# Tool Talk >  Tourbillon movement - GIF

## Jon

Large tourbillon display. Tourbillons were originally designed to negate the effect of gravity in a timepiece, by continuously rotating the entire escapement and balance wheel assembly.



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blkadder (Sep 19, 2017),

cognitdiss (Apr 14, 2022),

gunsgt1863 (Jun 6, 2018),

HobieDave (Mar 24, 2020),

KustomsbyKent (Sep 20, 2017),

mklotz (Sep 20, 2017),

mwmkravchenko (Jun 6, 2018),

olderdan (Sep 20, 2017),

Paul Jones (Sep 20, 2017),

PJs (Jun 6, 2018),

rlm98253 (Sep 19, 2017),

rossbotics (Sep 20, 2017),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019),

Seedtick (Sep 20, 2017),

sfm1951 (Apr 1, 2020),

sossol (Jun 5, 2018),

will52100 (Jun 5, 2018)

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## blkadder

I think if I had one of these, I would just stare at it all day watching all the gears go round. Thanks for posting.

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## Frank S

All I can say is

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## ncollar

love the Spock and yes fascinating, gorgeous

Jon 
Is there any way to download that short video? I think I could loose hours being mesmerized.

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## rlm98253

To save the video (.gif file), right-click on it and select *Save image as...*

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## ncollar

Thank you kind Sir.

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## mklotz

What's incredible is that this movement is included in some high end WRIST watches!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourbillon

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## KickStart

Like blkadder, I could watch this watch movement until the end of time.

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## Jon

Is the jury still out on whether tourbillons are actually useful in all mechanical timepieces? My take is that they might have limited utility, but they have perpetuated because they are so complex that they are valued in high-dollar watches.

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## KickStart

I just read the Wiki page, and I gathered that they actually work for pure mechanical timepieces better than without them, but still don't stand up to a simple quartz watch for accuracy.

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## mklotz

> I just read the Wiki page, and I gathered that they actually work for pure mechanical timepieces better than without them, but still don't stand up to a simple quartz watch for accuracy.



Of course not but you must understand that the people who buy such watches buy them for their esthetics and conspicuous consumption, not as a means of telling time accurately.

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## ncollar

the question is still, Who need that accurate time anyways? A minute this way or that will not make very much difference. But the real beauty of a metal movement with the accuracy of this design is as good as your battery and will not worry about a dying battery.

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## mklotz

> the question is still, Who need that accurate time anyways? A minute this way or that will not make very much difference. But the real beauty of a metal movement with the accuracy of this design is as good as your battery and will not worry about a dying battery.



You're right in the sense that accuracy in the absolute sense usually isn't that important. The problem is drift. Mechanical watches, especially less expensive ones, will gain/lose time at a more or less constant rate. Unless you know the rate and time to the last correction, you're never really sure how far off the watch might be. Resetting your watch every day isn't practical. Also, if it doesn't have a battery it needs to be rewound - either manually or by activity via an internal pendulum.

Electronic watches utilize a high-frequency crystal oscillator stepped down to one Hz. These can be made very frequency stable, especially in the relatively constant temperature environment of a human wrist. Drift is much less of a concern.

Or you can have it all. My inexpensive Casio has an electronic drive and resynchronizes the absolute time by listening to the NBS radio broadcast every night. In addition, the dial face is a solar cell so it has no battery; a capacitor stores charge when light is available.

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## LMMasterMariner

Long time ago before invention of electronic navigation we had to know correct time. That time ship’s chronometers were expensive mechanical watches and we kept 'chronometer rate book' by daily updates of correct time and daily rate. We were getting correct time by time signal provided by radio officer. Nowadays we don’t have radio officers on board and all these new chronometers only look like they did long time ago, brass frame in wooden box, nice fancy dial, but inside is ordinary quartz movement watch. And we are still required to keep chronometer rate book. We are getting correct time from GPS receiver. And having sextant on board is still requirement even I am not sure if young generation of deck officers can use it at all.

Best regards
LMMasterMariner

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## Paul Jones

A few years ago I purchased this 5 inch high carriage clock because of its Tourbillon movement. It has a very sensitive timing adjuster. I finally mastered getting the time adjustment set correctly and now very accurate and less dependent on temperature variations. 

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/u...ustments-33451

My favorite clock movements are the Atmos clocks powered by variations in temperature and atmospheric pressure changes in the environment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmos_clock

Regards,

Paul

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Jon (Sep 20, 2017)

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## Jon

This is the kind of stuff that could turn me into a "fancy watch guy". When you put aside the utility (a $10 watch is difficult to outperform), and the weird man-jewelry component, you're left with the fact that you get to wear this fascinating gear movement and technological achievement on your wrist. Of course, I would probably have to sell my house to afford a watch with a tourbillon in it.

There seems to some sort of connection between something like this and the far more primitive geared jewelry, like that from Kinekt Design.

What if you could just "wear" a tourbillon, without the watch part? Minus the timekeeping mechanism, I guess this would be a tourbillon bracelet, which might be pushing it a bit. But what about tourbillon cuff links? Belt buckle?

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Paul Jones (Sep 21, 2017)

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## Frank S

A belt buckle? Hummm. not quite as useful as the one I had with a .22 5 shot revolver clipped in it. Might make some guys trim up their waistline so they could see it without having to look in a mirror though.
Women might want one turned into body jewelry as a way to get guys to notice them. Naa that would be carrying it too far the, envelope of the current public exposure indecency laws are pushed to their limits already.

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## mklotz

The way things look on the street these days, a Tourbillon nose ring would make a statement. Not saying what that statement might be but you'd certainly attract attention.

As far as buying one, this one...

Greubel Forsey GMT Tourbillon Men's Watch Model: 97805

has a visible movement but it doesn't look like a true Tourbillon. It does feature a rotating globe though. You can have it for a mere 605 grand.

A Patek Phillipe will cost you a bit more...

https://www.truefacet.com/patek-phil...RoCjvUQAvD_BwE

and doesn't even have a globe and the movement isn't visible from the face of the watch. Note that this French company spells it "Tourbillion". 

For sheer visual impact, I like this cheapy Bovet...

https://www.truefacet.com/bovet-gran...hoCKJEQAvD_BwE

for only 200 grand, a mere pittance. :-)

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## Frank S

If you wanted one that you could actually see the movement in then you may have to buy a Chinese made one
Chinese manufacturer SEA-GULL presents a dual-axis tourbillon. Please read this exclusive report from China written by my contributor Logan â Watch-Insider.com

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## Frank S

this if far more accurate than I need and I don't have to wear it

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## Jon

I guess "astronomical" watches are a thing. Behold the Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 from Vacheron Constantin of Geneva. Around $1 million USD.







More: Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complicaiton 3600 - Vacheron Constantin

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Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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## Frank S

> I guess "astronomical" watches are a thing. Behold the Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 from Vacheron Constantin of Geneva. Around $1 million USD.
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> More: Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complicaiton 3600 - Vacheron Constantin



way too busy for a wrist watch but would be a super cool conversation piece if scaled up to mantle clock size

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## Jon

And if mantle clock size isn't large enough, you can always get a few ideas from this astronomical clock in Prague, installed in 1410:

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KustomsbyKent (Jun 5, 2018),

Paul Jones (Nov 16, 2017),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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## Jon

Astronomia tourbillon from Jacob & Co.



Your browser does not support the video tag.





More: https://www.jacobandco.com/timepiece...nomia-flawless

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gunsgt1863 (Nov 17, 2017),

Komo (Dec 30, 2017),

KustomsbyKent (Jun 5, 2018),

Paul Jones (Jun 5, 2018),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019),

Seedtick (Nov 16, 2017)

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## Frank S

nice looking wrist watch , unfortunately it wouldn't last 10 seconds on my arm

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## Jon

OK, I admit I don't like tourbillons _this_ much:



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Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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## Frank S

Looks like a monster version of a NASA training simulator

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Paul Jones (Jun 5, 2018),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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## ncollar

Jon
Where is that amusement park that ride is located? I do not want to pertisipate but would like to see it.
Nelson

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## rendoman

Love Tourbillon!
We had also this ride in Legnano, in november  :Cool:

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## Toolmaker51

> OK, I admit I don't like tourbillons _this_ much:



Corkscrew coasters and the like I truly enjoy. Faster and crazier the better. 
Far as tourbillons go, Jon's GIF above shows me in the empty seat.
Lol.

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## Frank S

> Corkscrew coasters and the like I truly enjoy. Faster and crazier the better. 
> Far as tourbillions go, Jon's GIF above shows me in the empty seat.
> Lol.



That must be me sitting right beside you then

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Toolmaker51 (Jun 6, 2018)

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## Jon

Jacob & Co Astronomia Tourbillon watch.



Your browser does not support the video tag.




More: https://www.jacobandco.com/timepiece...mia-tourbillon

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Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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## Frank S

We can thank people like Pluto for coming up with a water driven alarm clock and persons like Su Sung or YI Xing Hsing which ever you chose to be the spelling for the escapement. And like that 2.5 million dollar watch in another thread it just goes to prove there are seemingly no end to the accomplishments and complexities to mechanisms

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## ncollar

Frank
You missed one point, the size. To think someone is going to wear it on his wrist. The Tourbillon movement has always dazzled me, I could sit and study it for hours. Gorgeous!
Nelson

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## Frank S

Nelson you are correct anytime it requires a 500x signification to spot the possibility of a minor flaw which could prevent a perfect movement a lot of credit must be given to the artisan

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## Jon

3D-printed tourbillon.



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This is the Vianney Halter Deep Space watch that is listed as the inspiration for the above:



More: https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/c...illon-46/26430

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baja (Jan 2, 2019),

KustomsbyKent (Jan 2, 2019),

PJs (Jan 2, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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## ranald

I'm afraid i'm only in outer space when in inner space. really cool though. :Cool:

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## Jon

Cabestan Winch Tourbillon Vertical.



14-second video:




More: https://www.cabestan.ch/winch-tourbillon-vertical/

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KustomsbyKent (Mar 1, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2019)

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