Glashütte Original - Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 Limited Edition

Glashütte Original presented the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 Limited Edition. Price and specs. Ref. 1-54-01-01-01-01

One of the most appreciated horological feats, the tourbillon (French for whirlwind) was originally developed by Abraham Louis Breguet in 1801 to compensate for the effects of gravity on the rate precision of mechanical pocket watches. 

In order to see a significant improvement to the original tourbillon, we had to wait more than a century when Alfred Helwig, master watchmaker and instructor at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte, designed the first flying tourbillon in 1920. Rather than being supported by a bridge on the dial side and a bridge on the movement side, the flying tourbillon was secured to the plate on one side only so offering an unobstructed view of the mechanism on the other side.

An example of Alfred Helwig's flying tourbillon

In his honour and on occasion of the 100th anniversary of his innovation, Glashütte Original is presenting the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 Limited Edition.

A timepiece of pure and understated elegance with its clean dial and the tourbillon hidden on the reverse of the movement, this limited edition of just 25 pieces is housed in a 40 mm x 11.6 mm rose gold case.
 

The dial is fashioned in solid gold, subsequently silver-plated by friction and completed by a railroad chapter ring with applied indices and filigree baton-style hands in rose gold.

Positioned at 6 o'clock, the small seconds display bears the inscription ”Tourbillon”, anticipating the mechanical marvel that can be admired on the other side.

The meticulously finished hand-wound movement, Calibre 54-01, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and guarantees a remarkable running time of 100 hours.

Finishes include the sunburst decoration on the spring barrel cover, Glashütte stripes on the three-quarter plate, blued screws and screw-mounted gold chatons, as well as a great number of polished steel parts.

Final assembly of the 25 pieces of the new limited edition will be performed in the historic building that once housed the German Watchmaking School Glashütte where Alfred Helwig taught for 41 years and that, since 2008, is the home not only to the German Watch Museum Glashütte, but also to the Historic Workshop of Glashütte Original, whose staff specialise in the restoration and maintenance of valuable timepieces made in Glashütte.

Matched to a brown Louisiana alligator leather strap with a pin buckle, the new Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 Limited Edition (ref. 1-54-01-01-01-01) has a price of Euro  116,970. glashuette-original.com

 Suggested reading:
- The Tourbillon: history of a watchmaking feat
- Our visit to the Glashütte Original manufactory