| Details | ||
| Stock # | SKU18544 | |
| Stock # | 18544 | |
| Model Name | Double Tourbillon | |
| Brand | ||
| Model Ref # | ||
| Condition | ||
| Gender | Mens | |
| Movement | Manual | |
| Case | 18K White Gold | |
| Case Shape | Round | |
| Case Size | 43.5 mm in diameter by 16 mm thick | |
| Crystal | ||
| Band / Strap | Strap | |
| Dial | Gray | |
| Caseback | Display | |
| Complications |
Tourbillon Power Reserve |
|
| Year | ||
| Additional Information | ||
| Sold | ||
Description
The tourbillon was invented around 1795 by Abraham Louis Breguet. Its purpose was to increase the accuracy of pocket watches by moving the escapement and balance wheel around, as they ran, to counter-act the effect of gravity on the watch’s timekeeping. Nowadays, elite watch brands still offer tourbillons, but more for showcasing their watchmaking talents than for optimizing timekeeping.
A tourbillon watch has always been regarded as an elite complication, and with good reason. Amazingly, however, the tourbillon didn’t change in execution or concept from 1795 all the way until 1999, when Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey got together and started thinking about evolving the tourbillon to the next level. The pair wanted to bring meaning back to the tourbillon, and that meant building a tourbillon complication that improved on the timekeeping that other tourbillon watches provided. A stiff challenge, to be sure, but the partnership generated the idea for a tourbillon within a tourbillon, which is as brilliant of an idea as it is elegant in its implementation in their Double Tourbillon 30°.
The case on this watch is solid 18k white gold with dimensions of 43.5mm diameter by 16mm thick. The lugs have a shape that is unique in all of the watch world. All of the top surfaces of the case are mirror polished. The case sides feature a wave like engraving, in relief, against a very finely textured background. The front crystal is slightly domed sapphire, and there is also a sapphire display back crystal. Case back screws down with six screws.
The dial is a solid pane of gold, darkened to grey, which Greubel Forsey call “black gold”. The hour markers are applied white gold roman numerals and indexes. There are also four blued screws that are functional, as they secure the dial to the movement below. The subdial at 9 o’clock is for seconds. There is a retrograde power reserve display at 3 o’clock. There is a large cutaway from the dial at the bottom to display the unique tourbillon assembly. The hands also use unique forms, and the tourbillon cage has a four armed flame blued arrow hand, one for each minute of the outer tourbillon cage’s four minutes that it requires to make a full revolution.
The movement is the manual winding Caliber GF02, finished in “Jade Gold”, with 39 jewels, beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, and self-compensating balance spring with Phillips terminal curve. Of course, as beautiful as the rest of the watch is, it’s the GF Double Tourbillon system that is at the heart of this movement and the watch itself.
The Double Tourbillon system is a tourbillon inside of another tourbillon. The inner tourbillon cage contains the movement’s escapement and balance wheel and is oriented at a 30 degree slant from the outer tourbillon cage. The inner tourbillon cage makes one full revolution per minute, while the outer tourbillon cage rotates once every four minutes. This ingenious system theoretically negates any effects of positional gravity on the ticking balance wheel. It’s a thing of beauty to watch working.
This impressive and historically important watch is new and complete with box and papers and other accoutrements. The US Retail Price of this watch is $420,000.
A tourbillon watch has always been regarded as an elite complication, and with good reason. Amazingly, however, the tourbillon didn’t change in execution or concept from 1795 all the way until 1999, when Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey got together and started thinking about evolving the tourbillon to the next level. The pair wanted to bring meaning back to the tourbillon, and that meant building a tourbillon complication that improved on the timekeeping that other tourbillon watches provided. A stiff challenge, to be sure, but the partnership generated the idea for a tourbillon within a tourbillon, which is as brilliant of an idea as it is elegant in its implementation in their Double Tourbillon 30°.
The case on this watch is solid 18k white gold with dimensions of 43.5mm diameter by 16mm thick. The lugs have a shape that is unique in all of the watch world. All of the top surfaces of the case are mirror polished. The case sides feature a wave like engraving, in relief, against a very finely textured background. The front crystal is slightly domed sapphire, and there is also a sapphire display back crystal. Case back screws down with six screws.
The dial is a solid pane of gold, darkened to grey, which Greubel Forsey call “black gold”. The hour markers are applied white gold roman numerals and indexes. There are also four blued screws that are functional, as they secure the dial to the movement below. The subdial at 9 o’clock is for seconds. There is a retrograde power reserve display at 3 o’clock. There is a large cutaway from the dial at the bottom to display the unique tourbillon assembly. The hands also use unique forms, and the tourbillon cage has a four armed flame blued arrow hand, one for each minute of the outer tourbillon cage’s four minutes that it requires to make a full revolution.
The movement is the manual winding Caliber GF02, finished in “Jade Gold”, with 39 jewels, beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, and self-compensating balance spring with Phillips terminal curve. Of course, as beautiful as the rest of the watch is, it’s the GF Double Tourbillon system that is at the heart of this movement and the watch itself.
The Double Tourbillon system is a tourbillon inside of another tourbillon. The inner tourbillon cage contains the movement’s escapement and balance wheel and is oriented at a 30 degree slant from the outer tourbillon cage. The inner tourbillon cage makes one full revolution per minute, while the outer tourbillon cage rotates once every four minutes. This ingenious system theoretically negates any effects of positional gravity on the ticking balance wheel. It’s a thing of beauty to watch working.
This impressive and historically important watch is new and complete with box and papers and other accoutrements. The US Retail Price of this watch is $420,000.
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