of the Jury described it as "a mechanism called tourbillon by which timepieces maintain the same accuracy, whatever the position, vertical or inclined, of the watch”.

Pages from the Report of the Jury of the National Exhibition of Industrial Products held in Paris in 1806

Between 1805 and 1823, the year of Breguet’s death, a total of 35 examples of the tourbillon watches were sold. More than half of them feature a cage that revolves at a rate of once per four or six minutes, whereas the patent describes a cage revolving every minute.  

Among Breguet clients of his tourbillon timepieces we find monarch and aristocrats but it is interesting to note that a quarter of them were used for navigation at sea and for calculating longitude. Several pieces even belonged to leading scientists.

Breguet No. 1176 tourbillon pocket watch
Above and below: Breguet No. 1176, a 64 mm tourbillon pocket watch with observation seconds, ordinary seconds, power reserve shown on the archival records of the sale - 1809

Breguet No. 1176 tourbillon pocket watch

Above and below: Breguet No. 2567, a hunter case tourbillon pocket watch (61 mm) with Breguet's distinctive engine-turned silvered dial, roman numerals and Breguet hands in blued steel - 1812


Over the years, the tourbillon remained one of the most fascinating horological device for connoiseurs and collectors.

In order to see a significant improvement to the tourbillon invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet, we had to wait more than a century when Alfred Helwig, instructor at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte, designed the first flying tourbillon in 1920.

Rather than being supported by a bridge on the dial side and a bridge on the movement side, the flying tourbillon is cantilevered, i.e. is only secured to the plate on one side so offering an unobstructed view of the mechanism on the other side.

An example of Alfred Helwig's flying tourbillon - 1927

The development of a flying tourbillon is particularly challenging because a revolving carriage that is not supported at both its extremities needs a perfect balance of all axes as they relate to one another.

At that time the tourbillon was still mounted only on pocket watches or table clocks. One of the first tourbillon wristwatch movement, the Calibre 30I, was created in 1947 by Omega for use in chronometry competitions where it achieved the best results recorded by a wristwatch up to that time. Noteworthy, the tourbillon of Calibre 30I performed one revolution every 7.5 minutes.

The Omega Tourbillon Wristwatch - 1947

Omega's archive credits the French watchmaker Lip for producing a tourbillon wristwatch prototype in 1930. The timepiece was actually created by Edouard Belin of the Besancon Watchmaking School using a Lip-ebauche.

Another remarkable advancement in the history of the tourbillon was the first series-production self-winding tourbillon wristwatch produced by Audemars Piguet in 1986 thanks to the development of a truly innovative movement, the Calibre 2870.

Audemars Piguet Automatic Tourbillon Wristwatch - 1986

This tourbillon was the smallest ever produced, with a diameter of 7.2 mm and a total thickness of 2.5 mm. For the first time, the tourbillon cage was made from titanium. To reduce the overall thickness of the timepiece, the movement and the case were actually merged into a single entity.

In 2003, Thomas Prescher became the first watchmaker to offer a double axis tourbillon pocketwatch.



Thomas Prescher's pocket watch with double axis tourbillon and constant force escapement - 2003

Prescher was inspired by the work of Anthony Randall, an English watchmaker who patented a double axis tourbillon implemented in a carriage clock in 1978.

Besides the engineering challenges of creating a tourbillon rotating through two axis once per minute, Prescher also integrated a constant force escapement in order to obtain a state of poise between the two axis while addressing isochronal errors.

One year later, Prescher presented a triple axis tourbillon wristwatch as part of the Tourbillon Trilogy, an exclusive set of three tourbillon wristwatches comprising single, double, and triple axis flying tourbillons with constant force escapements.

The technological evolution of the tourbillon has not ended. Just to mention a few advancements, in the last decade we have seen the creation of double and even quadruple tourbillons, the first vertical tourbillon (introduced by Cyrus in 2018), the adoption of advanced materials like silicon and the development of fusee-chain transmission systems to further improve rate regularity.

In 2020, Omega presented the De Ville Tourbillon Numbered Edition, the first ever Master Chronometer certified hand-wound central tourbillon wristwatch, capable to maintain its chronometric precision even after exposure to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss.

And, of course, Breguet continues to master the art of creating tourbillon regulators that enhance the precision of a timepiece while providing a fascinating spectacle for the eyes of its owner.

The Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai de l’Horloge featuring two tourbillons that set the whole plate in motion through a central differential - 2020

The tourbillon remains one of of the top achievements for any watchmaker and one of the most desirable features for watch collectors and enthusiasts. Thanks, Abraham-Louis!




By Alessandro Mazzardo
Latest revision February 18, 2021
© Time and Watches. All Rights Reserved. Copying this material for use on other web sites or other digital and printed support without the written permission of Time and Watches or the copyright holder is illegal.
Name

A. Lange & Sohne,137,Accutron,1,AkriviA,10,Alain Silberstein,3,alarm,16,Alpina,14,Andersen Geneve,2,Andersmann,2,Andreas Strehler,5,Angelus,5,annual calendar,43,Anonimo,15,Anthony de Haas,1,Antiquorum,4,Antoine Martin,2,Antoine Preziuso,1,Apple,2,Apple Watch,2,Aquadive,2,Aquastar,1,Armin Strom,76,Arnold and Son,26,Artime,1,Astarwatch,1,Atelier de Chronometrie,1,Ateliers deMonaco,2,Atmos,1,Auctions,91,Audemars Piguet,92,Autodromo,1,automaton,2,BA111OD,1,Ball Watch,1,Bamford,2,Baselword 2022,1,Baselworld,8,BaselWorld 2013,50,BaselWorld 2014,53,Baselworld 2015,69,Baselworld 2016,27,Baselworld 2017,64,Baselworld 2018,75,Baselworld 2019,41,Baselworld 2020,2,Baume,4,Baume & Mercier,11,Baume et Mercier,65,Bell & Ross,39,Bernhard Lederer,4,Bernhard Zwinz,1,bespoke,1,Blancpain,92,blue dial,3,Bonhams,2,Bovet,12,Brands histories,1,Breguet,122,Breitling,71,Bremont,1,Bremont Watch Company,4,Breva,2,bronze,28,Bücherei,1,Bucherer,1,Bulgari,114,Bulova,2,Burberry,1,C3H5N3O9,1,carbon,3,carillon,3,Carl F. Bucherer,4,Carl Suchy,1,Carrera,17,Cartier,46,ceramic,20,Certina,11,Chanel,4,Chaumet,3,chiming hour,13,Chopard,42,Christiaan van der Klaauw,1,Christie's,9,Christophe Claret,5,Christopher Ward,14,chronograph,717,chronometer,38,Chronoswiss,6,Citizen,3,co-axial,1,column-wheel,7,complete calendar,27,complications,88,concept watch,5,Concord,1,constant-force,39,Corum,18,Credor,1,CSEM,1,Cuervo y Sobrinos,1,Cyrus,32,Czapek,8,Dan Niederer,1,Davosa,1,Daytona,7,De Bethune,28,de Grisogono,3,dead seconds,21,Delma,1,detent escapement,4,DeWitt,9,digital display,1,dive watches,56,diving,8,diving watches,377,double regulator,3,Doxa,34,drei,1,dress watches,504,dual time,101,Ebel,2,Eberhard,35,Edouard Koehn,5,Edox,6,El Primero,41,Emile Chouriet,1,Emmanuel Bouchet,1,Emmanuel Breguet,1,enamel dial,12,enamelling,15,Equation of time,9,ETA,1,Eterna,18,exhibitions,1,F.P.Journe,38,Faberge,2,factory tours,3,Favre-Leuba,1,feature article,82,features,118,Felipe Pikullik,2,Ferdinand Berthoud,7,flyback,55,Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie,1,Formex,1,Fortis,9,Franc Vila Founder,1,Franck Muller,7,Frederic Jouvenot,1,Frederique Constant,15,Furlan Marri,1,FVF,1,Gallet,1,Garrick,1,Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix,8,Georg Jensen,1,George Daniels,4,Gerald Charles,2,Gerald Genta,12,Girard-Perregaux,47,Glashuette,19,Glashuette Original,88,Glashütte,33,Glashütte Original,121,Glycine,4,GMT,126,GoS,1,GoS Watches,1,GPHG,20,GPHG 2020,3,GPHG 2021,3,GPHG 2022,3,GPHG 2023,3,GPHG2019,1,Graham,6,Grand Feu,5,Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve,16,Grand Seiko,33,Grande Complication,28,Grande Sonnerie,8,Greubel Forsey,38,greubelforsey,1,Gronefeld,10,Grönefeld,8,Grossmann,3,guilloché,8,H. Moser and Cie,49,H20 Watch,1,Habring,10,Habring2,11,Hajime Asaoka,2,Hallmark of Geneva,2,Hamilton,37,hands-on,118,Hanhart,15,Harry Winston,11,Hautlence,6,Hermes,26,Heuer,2,high jewellery,2,high-frequency,3,Hublot,59,Hybris Artistica,1,Hydro Mechanical Horologists,7,HYT Watches,16,Icon,1,In pictures,17,independent watchmaker,35,industry news,227,interview,8,Interviews,8,IWC,166,Jacques Bianchi,1,Jaeger-LeCoultre,123,Jaquet Droz,58,Jean-Francois Mojon,1,Jean-Marc Pontroué,1,JeanRichard,3,jumping hours,36,Junghans,11,Kaj Korpela,1,Kari Voutilainen,10,Kenissi,1,Kollokium,1,Korpela,1,Krayon,4,Kudoke,5,Kurono,2,L.Leroy,1,L'Epee 1839,1,Labails,1,Ladies watches,190,Lang & Heyne,4,Lang 1943,1,Lange,48,large date,3,Laurent Ferrier,25,Laureus,2,Le Garde Temps,1,Lederer Watches,4,Leica,3,Lemania,1,Leroy,4,Linde Werdelin,2,Longines,93,Louis Erard,26,Louis Moinet,7,Louis Vuitton,1,luxury steel watch,24,LVMH,10,LVMH 2020,6,M.A.D.Edition,3,M.A.D.Editions,3,Maîtres du Temps,1,Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps,3,Manufacture Royale,3,Marc Lang,1,marine chronometer,2,Marqueterie,1,Maurice de Mauriac,2,Maurice Lacroix,26,MB&F,64,MCT,1,MeisterSinger,90,meteorite,3,metiers d'art,2,Mickey Mouse,2,Mido,59,military watches,14,Minerva,3,Ming,1,Minute Repeater,62,monopusher chronograph,4,Montblanc,57,moon phases,121,Moritz Grossmann,31,Moser,44,Muhle,6,Mühle-Glashütte,5,mystery watches,4,Nautilus,12,New Britain Corp,1,new watches,3587,Nivada,2,Nomos,76,Norqain,31,Ochs und Junior,6,Officine Panerai,103,Omega,190,Only Watch,15,Only Watch 2015,4,Only Watch 2017,2,Only Watch 2019,3,Only Watch 2021,4,Only Watch 2023,10,Oris,42,paillonne,1,Panerai,106,Parmigiani,14,Parmigiani Fleurier,33,Pascal Coyon,1,Patek,56,Patek Philippe,133,Pedrozo & Piriz,1,perpetual calendar,146,Perrelet,11,Petermann Bedat,3,Phenomen,1,Philippe Dufour,1,Phillips,10,Piaget,34,Pierre DeRoche,2,pilot watch,111,Pininfarina,1,Pisa,13,Pisa 1940,1,Pisa Circle,12,Pita,1,planetarium,2,platinum,7,pocket watch,3,pocket watches,2,Poehlmann-Bresan,2,Poincon de Geneve,2,Porsche Design,17,Pre-SIHH 2016: Cartier - Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton,1,pulsometer,5,Purnell,1,quartz,9,Rado,19,Ralf Tech,3,Ralph Lauren,2,rattrapante,23,Raul Pages,2,Raymond Weil,4,rectangular watches,16,reddot award,1,regatta,1,regulator,25,remontoire,5,Remy Cools,1,Renaud Tixier,1,Reservoir,2,resonance,21,Ressence,12,retrograde,10,Revelation,1,Reverso,26,review,119,RGM,1,RGM Watch Co.,1,Richard Mille,110,Richemont,4,Richmond,1,Roger Dubuis,11,Roger Smith,1,Roger W. Smith,1,Rolex,68,Romain Gauthier,12,Romain Jerome,1,Royal Oak,39,Rudis Sylva,1,sapphire,4,Schwarz Etienne,1,Seamaster,9,Seiko,41,SevenFriday,24,SIHH,3,SIHH 2012,4,SIHH 2013,25,SIHH 2014,36,SIHH 2015,43,SIHH 2016,44,SIHH 2017,41,SIHH 2018,43,SIHH 2019,53,Simon Brette,2,Singer,6,Singer Reimagined,10,single hand,27,single-hand watches,32,Sinn,16,skeleton,35,smartwatch,9,solar energy,1,Sotheby's,8,Speake Marin,6,Speake-Marin,6,Speedmaster,34,split seconds,22,sport,1,sport watches,930,sportwatches,1,Spring Drive,2,square watches,3,squelette,57,steampunk,1,Steinhart,1,Strehler,1,striking time,16,SuisseMecanica,1,sunrise,2,sunset,2,Swatch,8,Swatch Group,23,Sylvain Pinaud,2,table clocks,4,Tag Heuer,172,tantalum,1,technical insight,3,terra Cielo Mare,1,Theo Auffret,1,Tiffany,17,Tissot,8,titanium,8,top news,395,Torsti Laine,1,tourbillon,361,Trilobe,3,Tudor,35,Tulloch,1,Tutima,3,ultra thin,34,Ulysse Nardin,39,Unimatic,1,Union Glashutte,14,Universal Genève,1,Urban Jurgensen,29,Urwerk,22,Vacheron Constantin,80,Van Cleef & Arpels,7,Vauchier Fleurier,1,Vianney Halter,5,video,1,vintage watches,3,Vulcain,11,wandering hours,1,watches,1,Watches & Wonders,41,Watches & Wonders 2020,19,Watches & Wonders 2021,28,Watches & Wonders 2022,35,Watches & Wonders 2023,38,Watches & Wonders 2024,2,Watches&Wonders,5,WatchesandWonders2022,35,WatchesandWonders2023,39,WatchesandWonders2024,3,Wilhelm Schmid,1,Winnerl,1,worldtime,56,YEMA,4,Zannetti,1,Zeitwerk,2,Zeitwinkel,1,Zenith,110,Zodiac,9,
ltr
static_page
Time and Watches | The watch blog: The Tourbillon, history of a watchmaking feat
The Tourbillon, history of a watchmaking feat
The History of the Tourbillon. The Tourbillon, history of a watchmaking feat. On 26 June 1801, the tourbillon was patented by Abraham-Louis Breguet. He conceived the idea of a new type of regulator called "the Tourbillon", around 1795. The French Interior Minister granted Breguet a patent which would last for a ten year period for his invention. Alfred Helwig. Thomas Presher. Anthony Randall. The Tourbillon, history of a watchmaking feat.
Time and Watches | The watch blog
https://www.timeandwatches.com/p/june-26-is-special-day-for-breguet.html
https://www.timeandwatches.com/
https://www.timeandwatches.com/
https://www.timeandwatches.com/p/june-26-is-special-day-for-breguet.html
true
7479538179671063502
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Read more Reply Cancel reply Delete By Home PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU LABEL ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow THIS PREMIUM CONTENT IS LOCKED STEP 1: Share to a social network STEP 2: Click the link on your social network Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy Table of Content