Most Expensive Men’s Tourbillion Watches

Tourbillon was invented and introduced in the late 1700s by the Swiss watchmaker Arabraham-Louis Breguet, who noticed that his pocket watches were not keeping time accurately. As he later learned, the mechanisms within his pocket watch were effected by the force of gravity. From this, he developed a method to counter the gravitational pull and called this new mechanism tourbillon, which means “whirlwind” in French.

Since then the tourbillon mechanism has become extremely popular, particularly in the most expensive watches. Find a vintage watch with this mechanism and you’ve found yourself an excellent investment, as they are quite rare.

As watchmaking improved, so did the movements – so although the tourbillon mechanism is no longer necessary, it has become somewhat of a status symbol and is included more as a showpiece as a necessary element. Generally, you can see if a watch has a tourbillon because they are almost always showing through the face. They look like intricate mechanical gears and are often made to look sophisticated and a bit complicated.

Today we’re going to show you five of the most expensive and stylish tourbillon watches for men made by some of the top watch manufacturers. They are definitely show-stoppers, as you will see.

1. Jaeger-Lecoultre Gyrotourbillon 1

This timepiece was the first 21st century grand complication from this manufacturer: Jaeger-LeCoultre. It includes a spherical tourbillon that shows the equation hand and a perpetual calendar that includes the months, leap years and a graduated date scale. The left-hand resolved the first half of the month, while the right-hand one handles the second half.  This timepiece is sure to get attention and  is the tourbillon of every man’s dreams. Price: $400,000

2. Hublot Big Bang Vendome Tourbillon

Hublot is a luxury brand in timepieces, without question. The Big Bang line is considered one of their most popular as it’s expensive appearance speaks for itself. This Big Bang Vendome is in red gold, although an all black case is also available. It’s a manual wind watch where the crown pulls out, as that is the preference of many men even today. This particular Big Bang model – the Vendome – was made in a limited edition of only 30 (20 in black ceramic and 20 in red gold), so they are rare. Price: $172,400

3. Cartier Rotonde de artier Double Tourbillon

Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Double Tourbillon is one of the more chic-looking men’s tourbillons. Unlike many of the other timepieces, this design minimizes the tourbillon look even though it clearly features two. The Cartier brand is always about the  subtle touch, so this is for the understated gentleman who prefers to appear classy, yet modern. The platinum case is simple, yet elegant, to match the sophistication in design. Price: $145,200

4. Breguet Tourbillon

Here’s the Breguet brand we’ve grown to trust and love. After all, Breguet is the originator of the tourbillon mechanism. This is truly a favorite as it’s ake a look at this timepiece. It’s another manual wind watch and includes the traditional hours, minutes and seconds – although at a glance it appears to be more complex.  The brown alligator strap offsets the gold and platinum case and dial with elegance and style. Price: $129,000

5. Azimuth SP-1 Twin Barrel Tourbillon

This twin barrel tourbillon by Azimuth will have friends asking the time just to see the watch in action. The interesting shape of the titanium case is sleek and sophisticated, while the mechanisms are almost sporty. It looks like you need a class in how to read the time, but that is just a part of its charm. The double tourbillon actually rotates clockwise as a whole, so its movement is quite noticeable.  Once the wearer understands how the dual tourbillon action operates, it will be a watch he will never want to part with. Price:  $100,000