9 Smoking Hot Tourbillon Timepieces of All Time

Extravagance knows no boundary when obsession is at stake! And when the objet d'interest is a watch you aren't left with much of a choice. 

Watches add an element of swag to your persona & complete you. 

Luxury timepieces are known for their complications. Speaking of which, I am reminded of Tourbillon, a feature in mechanical watches that has been the fulcrum of attraction among the discerned collectors of Horological masterpiece.  

Tourbillion was designed to enhance the accuracy of the timekeepers in the first place, but with the passage of time it left a whole lot of luxury watchmakers wanting. 

Technically speaking, the balance wheel of a watch oscillates at different rates causing minute variation in the output. 

The reason behind variation could be gravitational bias or change in atmospheric condition. 

In a tourbillon watch, the balance wheel is mounted on a rotating cage so that it embraces all the positions equally and strikes off any possibility for the slightest of variation. 

Now that you are aware of the fundamentals, I present before you the list of 9 most sophisticated Tourbillon timepieces ever. 

1. Rotonde de Cartier: 
One of the most sophisticated manually wound platinum men's watch that money could ever buy happens to be from the house of Cartier.

2. Richard Mille RM 56-01 Sapphire Crystal Tourbillon Watch: For your wrist only! Because it's too hard to take your eyes off the intricacies encrusted in the house-of-crystal.

3. AP Royal Oak Grande Complication: 

It boasts of the eminent complications popular in the sphere of modern watchmaking, the Royal Oak Grande Complication is certainly a cut above the rest. 

4. Girard-Perregaux Tri-Axial Tourbillon: 
Tri-Axial Tourbillon is the little wonder that presents you with some serious piece of horological machinery. For the enthusiasts  exclusively!

5. Luminor 1950 Tourbillion GMT Automatic Ceramica - 48MM:

A timekeeper that has been named as a watch of high character cuts an imposing figure in its see-through sapphire crystal back

6. Blu Majesty Tourbillon MT3: 
Take a dip in the sea of blue! Boasting of a tourbillon inside a tourbillon, Blu Majesty is the ultimate machine for your coveted collection.

7. Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyro tourbillon: 

Touching the new height of classic watchmaking, Jaeger- LeCoultre brings this limited edition adorned with a mono-pusher.

8. Vacheron Constantin Tour de I’lle: 

Also, a part of the Tour de I'lle series, Vacheron Constantin's Rose Gold piece has been termed the world's most complicated wristwatch ever. You mustn't question the supremacy of this class-act!

9. Breguet Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpetuel: 
One of the hottest Breguet novelty unveiled at BaselWorld circa 2014, this timepiece is synonymous with the art of complex watchmaking. Say your grace, & savor the beauty!

Have a happy watch-gasm!

MB&F – LEGACY MACHINE PERPETUAL

In what could be the most exciting development for the horological aficionados, MB&F has presented the world yet another marvel of skill & Engineering, brought to us as the ‘LEGACY MACHINE PERPETUAL'. Akin to the other popular versions of high-end luxury watches dedicated to a particular complication, this horological machine is branded after perpetual. It took the makers of MB&F to complete this class act.

Perpetual calendar has been one of the signature qualities of a mechanical watch, which by far remains the favorite of craftsmen & connoisseurs, the feature of a mechanical watch that helps us in figuring out any given day of a week or a future date, taking leap year into consideration. The popular watchmakers of the late 20th century have been very particular about this feature along with other common complications like tourbillion & chime. As the name suggests, Legacy machine Perpetual happens to be the first perpetual calendar edition from MB & F.

Sapphire Dome, spaceship-esque motif- which happens to be the pinion rod that acts as a conduit between the movement & the escapement system, & skeletonized dial with the eyeball-grabbing bezel add up to make a compelling 44 mm rose/platinum case. A quintessential of unity in diversity, the legacy machine perpetual is the assimilation of 4 floating sub-dials in 1 one big beautiful dial with the movement of 581 parts making the raw backdrop to an awe-inspiring spectacle. To elaborate the aforesaid, hour & minute dial is located at 12’o clock, day at 3, the month at 6 & date at 9 in their sphere. The beauty of the blued steel hands comes alive on each particular dial adorning the timepiece. The mechanical processor of the watch is calibrated to cover the 28 days calendar of a month, unlike the traditional perpetual timepiece, which uses 31 days of a month. The watch’s mechanism allows a 4-days jump at one date switch. Hence, increasing the reliability in switching the date correctly at the month’s end. The safety mechanism to block adjustment of the perpetual calendar when the date is changing evades any risk of damage to the watch mechanism. Horologically speaking, perpetual is a shrouded feature, which watchmakers call ‘Cadrature’ or under-the-dial-work, which is not just limited to the perpetual calendar, but includes other complications as well, like a minute repeater.

The legacy machine perpetual doesn’t boast of an automatic movement. Therefore, you have to wound the movement of the timekeeper manually. An actual resemblance of the 19th-century pocket watch that were designed with minute detailing, the legacy machine perpetual claims to supply an uninterrupted 3-day movement that functions at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (1800bhp). For the lesser mortals, frequency here is the movement of a timepiece. The legacy machine perpetual uses a particular system of stacked gears, which is about getting rid of the complex lever system entirely. Information wise, stacked gear system is another favorite feature of mechanical watches, where gear train relies on more precise movement thus increasing the accuracy of the machine.

However, if I were to make my pick from the little wonder from MB&F, it would be the large floating balance wheel, which adds to the design aesthetics ably backed by the skeletonized backdrop. The pinion rod, which is arguably the longest balance wheel pinion rod, with its subtle appearance, creates a spellbinding charm & is visible in the rear view of the dial along with the whole escapement system. The legacy machine perpetual comes along with an alligator leather strap.

MB&F Legacy Machine perpetual is no lesser a marvel when compared to some of the reputed timepieces released in the luxury timepieces category. At launch, the watch came in a limited series of 25 pieces in rose gold and 25 pieces in platinum. Price for the rose gold version is $145,000 while the platinum version is pegged at a whopping $176,000.

AP Royal Oak 41mm 15400 Two-Tone

The Swiss watch industry has taken the horological sophistication to an unprecedented level, which, just like wine, promises to get better with time. The complications, intricacy, precision & subtle elegance leaves you wondering about the mechanical prowess that watchmakers have accomplished over the course of time. Moreover, I wouldn't be wrong if I affirmed that observing time remains the second priority for most of the timepiece fanatics. It is the Haute aura of luxury-on-wrist followed by the cutting edge technology that makes the real difference. Cool! Let’s find out what I have got to discuss today. It is the quintessential elegance of Audemars Piguet, one of the frontrunners of the Swiss Watch Industry, which prompts me to talk about it. Royal Oak precisely! Someone rightly said that a good wristwatch does more than tell time and AP testify every bit of those mentioned above. Many expensive watches show complications like tourbillion, phases of the moon, the time of year, the precise second that just slipped away, and can even remind you of the urgent appointment. However, the great ones complement your life, accessorize your wardrobe & becomes an heir to you.
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, in a two-tone configuration reaffirms its stamp over its prevailing retro look. With its subtle appearance casting the look of customary Royal Oak, this timepiece has become the go-to for all classic Royal Oak design lovers who long to stay obsessed with the ticking of the third (seconds) hand & become the pompous flag bearer of the luxe timepiece.

Unlike the 15300 – and, in contrast to any of the previous Royal Oak since the 1990s, the latest variant of the 15400 comes in two-tone design. Speaking of two-tone, they have a certain element of luxury & class. Silver & gold comprise of the two tones for the casted octagonal shaped metallic frame enclosing the traditional Grand Tapisserie- a typical pattern making the background of the dial, patterning associated with the Royal Oak model since its foundation. The model has so much of peculiarity pegged along, as this is the first time that makers have introduced the dual tone in sports luxury edition, which also underlines the fact that it will target youngsters in the age group of 25- 35.
Technicality wise, the self-winding timepiece has been forged into a splendor, which has its bezel made up of 18k- pink gold case, silvered dial & pink gold bracelet. Glare proof sapphire crystal & case back, enclose the bewitching beauty with screws locked down. 41mm wide case is 9.8 mm thick & can survive up to 50 meters under the sea; a feature lesser mortals would even dare to try. Pink gold applied hour markers & Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating accompany the silver toned dial that bears the traditional Grand tapisserie pattern. The precise self-winding movement makes the unique blend of functionality & precision. The 3120-calibre timepiece has 40 jewels studded & contains 280 parts. The AP Royal Oak two-tone doesn't facilitate too much of complication, so you wouldn't prefer this watch if you are looking out for some complicated mechanical masterpiece. Its functionality is limited to the very basic hour, minute, center second & date. A movement of your hand means that you have the luxury of 60 hours of power reserve for the timepiece. That’s how a rotor propelled self-winding works, precisely!

Verdict

Given the legacy that the AP Royal Oak carries with it, I would put my money on its sleek appearance, which would complement my formal as well as casual attire alike. Also, a dash of gold, accompanying silver & pink, makes it an impressive timepiece. Let’s acknowledge the fact that with bold experimentation with its looks, the makers of the AP have wanted to be the face of change in the luxury watch range. Since it has come in this illustrated sports edition, and with all the fine work reflecting on its metallic frame, I would rather go for AP Royal Oak two-tone than waste my time researching on the watches of similar ilk.

The AudemarsPiguet Royal Oak Two-Tone 15400 is priced reasonably at $25,600.

Extravagant Timekeeper- Devon Tread 1

What do you call those who experience the syndrome of obsession for the exotic timepieces? Neither do I! 
But if there existed one, it would be so apt for this classy timepiece. Here we discuss an imposing timepiece frame that is 53.3mm by 47mm by 19mm. It has been cast out of 316L, surgical-grade stainless steel, the hardest and most durable steel available presently. 
It's back panel boasts of DLC black coated steel & flaunts some of the most formidable materials to be ever used in the history of watchmaking. 

How often do you perceive a moving shaft across the screen dotted with randomly running minute parts, moving conveyor belts & all of them together encrusted in a case? Not ordinarily!
The little wonder here talks exactly the same.

This quintessential of the super intricate mechanism is fondly called Devon. Devon Tread 1! 

Taking a giant leap en route to the journey of traditional watchmaking, Devon exhibits this awe-inspiring blend of horology & engineering. 

It happens to be the debut timepiece of their design lab headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Indeed a subtle display of aesthetically advanced components. 

If you assumed that Devon boasts of Geneva made watch parts, you are goddamn wrong coz the suppliers of Devon are from the aero industry directly. 

Boeing 747's technology inspire its rock-solid composition. Having heard that, you must know that Devon watches use the same belt in avionics package as the one used in the cockpit of Boeing 747 which is used to indicate vital measurements such as air speed and fluid levels. 

A crystal shield made up of scratch resistant polycarbonate cover giving it the formidability of a bullet proof glass. Overall you can say that the sophistication of all the materials comprising the timepiece makes it a perfect Objet D'obsession.

History backs the fact that Devon Tread 1 was a further incarnation of the exclusive Devon GTX Super car. A car with the unique blend of luxury with American muscle.
Success with it propelled Devon to come up with this insane watch with interwoven time belts also known as Tread 1. 
The uniqueness of the timepiece lies in its unusual methodology pushing the limits of traditional watchmaking. Belts flash the numbers across the rectangular screen. 

Devon Tread 1 is powered by four extremely compact micro step motors that move the internal 2-micron thin belts that spin inside the case to display the time. Powered by a lithium polymer rechargeable cell that is charged by wireless induction. The belts run the entire system that keeps in sync with an optical technology. Put them in tandem & you have one of the most technically advanced timepieces ever made. Nominated in the category of Design and Concept Watch at Gran Prix d' Horlogerie de Geneve, Devon is the first American watch brand ever to receive this laudable recognition.

Propelled by the flimsy time belts that show hours, minutes & seconds separately in a distinguished way that's never been seen before, Devon Tread 1 casts its significant stature by taking the traditional watchmaking to an unprecedented level. 
The moving belts cast an illusionary effect by the virtue of their haphazard movement, which hints if the parts of the watch were floating in the case. 
Fiberglass-reinforced nylon allows for belts that are only 2/1,000 of an inch thick while being high and stable enough to ensure continuous accuracy. 
At the heart of the Tread 1 is an onboard microprocessor, essentially a tiny computer, that controls all of the watch’s functions. 
It gathers data from a temperature-compensated crystal and a proprietary optical recognition system, which continuously monitors and verifies the position of the Time Belts thereby ensuring steadfast accuracy – in fact, the Tread 1 is deadly accurate to within one-half second per day.

The belt assemblies mounted on a central chassis allows for the perfect clearance of moving parts and also creates an illusion that makes the parts visibly float within the case. 
Lubricant-free ruby bearings are applied at the friction points of the movement, a thoughtful engineering detail that precludes the need for lubrication and significantly reduces required maintenance. Once fully charged, the robust lithium-polymer rechargeable cell runs for up to two weeks. 
You don't need charging cables to complete the formality. Devon can reenergize itself without wires, via a charging tower in only a few hours.

DEVON started with the production of the Tread 1 in late 2010 with four variations. 
It consists of different combinations of exposed stainless steel and titanium-colored DLC-coated parts but has set a benchmark in the sphere of watchmaking that remains a dream goal for most of the adept watchmakers across the globe.

Love humans! Stay proud of the humanity!!

#ThoughtOfTheDay #SikhGenocide84

As the people around can't help but decry about the escalating intolerance in the air around, let us not forget the infamous genocide of '84 when thousand of Sikhs were brutally massacred. 31 years and counting & they are yet to get their share of justice! Numerous such cases are yet concealed in the dust coated sheets of stacked files, & we can't help but lament about the current ones! Our lives have been so crippled that we loved to see things that are deliberately being shown to us. Our memories have become shortlived & we like blaming the system or people of different caste, creed, sex, color and the classification of the cause of differences are endless. 
I am still waiting for the day when we genuinely raise our voice for the cause rather than naming things as the political vendetta.