Rolex Tourbillion !!!

[Daniel Tan]

Rolex should have at least one Tourbillion model in order to bring up its SPECIAL Luxury image in the watch industry.... Almost 90% of luxury brand got their own tourbillion model,even Omega also has its own tourbillion watch... But Why Rolex still dont have the tourbillion model?

[eric23]

I don't see that happening any time soon, but you never know.
But a Tourbillion Rolex Prince would be cool.
I would love a Tourbillion watch but they are way too much cash.

[smallcandle]

Don't see that happening...

[esm]

i think maybe Mr Rolex wants to keep his timepieces on an affordable level to the general public....

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by eric23

But a Tourbillion Rolex Prince would be cool.

That's the very first thought I had when I read this thread!

I don't see that happening soon neither though, Rolex specializes in tool watches more than they do in complications in my opinion.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Daniel Tan

Rolex should have at least one Tourbillion model in order to bring up its SPECIAL Luxury image in the watch industry.... Almost 90% of luxury brand got their own tourbillion model,even Omega also has its own tourbillion watch... But Why Rolex still dont have the tourbillion model?

Cannot see one single reason why Rolex should make a Tourbillion only perhaps to make a very expencive watch because they can.The Tourbillon IMHO serves no real purpose in a wrist watch at all,only the fact the watchmakers can make them.And today you would be quite surprised how many watch hi end brands Tourbillons and cages are made china,and they make them very very well too to equal the Swiss.I sometimes wonder why there so much admiration for the tourbillon,perhaps the unquestioned and deserved prestige of Breguet the inventor many many years ago.But the Tourbillon works best in one position and in theory the Tourbillon is always modifying the slight timing errors in the vertical position.The Tourbillon does not correct position variations, it only prevents them being detected in the usual testing conditions. But when placed on say a vibrograph, the Tourbillon reveals its weaknesses immediately.The Tourbillon does not correct anything,in wrist movements, it only prevents the detection of any beat errors that still exists in natural gravity with wrist movement.

The Tourbillon is in fact an additional mechanism that consumes energy without producing anything except misinformation.The energy it consumes is taken from the reserve destined to the regulator. As a result, the balance wheel with less energy will have reduced advantages.Now I agree totally the skill needed to make the cage plus Tourbillon etc is a great horological skill.But in reality any Tourbillon watch is no more accurate that several other non Tourbillon watches that cost very very very much less.And even todays modern watches,with or without Tourbillons are not so accurate as one produced by John Harrison almost 300 years ago.

Gravity is one of the main causes of rate variations in watches,by creating the Tourbillon,when Breguet thought he was eliminating its effects,It looks like it was an big error on his part,he only masked them like Tourbillons do.Now if someone could come up and counteract the effect on gravity on a wrist watch totally.Now that would be a big break through but until then Tourbillons,IMHO are just good to look at,and they are very very expensive to own,and they make them because they can.But again looking at the other side of the coin,in Breguets day a hundred plus years ago when he invented the Tourbillon and the tools he had then.And now today with modern machines and computers puts a different perspective on the making side of Tourbillons today.

[Daniel Tan]

Originally Posted by padi56

Cannot see one single reason why Rolex should make a Tourbillion only perhaps to make a very expencive watch because they can.The Tourbillon IMHO serves no real purpose in a wrist watch at all,only the fact the watchmakers can make them.And today you would be quite surprised how many watch hi end brands Tourbillons and cages are made china,and they make them very very well too to equal the Swiss.I sometimes wonder why there so much admiration for the tourbillon,perhaps the unquestioned and deserved prestige of Breguet the inventor many many years ago.But the Tourbillon works best in one position and in theory the Tourbillon is always modifying the slight timing errors in the vertical position.The Tourbillon does not correct position variations, it only prevents them being detected in the usual testing conditions. But when placed on say a vibrograph, the Tourbillon reveals its weaknesses immediately.The Tourbillon does not correct anything,in wrist movements, it only prevents the detection of any beat errors that still exists in natural gravity with wrist movement.

The Tourbillon is in fact an additional mechanism that consumes energy without producing anything except misinformation.The energy it consumes is taken from the reserve destined to the regulator. As a result, the balance wheel with less energy will have reduced advantages.Now I agree totally the skill needed to make the cage plus Tourbillon etc is a great horological skill.But in reality any Tourbillon watch is no more accurate that several other non Tourbillon watches that cost very very very much less.And even todays modern watches,with or without Tourbillons are not so accurate as one produced by John Harrison almost 300 years ago.

Gravity is one of the main causes of rate variations in watches,by creating the Tourbillon,when Breguet thought he was eliminating its effects,It looks like it was an big error on his part,he only masked them like Tourbillons do.Now if someone could come up and counteract the effect on gravity on a wrist watch totally.Now that would be a big break through but until then Tourbillons,IMHO are just good to look at,and they are very very expensive to own,and they make them because they can.But again looking at the other side of the coin,in Breguets day a hundred plus years ago when he invented the Tourbillon and the tools he had then.And now today with modern machines and computers puts a different perspective on the making side of Tourbillons today.

Thanks for the answer! But i think most of the Watch Collector dont mind the accuracy of the Tourbillion, what they really wish is to have at least one in the collection of their life ... Beside, to have the tourbillion model is to prove to the publicity that Rolex also have a very very special ability to make a complicated tourbillion watch in watch industry... By the time comes, Rolex will achieve to another diff level of watchmaker in this industry!

[The GMT Master]

I'd prefer them to develop more new complications, like their superb cal. 4160, than making a Tourbillon. It's just not Rolex, IMO

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Daniel Tan

Thanks for the answer! But i think most of the Watch Collector dont mind the accuracy of the Tourbillion, what they really wish is to have at least one in the collection of their life ... Beside, to have the tourbillion model is to prove to the publicity that Rolex also have a very very special ability to make a complicated tourbillion watch in watch industry... By the time comes, Rolex will achieve to another diff level of watchmaker in this industry!

Well in Breguets days it was considered a very special ability to make a complicated tourbillion considering the tools he had then,but compared to todays computers and robotics to make the parts for todays Toubillions.Now Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the Tourbillon in 1795 but his invention but was not officially recognised till 1801 now thats when he applied for a patent.And the very first pocket watch equipped with a Tourbillon was sold in 1805 but it was not presented to the public till after the Parisian show of new mechanical products in 1806 now he was a real watchmaker.

[stusrt]

I'm still waiting for them to figure out how to put a date on a chrono

[Polemic]

I don't care for tourbillon on any Rolex.

I'd prefer longer power reserve (at least 120 hours) than tourbillon on my Milgauss.

[esm]

Originally Posted by stusrt

I'm still waiting for them to figure out how to put a date on a chrono

im sure it was the "option" they took, not their "inability"....

[capote]

Originally Posted by esm

im sure it was the "option" they took, not their "inability"....

Good choice as well. Date wheels rarely belongs on a chrono IMO.

[J. Alan]

I can't remember the brand name (someone can fill this in), but their tourbillon has a gyroscope mounting that is supposed to counteract the gravity effects as explaind by Padi.

Although interesting, IMO, I find tourbullons overkill, much like backflips and wierd dances NFL receivers use to do after scoring a TD. I would much prefer a model made by Rolex with an exhibition case back with a little more hand dressing added to the movement. Then we could all marvel at that intricate mechanical manufacture that we all love.

J. Alan

[kkwn98]

Originally Posted by Daniel Tan

Rolex should have at least one Tourbillion model in order to bring up its SPECIAL Luxury image in the watch industry....

No.

But Why Rolex still dont have the tourbillion model?

Why should they have one? Are you in the market for one? If so, there are other manufactures who offer them.

Haute Horlogerie has never been their field or their market.

[B. Doggy]

There's no tool in tourbillon

[GradyPhilpott]

Based on everything I've read, even from one watchmaker who makes them, the tourbillon is the world's most expensive gimmick.

Even in the days of old, their value was considered to be questionable.

This is not a path that one would expect of Rolex, given their history, and it not one that I would consider encouraging.

[Singslinger]

Blancpain offers a Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon model, so there are tool watches out there with a Tourbillon complication.

Having said that, I'm not a fan.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Singslinger

Blancpain offers a Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon model, so there are tool watches out there with a Tourbillon complication.

Is the Fifty-Fathoms really a tool watch?

[mrbill2mrbill2]

Originally Posted by J. Alan

I can't remember the brand name (someone can fill this in), but their tourbillon has a gyroscope mounting that is supposed to counteract the gravity effects as explaind by Padi.

Although interesting, IMO, I find tourbullons overkill, much like backflips and wierd dances NFL receivers use to do after scoring a TD. I would much prefer a model made by Rolex with an exhibition case back with a little more hand dressing added to the movement. Then we could all marvel at that intricate mechanical manufacture that we all love.

J. Alan

I believe you are talking of the Zenith Christopher Columb.

[mrbill2mrbill2]

To the OP - why? Rolex makes accurate, bullet proof movements. What more can you ask for.

[TTmax]

Originally Posted by padi56

....
Gravity is one of the main causes of rate variations in watches,by creating the Tourbillon,when Breguet thought he was eliminating its effects,It looks like it was an big error on his part,he only masked them like Tourbillons do.Now if someone could come up and counteract the effect on gravity on a wrist watch totally.Now that would be a big break through but until then Tourbillons,IMHO are just good to look at,and they are very very expensive to own,and they make them because they can.But again looking at the other side of the coin,in Breguets day a hundred plus years ago when he invented the Tourbillon and the tools he had then.And now today with modern machines and computers puts a different perspective on the making side of Tourbillons today.

Rolex have no need for a Tourbillon , they are working on a simpler solution to solve (or limit) the gravity issue : an indented hairspring. Lighter , it's less sensible to gravity.

(Complete explanation of this patent can be found here : Hairspring for oscillator balance of a clock piece)

[kmleffler]

I wish that Rolex would increase the Power Reserve, add a date to the Daytona, and come out with a moon phase watch.