We’ve looked at the best tourbillon watches of 2024, the best independent watchmakers in the world, and even the best watches of the year. Now we turn our attention to the very best central tourbillon watches in the world.
A tourbillon is an escapement in a rotating cage, invented hundreds of years ago by Breguet to counteract the effects of gravity. Since then, the problems of gravity in watches have been mitigated in other ways, but the challenge of creating a tourbillon and the beauty of the sight continue to fascinate manufacturers and collectors alike. Placing the tourbillon mechanism in the center of the movement, and hence the dial, is particularly challenging and requires unique technical and design innovations.
The central tenet of the central tourbillon is that there can be no central hands. The pivots in the center of the dial are occupied by the tourbillon escapement. So, although the seconds can often be read from the tourbillon cage, a one-minute tourbillon requires a creative solution to the problem of where to place the hour and minute hands. In most central tourbillons, the hands are mounted on discs that rotate around the cage, with rails under the tourbillon cage or along the edge of the dial. Another solution is to use the combination of jumping hour and retrograde minute scale, a potentially more legible solution, as the hands on rotating discs are often in the shape of short arrowheads, which are sometimes difficult to read. This is how one learns to appreciate the effectiveness of long central hour and minute hands on traditional dials, something we usually take for granted.
The central tourbillon is something of a trend at the moment – as a jury member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Geneve, I noticed at least seven entries with a central tourbillon in the first round of judging this year. In my view, the complication is cleaner and more elegant than the double, triple, spherical and gem-set variants we’ve seen over the past 20 years, and the large escapements suggest greater reliability and interesting looks, as they are invariably covered with domed crystals.
Here are 10 tantalizing examples of the Central T.
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Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé
Powered by a high-frequency movement, this three-axis central minute repeater tourbillon is proof that Hermès is more than just a luxury fashion brand. The in-house caliber H1926 runs at 36,000 vibrations per hour and drives three tourbillons that run at 300, 60 and 25 seconds under a spectacular domed crystal glass. Hours and minutes are indicated by blue arrows on rotating discs. In a fun equestrian-style brand touch, the minute repeater hammers are shaped like horses’ heads.
Size: 43mm
Energy reserve: 48 hours
Movement: H1926
Price: 401,400 USD -
Roger Dubuis Orbis In Machina CMT
The CMT in the name stands for Central MonoTourbillon. The seconds are indicated by a hand attached to the 60-second tourbillon. Hours and minutes run on concentric discs, with the words “hours” and “minutes” conveniently spelled out to distinguish them. The hour markers are coated with Super-LumiNova. Like all Roger Dubuis watches, it complies with the Geneva Seal and is produced in a series of 88 pieces.
Size: 45mm
Energy reserve: 72 hours
Movement: Hand-wound RD115
Price: Upon request -
Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon
Franck Muller adds a dash of drama to this central flying tourbillon in two ways: it’s mounted on four columns suspended between domed sapphire crystals at the top and bottom, so it appears suspended and is visible from all sides, and the bridges have an electric blue anodized aluminum coating. Hour and minute arrows rotate concentrically around the tourbillon, and there’s plenty of high-quality finishing: perlage, beveling, diamond-polished gem sinks, circular snail cuts, mirror polishing and satin finishing.
Size: 36 mm wide x 52.65 mm long
Energy reserve: 96 hours
Movement: FM CX 36T-CTR-SQ
Price: 162,200 USD -
Bulgari Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon
Bulgari uses a jumping hour at 12 o’clock and minutes along a retrograde scale in the lower half of the dial as a creative alternative to the hour/minute arrows on rotating discs. A rotating disc is used for the minute hand: it is equipped with two diamond shapes that alternately indicate the time. As it rotates, the diamond that indicates the time rotates 90 degrees, forming an arrow that points to the correct time. The glow of the green Super-LumiNova makes it both legible and very cool.
Size: 44mm
Energy reserve: 60 hours
Movement: BVL348
Price: 119,000 USD -
ArtyA Purity Central Tourbillon
This massive (20 mm) tourbillon escapement is housed under a domed glass, giving it a dramatic presence. It is the brand’s fifth manufacture caliber, its fourth tourbillon and its first automatic. Two peripheral displays show the hours and minutes above a blue sapphire index ring. The see-through sapphire case and lugs ensure that the tourbillon and hour ring are the stars of the show and that the watch appears less bulky. The official launch will take place in September.
Size: 43mm
Energy reserve: 60 hours
Movement: Automatic
Price: 147,000 USD -
Kross Studio KS 06 Central Floating Tourbillon
The tourbillon is not the only central feature. The mainspring is also mounted in the middle of the watch and is large, giving the watch an impressive 120-hour power reserve. The winding crown is hidden on the caseback and connected directly to the barrel. Hours and minutes are displayed peripherally and use a planetary gear system that orbits the tourbillon. The pointer-shaped indicators are easier to read than the usual arrowheads.
Size: 42mm
Energy reserve: 120 hours
Movement: Hand winding KS 7 006
Price: 68,000 CHF -
This year, Kerbedanz is releasing a ladies’ version of its Maximus GR8, the world’s largest tourbillon – the cage is 27mm wide. The case measures a whopping 46mm and is 19.9mm thick – good thing it’s made of titanium. The two-patent movement is a central flying tourbillon with a cage that rotates every two minutes. It runs on four parallel barrels for a 54-hour power reserve. Gold hour and minute hands run on concentric rotating discs. It launches (with a thud) in October. Size: mm Power reserve: 54 hours Movement: Manual winding KRB08-2 Price: $256,000
This year, Kerbedanz is releasing a ladies’ version of its Maximus GR8, the world’s largest tourbillon – the cage is 27mm wide. The case measures a whopping 46mm and is 19.9mm thick – good thing it’s made of titanium. The two-patent movement is a central flying tourbillon with a cage that rotates every two minutes. It runs on four parallel barrels and offers a 54-hour power reserve. Gold hour and minute hands run on concentric rotating discs. It launches (with a thud) in October.
Size: 46mm
Energy reserve: 54 hours
Movement: Hand winding KRB08-2
Price: $256,000 -
Hublot MP-15 central tourbillon Takashi Murakami
This elegant collaboration interprets the Murakami flower motif as a case outline, composed of 12 petals made entirely of sapphire, a signature case material of Hublot. The watchmaking substance takes the form of a central skeletonized flying tourbillon, with hours and minutes indicated by the tips of two hands that run peripherally. The coaxial construction means that the hands literally pass under the tourbillon cage.
Size: 42mm
Power reserve: 120 hours
Movement: hand-wound HUB9015
Price: $316,000 -
MB&F HM11 Architect
MB&F’s modern capsule-like wrist case is so visually arresting that it’s easy to forget it’s a one-minute, reverse-rotating central flying tourbillon. The watch is inspired by the futuristic architecture of the 1960s and 1970s and accordingly features four rooms or capsules, each opening a window to a different function: time, power reserve, thermometer and a crown for setting the time. Rotating the watch to view the different capsules also winds it – 10 complete rotations winds it fully. It’s available in two colors, one with PVD-coated blue plates and the other in 5N gold – 25 of each.
Size: 42mm
Energy reserve: 96 hours
Movement: HM11 hand winding
Price: 230,000 USD -
Omega De Ville Tourbillon
Omega has been making tourbillon movements for wristwatches since the 1940s, and introduced the first self-winding central tourbillon in 1994. The De Ville Central Tourbillon takes things up a notch as the first Master Chronometer-certified hand-wound central tourbillon. It also promises magnetic field resistance of up to 15,000 gauss. Aside from that, this is one of the most elegant examples of its kind, in 18-carat rose gold with gold bridges and plate and a ceramized titanium cage. The minute hand is attached to the tourbillon cage.
Size: 43mm
Energy reserve: 72 hours
Movement: Co-Axial Caliber 2640
Price: 198,500 USD