Tourbillon Watchs
The Tourbillon Watch
The tourbillon is a clock speed control device invented by Swiss watchmaker Louis Breguet in 1795. Tourbillon, also known as Tebillon in French, means "vortex" and originated from the term used by French mathematician Descartes to describe planets revolving around the sun. It is used in the world of watches to refer to mechanical watches equipped with a "rotating escapement speed control mechanism" and a tourbillon mechanism, which is used to correct errors caused by the gravitational force of the Earth on the watch mechanism.
The principle of Breguet's tourbillon speed controller is as follows:
If the escape wheel, lever, balance wheel, and hairspring are all placed on a carriage, and the small teeth of the carriage are driven by the third wheel to rotate the carriage. The fourth wheel placed above the balance is fixed and concentric with the carriage shift. The escape wheel pinion of the escape wheel meshes with the fourth wheel.
The principle of a tourbillon is to compensate for the effect of gravity when the clock is in a vertical position.
In other words, when a clock is in a vertical position, due to the force of gravity, its adjustment controller, namely its balance wheel, balance spring, and escapement, will undergo imperceptible changes in speed with each swing.If the adjustment controller is installed on a "cage frame" that rotates once per minute, a series of vertical positions can be obtained. This can make the clock move very accurately and complement errors.
This principle may seem very simple, but its implementation is another matter. One reason is that the weight of the "cage" and tourbillon cannot exceed 0.3 grams or 0.013 ounces - equivalent to the weight of one swan feather or two parrot feathers. Another reason is that it consists of 72 fine components, most of which are handmade!
Maintenance and upkeep
In modern times, tourbillons have been manufactured in large quantities, with an increasing variety of styles and varying prices. There are too many brands investing in production, but maintenance issues have become a headache in the future. Especially for watches with this tourbillon device, almost all Swiss brands require it to be sent back to the original factory for repair. Technically speaking, returning to the original factory in Switzerland for maintenance is the most correct, because watches with tourbillon devices are quite precise, and technicians without sufficient and complete training are indeed unable to handle it. The biggest problem with sending it back to Switzerland for repair is that it takes a long time, about 3 to 6 months, and the maintenance, shipping, and repair costs add up to a considerable amount.
If you really need to repair it, not only should you be careful, but also pay attention to the engine board and tourbillon components. Keep them in their original state and do not scratch them. The screwdriver should be ground to match the groove of the screw cap, so as not to damage the screw when loosening it. If you want to clip out a part, it is best to use tweezers at a 90 degree angle to the plane of the part to avoid damaging the surface of the small part. When assembling, try to use willow branches to move the parts back into place. Do not use too much oil, and be especially careful when adjusting the speed of the needle, otherwise it may damage the components of the tourbillon.
In order to set their Parallax tourbillon with the highest precision, the Gronefeld brothers decided to stop the frame (and reset the second hand) by installing a pin under the frame. Its press winding/press setting crown allows switching between two modes. When switching to the settings mode, a lever will be moved. The movement continues to run, but as long as the frame pin engages with the lever, the movement will stop. In short, the flying tourbillon and central second hand will continue to rotate synchronously until they reach the 12 o'clock position and stop.
Audemars Piguet Watchs
