Flying tourbillon

A flying tourbillon is one without an upper bridge and of which the arbor is supported from only side, by means of a ballbearing mechanism. The arbor of a traditional tourbillon is held firmly between the mainplate and a bridge, or sometimes between two bridges. This construction ensures its stability. 

In a flying tourbillon, however, only one of the two ends of the axis keeps the entire device in place. This firstly requires the use of a ballbearing mechanism to facilitate rotation, and secondly extremely accurate construction so as to guarantee well-balanced poising. The term ‘flying’ stems from the visual impression created by such a structure, within which the tourbillon appears to be literally floating above the movement.

The flying tourbillon was invented by German watchmaker Alfred Helwig (1886-1974). A professor at the Glashütte Watchmaking School (the birthplace of German watchmaking, located in Saxony), he developed this interpretation of the tourbillon for Lange & Söhne (now A. Lange & Söhne) in 1920.

Unfortunately, World War II utterly destroyed the Saxon watch industry. Many factories were requisitioned to participate in the war effort, and most were in due course bombarded. The flying tourbillon was reborn in 1984 at the hand of French watchmaker Dominique Loiseau, when he created an exceptional table clock for Omega named La Rose du Temps and comprising 9,000 components driving 32 functions. The following year, for the same Maison, he crafted the Montres des Sables: six complicated pocket watches built around a centrally placed flying tourbillon.

It was however another virtuoso watchmaker, Vincent Calabrese, who built the first flying tourbillon wristwatch, which also appeared in 1985. Three years later, he created the smallest baguette-type movement with flying tourbillon, which would soon forge the reputation of Corum and its Golden Bridge collection.

Various perfected versions subsequently appeared, of which we will mention only the most significant: in 1989, Calabrese developed the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon for Blancpain,

measuring just 3.5mm thick; in 1995, Paul Gerber, who – like Calabrese – was a member of the Horological Academy of Independent Creators, created the world’s smallest flying tourbillon for a model commissioned by Franck Muller; in 2001, Blancpain presented its Quattro with flying tourbillon, and Glashütte Original its Alfred Helwig 2 model with its tourbillon visible on the dial side; in 2002, Beat Haldiman launched the H1 Flying Central Tourbillon, a wristwatch with a central flying and floating tourbillon, meaning that the mechanism is positioned above the dial; and in 2007 still, DeWitt introduced a vertical flying tourbillon in its astonishing WX-1 concept watch.