Complication
Tourbillon
A rotating cage that averages out gravity's error.
What it does
Patented by Breguet in 1801, the tourbillon mounts the escapement and balance in a rotating cage (usually one turn per minute) so that gravity's pull is averaged out across positions. In a wristwatch its practical benefit is debated, but as a display of watchmaking skill it is unmatched.
How to read it
It's a spectacle, not a readout — the visible cage rotating on the dial. A 'flying' tourbillon has no upper bridge, so the cage appears to float.
Impact on value
Very strongly positive — among the most expensive complications; often five to six figures.
Keep reading
- Complication
World Time
All 24 time zones readable at once.
- Complication
Annual Calendar
Knows every month length except February.
- Complication
Alarm
A mechanical buzzer on your wrist.
- Complication
Minute Repeater
Chimes the time on demand, to the minute.
- Complication
Small Seconds
A seconds hand on its own sub-dial.
- Complication
Jumping Hour
The hour snaps into a window instead of sweeping.