Complication · Precision
Orbital Carousel Tourbillon
Partially verifiedA tourbillon or carousel that orbits the entire dial once per hour.
Definition
A tourbillon or carousel that orbits the entire dial once per hour.
Historical origin
A spectacular modern display complication where the regulator acts as the minute hand.
How it works
The entire escapement assembly is mounted on a rotating platform geared to the centre.
It performs two rotations: one around its own axis and one around the dial.
Pocket watch context
Rarely seen; some early 'wandering hour' watches used similar principles for the display but not the regulator.
Wristwatch context
Found in Ulysse Nardin's 'Freak' and similar avant-garde designs.
Identification
- Regulator visible on a rotating arm that points to the time
- No traditional dial or hands
Servicing notes
Requires clean-room assembly and specialized lubrication for the large-diameter bearings.
General guidance only. Complicated mechanisms should be assessed and serviced by a qualified watchmaker or clockmaker specialist, not adjusted at home.
Related photographs
No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.
Sources & references
- de Carle, D., Watch and Clock Encyclopedia
- Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers
- Horological Journal (British Horological Institute), technical articles
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.