For generations after they were first invented in 1795, by the French Swiss watchmaker Abraham Breguet, buying tourbillon watches was only for the richest. Found only in premium timepieces the tourbillon watch complications are complex and expensive to produce.
The prices of tourbillon watches are exceptionally high. Typical tourbillon prices are around twenty to fifty thousand dollars, however more luxury or limited edition of these watches cost more than a Ferrari sports car. For the average watch lovers, buying a tourbillon was simply out of question. However when the watchmakers from China decided to try their hand on making their own Chinese tourbillon watches, thing began to change.
Before they set foot in the tourbillon market, the Chinese have already been producing a huge proportion of the world’s timepieces. The first Chinese tourbillon debut in 1993, when Hong Kong based Chinese watchmaker master Kiu Tai Yu launched his Mystery Tourbillon watches.
buying tourbillon watches
However it wasn’t until almost a decade later, the Chinese started mass producing tourbillon watches and watch movements then brought them to the wider market. Because of their affordable price, Chinese tourbillon watches are often widely discussed and welcomed by watch collectors worldwide, especially those fanatic buyers on a smaller budget.
The main contributing factor to the lower prices of Chinese tourbillon watches are the low labor cost. In China, skilled workers are paid as little as $2 an hour whereas Swiss workers are paid as much as $150. The difference is huge. Considering the fact that tourbillon making is a time consuming business, it is easy to work out why there is such a huge disparity in price. To reduce the cost further, the Chinese have also used some less exotic materials for making the watches. Stainless steels are often used in the place of gold and platinum to make watch cases, for example.
The lower production costs allow the Chinese tourbillon watches be marketed at such a low and affordable price. Any watch lovers can now afford to buy a piece of tourbillon watch for their own. Tourbillon watch ownership is no longer a dream for many, thanks to the Chinese tourbillons.
Rougois Tourbillon Moonphase Mechanical Watch – Snow White with Black Leather…
The Tourbillon movement was Invented in 1795 by Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet . The Tourbillon counters the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage, in order to negate the effect of gravity when the timepiece (and thus the escapement) is rotated. Originally an attempt to improve accuracy, tourbillons are still included in some expensive modern watches as a novelty and demonstration of watch making virtuosity. The mechanism is usually exposed on the watch’s face to show it off. The Rougois tourbillon is a fine example of this movement. This beautifully designed mechanical wind up watch measures 42mm or 1 5/8 ” wide and 12mm or 3/8 ” thick. It has a 24 hour corresponding time zone indicator on the left dial. The right dial is the 24 hour day night indicator. The tourbillon oscillates and rotates itself around the axis of the frame every 60 seconds, thereby acting also as a second hand. The watch is not only aesthetically pleasing to the
List Price: $ 699.95
Price: $ 699.95
Zenith Men’s 96.0529.4035/51.M Defy Xtreme Tourbillon Titanium Chronograph Watch
- Quality Automatic movement; Functions without a battery; Powers automatically with the movement of your arm
- Hesalite crystal
- Case diameter: 46.5 mm
- Titanium case; Blue dial; Chronograph functions
- Water-resistant to 1000 M (3300 feet)
Black microblasted titanium case, Black titanium bracelet with blue lateral inserts, Deployant buckle, Unidirectional rotating black carbon fiber bezel, Screw down crown and push buttons, Black dial with silver carbon fiber in center, Luminous hands, Small seconds subdial, Chronograph feature (Seconds, Minutes, Hours), Magnified date at the 12 o’clock, Tourbillon visible at the 11 o’clock, Scratch resistant sapphire crystal, Automatic mechanical movement, Water resistant to 1000 meters/ 3330 feet. Shock and high pressure resistant. Limited Edition of 25 pieces.
List Price: $ 145,000.00
Price: $ 86,999.99
Watches International: Volume IX
- ISBN13: 9780847831241
- Condition: USED – Like New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Now in its ninth edition, Watches International has been setting the standard for up-to-date reference guides devoted to luxury timepieces since 2000. At more than 700 pages, Watches International, Volume IX showcases the latest watches from around the world, from every major watchmaker. Hundreds of beautiful full-color photographs show not only the watches’ style and exquisiteness, but also the details of their movements, functions, cases, and dials. The text gives an overview of each of the companies’ histories.
List Price: $ 25.00
Price: $ 0.94