A Perfect Christmas Gift? Give a Wristwatch
by Arthur Warnier
In looking for a Christmas gift wristwatch in the luxury price range, you may have heard of the term tourbillon (French for whirlwind or vortex). You may have considered giving a watch with a tourbillon escapement as a gift.
Tourbillon wristwatches have great cachet because of their design and appearance. Generally, part of the watch case is clear, allowing one to follow its fascinating movements.
The tourbillon escapement was originally developed for pocket watches. Pocket watches were generally carried in a vest watch pocket, and so remained most of the time in the same vertical position. For reasons, not discussed here because of space limitations, that mostly continuous fixed vertical position had a negative effect on accuracy due to, of all things, gravity.
The tourbillon was invented to counteract that effect, by rotating the timing mechanisms to average out the effects of gravity. This rotation can be done at any interval, but usually that period is designed to be at exactly one minute intervals.
Tourbillon watches are very complicated; many parts are required of extreme accuracy, even more so than watches without that feature. So they are very rare and very expensive. That rarity and expense is what makes them so attractive to many who can afford them.
The tourbillon has been miniaturized to fit into wristwatch cases, but many consider that is is probably no more accurate in that form than movements without it. That being said, a tourbillon would be a great watch to give if you can afford it. But if you can't, there are many other watches of fabulous design, and while they can also be very expensive, generally they are not nearly so much so as a tourbillon.
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What to get for birthday gifts? Hmmm...
How about considering fine watches?
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