Joined
·
7,795 Posts
imported post
Theoretically, the rotation of the tourbillon cage is to minimize the effects of gravity on the escapement and balance wheel assembly. The tourbillon cage rotates, once per minute. By rotating, the effects of gravity are minimized as critical parts of the watch's drive train are no longer subject to the position of the watch to horizontal.
If you lay your watch flat on a table, dial side up, the forces (gravity) placed on the movement's parts, push downwards towards to table top. If you take your watch and lay it flat, case back side up, the the forces exerted are still pushing downwards towards the table top, but in the opposite direction on the movement than they were with the dial up. Now take your watch and set it on it's side, crown up. The forces (gravity) are pushing against the table top, but the impact on the movement is once again, altered. If you keep up this scenario, you begin to see that gravity can affect these moving parts differently, depending on the position of the watch. If you take these affected parts, put them together inside of a rotating cage, then the forces (gravity) are minimized at all times (because they are rotating).
Originally, the tourbillon was created as a way to better regulate time, but now it produced more often, as a display of craftsmanship (look what we can do).
Theoretically, the rotation of the tourbillon cage is to minimize the effects of gravity on the escapement and balance wheel assembly. The tourbillon cage rotates, once per minute. By rotating, the effects of gravity are minimized as critical parts of the watch's drive train are no longer subject to the position of the watch to horizontal.
If you lay your watch flat on a table, dial side up, the forces (gravity) placed on the movement's parts, push downwards towards to table top. If you take your watch and lay it flat, case back side up, the the forces exerted are still pushing downwards towards the table top, but in the opposite direction on the movement than they were with the dial up. Now take your watch and set it on it's side, crown up. The forces (gravity) are pushing against the table top, but the impact on the movement is once again, altered. If you keep up this scenario, you begin to see that gravity can affect these moving parts differently, depending on the position of the watch. If you take these affected parts, put them together inside of a rotating cage, then the forces (gravity) are minimized at all times (because they are rotating).
Originally, the tourbillon was created as a way to better regulate time, but now it produced more often, as a display of craftsmanship (look what we can do).
