What is a tourbillon?

A tourbillon is a small rotating cage that holds the escapement and balance. The cage typically turns once a minute, so gravity pulls in every direction in turn instead of just one — it was invented for pocket watches, which lay still in a pocket all day, to cancel out the error gravity causes.

On a wristwatch, which is moving all the time, it makes little difference to accuracy. Today a tourbillon is above all craftsmanship you can see: it is the most demanding thing a movement can contain, and it is built and fine-tuned by hand. That is why it costs what it does.

Nordur does not carry any watches with a tourbillon.

If you have a question about a particular watch, ask Nord, our assistant, at the bottom right — or write to us.