« When Complications Learn to Fly »
The most demanding mechanics meet sublime aesthetics: for more than 200 years, the tourbillon has been regarded as the pinnacle of all complications, captivating watch lovers with its delicate rotating motion. One particularly spectacular variant of the "whirlwind" is the flying tourbillon, developed in 1920 by Glashütte master watchmaker Alfred Helwig. Read on to find out why this design is so popular, what sets it apart, and how it differs from the original.
Defying Gravity
Paris, 1795: Abraham Louis Breguet faces a fundamental problem. Even though the famous watchmaker regulates his timepieces to perfection again and again, they show noticeable, seemingly unavoidable rate deviations. He realizes that this inaccuracy stems from the effect of the Earth's gravitational pull:
Because the center of gravity of the balance wheel and hairspring does not lie at the center of the balance staff, the individual components of the movement are subjected to varying degrees of gravitational stress.
Breguet's ingenious solution was to mount the balance wheel, balance spring, pallet fork, and escape wheel on a rotating carriage (also known as the "tourbillon cage") that turns once per minute on its own axis. As a result, the parts regularly change their position relative to the Earth, which evens out the accelerating and decelerating forces. And so the Breguet tourbillon was born.
Patented in 1801, it can still only be assembled by specialized craftsmen to this day – hardly surprising given its delicate construction: the cage alone consists of around 80 components that together weigh less than half a gram. Turning this symphony of intricate parts into a high level of accuracy requires both talent and experience in equal measure. Early models with the complication often performed less precisely than those without it, because adjusting it correctly proved to be a monumental task.
On the Road to Perfection: The Flying Tourbillon
This complexity deterred most 19th-century watchmakers from building the whirlwind – anyone who dared to try had to be either reckless or an outstanding master. A master like Alfred Helwig. Born in 1886 in Sorau, Prussia, he completed his watchmaking apprenticeship at a young age and, in 1913, taught his first lessons as an instructor at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte.
After returning from World War I in 1917, Helwig devoted himself intensively to Breguet's tourbillon. But it wasn't just its construction that fascinated him – the ambitious pioneer set out to improve the mechanism, which was by then more than 100 years old. Three years later, he presented a groundbreaking result: whereas Breguet's design was supported on both sides, meaning the top and bottom of the tourbillon cage were fitted with bridges, Helwig's version had only two of these supports, both on the underside.
This left the top side open, giving the cage the appearance of flying. The solution proved to be both a visual showstopper and a technical trailblazer, since a flying tourbillon is subjected to less pressure and can therefore be made even more delicate than a Breguet tourbillon. The resulting lightness, lower inertia, and reduced material requirements made Helwig's design the most precise of its time – a high flyer in the truest sense of the word.
Head to Head: Which Design Is Superior Today?
So are the days of the classic tourbillon numbered? Not at all. While it may look less artful than a flying example, it scores in return with better shock resistance. What's more, modern testing methods have repeatedly suggested that the Breguet tourbillon offers higher accuracy, especially when the position changes frequently.
For wristwatch wearers, then, the conventional version would seem to make more sense when it comes purely to maximizing precision. But it isn't quite that simple. The bad news is that in modern times, tourbillons have virtually no influence on a timepiece's accuracy anymore – the constant movement of the wrist, combined with the already breathtaking precision of today's movements, renders the once so helpful complication almost useless. Today, it's much more about the passion for mechanical complexity, harmonious aesthetics, prestige, and rarity.
As the ultimate variant, and one that is even more difficult to produce, the flying tourbillon fulfills these roles excellently – perhaps so excellently that it is, to a certain extent, superior to the classic design.
The Fascination of the Flying Tourbillon
Whether you prefer the Breguet tourbillon or the flying whirlwind, Helwig's invention is without question one of the highlights of modern horology. It can be seen as the very definition of mechanical excellence, as the ultimate test for gifted watchmakers, and as the life's work of a fascinating, exceptional talent. Today, the flying tourbillon sits at the top of the product portfolios of many renowned manufacturers, among which Glashütte Original stands out in particular for its close ties to Helwig and his Saxon homeland. Just recently, the storied brand launched an "Alfred Helwig Edition" of its Senator Tourbillon, which showcases its flying cage at 6 o'clock. But other manufactures, too, demonstrate their expertise with this seemingly floating construction.
While Blancpain has relied on this demanding design for more than 30 years and in 2018 unveiled a particularly impressive masterpiece, the Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde, Breguet – true to its founder – uses the classic Breguet tourbillon. Nevertheless, numerous examples show that Helwig's flying tourbillon shapes high-end watchmaking today more than any other complication.
The inventor's spirit lives on, and the story of this delicate mechanism continues to be proudly written. We can look forward to seeing which models featuring this rotating mechanism will captivate us in the future.