Watches with tourbillion movements are some of the most prestigious pieces in horology.
They are the ultimate toy for the serious collector.
In front of me, I have two Holy Grail examples from legendary watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
On the left is the AP Royal Oak Tourbillion Extra-Thin in rose gold...on the right, the
frosted white gold version, which is limited to just 20 pieces.
At first glance, these watches may look like something Tony Stark would wear to a Stark
Industries board meeting, neatly slipped under a suit.
But the reality is that the classic, elegant design behind these timepieces make them perfect
for almost any occasion.
The case of the Extra Thin tourbillon sits at 41 millimeters wide with a thickness of
just 8.95 millimeters.
The watches come in both 18-Karat rose or white gold, like the models showcased on this
video, but AP also released ceramic and steel versions for this line.
As your eyes follow along the contour of the watch's integrated bracelet, they are drawn
to the action at the 6 o'clock position: a "whirlwind" that fervently adorns the modern
sunburst version of AP's signature Tapisserie dial design.
There is really no other way to describe this horological dance as anything short of mesmerizing.
But what exactly is this "whirlwind"?
Legendary Swiss-French watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet patented the concept in 1801.
Created as an attempt to improve accuracy in a mechanical timepiece, the main purpose
of a tourbillion, French for "whirlwind", was to address an issue that many mechanical
watches faced at the time, becoming less precise when exposed to the forces of gravity.
You see, gravitational forces create a drag on a watch's movement, especially when it's
placed in certain positions.
The way a tourbillon deals with gravity is by defying it.
Certain parts of the watch's internal mechanics, such as the balance wheel and escapement,
are placed into a rotating whirlwind or cage.
Just like our watch, a tourbillon will then slowly rotate that cage to negate the effects
of gravity when the watch experiences movement.
The goal is to average out positional errors of accuracy.
The calibre 2924 movement of AP's Extra-Thin tourbillon consists of 216 parts and 25 jewels
and beats at 3 oscillations per second or 21,600 vibrations per hour.
All of this is jam packed into an ultra-thin case, the reason behind the name.
The watch also features a 70-hour power reserve that we can visualize by flipping it over
and taking a peak at its stunning, clear case back.
Notice that right now the power reserve indicator is near empty.
Let's pull out the crown and start winding the watch to see what happens...So simple,
but yet so satisfying!
But is this tourbillon better than the standard version of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet's
most daring and successful design ever?
Well, to start, there are definitely some glaringly obvious differences.
The most prominent one stares right back at you the minute the watch is in sight, a BIG
hole punched right through the Tapisserie dial.
Yes, the hole contains a tourbillon and yes you can see the watch's escapement because
of it, but...what are you really sacrificing for the extra visual stimuli?
In addition to a circular chunk of lost real estate on the dial, notice that there's no
seconds hand on this model.
And where did the date window go?
How about the automatic rotor?
Both gone.
Oh yes, and you have to wind this watch manually every single time it runs out of power, just
like I did earlier.
Sacrilege you say?
Some purists might say yes, after all, boring a large hole through the dial of an icon might
get you burned at the stake in some cultures, especially when all the effort was in vain.
It's true, the reality is that while tourbillons were great for pocket watches in Breguet's
days, they don't do much to increase the accuracy of a wristwatch in our future world.
Instead, a fine tuned and well constructed watch will be more accurate than a tourbillon
any day of the week.
But people, let's be real.
Do you really buy a high end watch nowadays for maximum accuracy?
The truth is that if accuracy was your main priority, the smartphone that you are probably
using to watch this video right now is way more accurate and functional than these two
watches will ever be.
So then, some may ask, why even buy one?
Basically, for the same reason that you won't buy a luxury car for its fuel economy.
You buy a Royal Oak Tourbillon because it is an ultimate display of wealth, prestige,
and high horology.
You buy one to stand out from many others who have the standard 3-hand 41 millimeter.
You buy one because you are the top connoisseur from a group of connoisseurs.
Oh, and you may specifically buy one of these two because you prefer the "Evolutive" sunburst
upgrade to AP's signature "Tapisserie" design.
I was actually joking about that one, but it sure is pretty!
When you consider that this frosted version of the Extra-Thin model is going for around
$250,000, you might think that a watch like this might never sell.
Well, think again.
Try walking into your local Audemars Piguet boutique with 250 thousand and attempt to
buy one.
No wait...all 20 of them are already sold out.
And even their lower priced cousins are almost impossible to come by.
But enough of what I think.
What you think of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin.
If the watch was within your budget, would you ever consider buying one or are you more
of a fan of the traditional model?
Let me know in a comment below.
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