With precision timekeeping to rival even the best super-accurate chronometers and looks good enough to take the shine off the most beautiful classic black tie watches, a fine tourbillon timepiece is an excellent investment for any discerning gent's watch collection. Scroll down to see our edit of the best men's tourbillons to buy now...
Backes & Strauss Piccadilly 45 King Tourbillon
Looking for a bit of bling to go with your precision timepiece? The latest creation from British watchmaker Backes & Strauss follows in the footsteps of the brand's Beau Brummell tourbillon pocket watch and is set with 390 baguette and ideal cut diamonds as well as seven baguette cut emeralds which act as hour markers on a mother-of-pearl dial. Masterful watchmaking has not been forgotten, however, as the Piccadilly 45 King also features a bespoke tourbillon fully visible thanks to the cutaway dial and with the London skyline engraved on the reverse.
Case: 18kt white gold, 45mm
Strap: Alligator
Movement: Automatic tourbillon
Price: POA, backesandstrauss.com
Ulysse Nardin Marine Tourbillon
The latest tourbillon addition to Ulysse Nardin's nautically-inspired Marine collection is available with a blue or white Grand Feu enamel dial. Powered by a Calibre UN-128 self-winding movement, it features a flying tourbillon and power reserve indicator as well as 100 metre water resistance in one elegant where-anywhere package.
Case: Stainless steel, 43mm
Strap: Leather
Movement: Calibre UN-128 self-winding
Waterproof: 100 metres
Price: CHF28,000, ulysse-nardin.com
Panerai Lo Scienziato – Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio
The Lo Scienziato – Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio by Panerai is a limited edition run with only 150 available. Part of the Lo Scienziato collection, which is dedicated to the genius of Galileo Galilei, this particular incredibly lightweight titanium-cased tourbillon packs in a huge range of complications including an am/pm indicator, six day power reserve, power reserve indicator on the caseback and a tourbillon escapement.
Case: Titanium, 47mm
Strap: Leather
Movement: Calibre P.2005/T hand-wound
Waterproof: 100 metres
Price: $143,000, panerai.com
Graff GyroGraff Drive
Unveiled at Baselworld 2018, it isn't just the double axis tourbillon that makes the GyroGraff Drive an outstanding timepiece. Alongside the technical mastery shown through the timepiece's exquisite hand-wound movement with unusual day/night indicator, artistic expertise is showcased via the vibrant automotive-inspired hand-painted dial framed by a white gold case set with diamonds.
Case: White gold and diamond, 48mm
Strap: Alligator
Movement: Hand-wound with double axis tourbillon
Waterproof: 30 metres
Price: POA, graffdiamonds.com
Breguet Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5367
When it was launched in 2014, this was the thinnest automatic tourbillon on the market. Its case is 42mm in diameter and 7mm thick, with the movement itself measuring a wafer-like 3mm. Despite this, it is brimming with technical features, such as a titanium tourbillon carriage and a high-energy winding barrel, giving 80 hours of reserve power.
Case: 18 carat rose gold, 42mm
Strap: Leather
Movement: Calibre 581 self-winding
Waterproof: 30 metres
Price: POA, breguet.com
Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 9
Harry Winston watches are known for pushing technical boundaries, and its Histoire de Tourbillon models aim to offer a new take on the historic regulating mechanism. As with previous pieces in the range, this one features a triple-axis tourbillon which has been augmented with retrograde jumping hours and retrograde minutes and is limited to just 10 examples.
Case: 18 carat white gold, 46.5mm
Strap: Alligator
Movement: Calibre HW4504 automatic winding
Waterproof: 30 metres
Price: POA, harrywinston.com
Blancpain Le Brassus Tourbillon Carrousel
Blancpain’s Tourbillon Carrousel features two separate types of regulating mechanisms - a tourbillon and a carrousel. For the technically inclined, each operates in a slightly different way in a bid to compensate for the effect of gravity on timekeeping accuracy when a watch remains in the same position for an extended period.
Case: 18 carat red gold, 44.6mm
Strap: Alligator
Movement: Calibre 2322 manual wound
Waterproof: 30 metres
Price: £221,610, blancpain.com