Perrelet Unveils Limited Edition Flying Tourbillon Timepiece

Perrelet, the inventor of the automatic watch, has unveiled its Limited Edition Flying Tourbillon Timepiece. Tourbillons in any form, provided they are visible to the wearer, evokes a sense of wonderment in the minds of all who see them. A tourbillon is truly a mechanical complication requiring exceptional precision, all parts must rotate in perfect harmony with all other parts of the watch. Hypnotic really. In a tourbillon, the entire escapement assembly comprising of the balance wheel, the escape wheel, hairspring and pallet fork rotates dispelling any effect of gravity. Tourbillon's are usually supported by a bridge above and below; however, in a flying tourbillon the entire complication is only supported on the bottom - giving it the illusion of "flying" without any support at all. It must be appreciated how skillful a watchmaker must be to succeed in crafting a tourbillon in this from. Since the entire cage is supported from the bottom; pivot mounted on one side with no supporting bridge and giving the illusion of a floating mainspring barrel, it is like the entire assembly is like one complication built upon another.

See 3d animation of flying tourbillon for a better understanding of this remarkable complication.

The Flying Tourbillon was designed, in 1920, by Alfred Helwig, an instructor at the German School of Watchmaking located in Germany's town of Glashütte, Saxony. Glashütte is home to A. Lange & Söhne.