Tourbillon

Tourbillon movement (high resolution)

In horology, a tourbillon (/tʊərˈbɪljən/; French: [tuʁbijɔ̃] "whirlwind") is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement to increase accuracy. Conceived by the British watchmaker and inventor John Arnold, it was developed by his friend the Swiss-French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet and patented by Breguet on 26 June 1801.^[1] In a tourbillon the escapement and balance wheel are mounted in a rotating cage, with the goal of eliminating errors of poise in the balance giving a uniform weight.^[2]

Tourbillons are still included in some modern wristwatches, where the mechanism is usually exposed on the watch's face to showcase it.

^ Thomas Reid 'A Treatise on Clock and Watch making' Second Edition p. 256.
^ Daniels, George (2013). Watchmaking. Philip Wilson Publishers. ISBN 978-0-85667-704-5. OCLC 949352308.

[1] Thomas Reid 'A Treatise on Clock and Watch making' Second Edition p. 256.

[:0-2] Daniels, George (2013). Watchmaking. Philip Wilson Publishers. ISBN 978-0-85667-704-5. OCLC 949352308.

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