In this episode we look at RGM’s new Tourbillon and the firing of a Seiko exec.

Read more…

Here’s an obvious case of conspicuous consumption. Check out the Celsius X VI II Micro-Mechanical Remontage Papillon Tourbillon mobile phone. Retail on this bad boy is going to set you back about $275,000. For a phone.

Read more…

What can you do to make the tourbillon even more precious? How about you skeletonize it until it is completely hidden in the bezel? This amazing one-off piece was made by Thomas Prescher and that little wheel in the middle there is the tourbillon mounted balance wheel. It is wound by the spinning of that flat plate on the bottom and the dials display the date. The time appears on the cylinders on the top and the ball is a three dimensional moon-phase register.

Seriously. Don’t even ask how much this costs. It’s probably not for sale and it would probably explode on your first trip to Costco. This is truly an art watch.

Here’s the latest HourTime podcast, my little side project with Ariel Adams. Note, there’s a special surprise near the middle of the show so take a listen. Remember, head over to HourTime to drop your comment.

Download MP3
Subscribe in iTunes

A little bird sent us these images Swatch’s upcoming Tourbillon collection, the Turn to Her and Turn to Him. I don’t have much information but I do know that Swatch used to make automatic mechanical movements but stopped some time in this decade. This new movement appears to use a rotating cage to move the balance wheel in a full rotation around the central stalk, a design decision which differs from the standard stationary tourbillon cage.
Read more…