Tourbillon Cardan

The Tourbillon Cardan is built around three combined principles, each addressing a specific chronometric problem. The first is the tourbillon itself — patented by Breguet in 1801 to compensate for rate variations in vertical positions. For Greubel Forsey, that was the starting point, not the solution.

The second principle: speed. Where most tourbillons complete one rotation in 60 seconds, this one does so in 16. The fastest Greubel Forsey has built. A faster rotation means more positions covered in less time — and a measurably higher average chronometric performance.

Inside the cage: the Greubel Forsey in-house balance wheel, built for the first time in a tourbillon context. At 12.6 mm, its large diameter and high inertia deliver stable oscillations and resistance to shock and external disturbance — qualities that matter under real wrist conditions.

The third principle: inclination. The classical tourbillon was designed for the vertical positions of a pocket watch. On the wrist, the dominant positions are horizontal. The Tourbillon Cardan is inclined at 30° — the angle that optimises chronometric performance for the full range of positions encountered in everyday wear.

Two mobile rings, connected by 90° axes, tilt the tourbillon through a controlled arc of +30° to -30° every 48 seconds. This distinguishes the Cardan system from a conventional gimbal: the rings are not free to rotate, but precisely controlled. The tourbillon's inclination angle — 30° — never changes. What changes is its orientation relative to gravity, continuously and deliberately.

Four barrels, coaxially stacked — a construction that has appeared once in twenty years of Greubel Forsey calibre development. A slipping mainspring prevents overtension during winding. Together they deliver 80 hours of chronometric power reserve. Beyond that, the movement continues to run — but outside the precision tolerance Greubel Forsey holds itself to.

Without a fixed upper bridge, the two arched Cardan rings carry the structural load that a bridge would normally bear. The result is a flying tourbillon appearance — patented, and achieved through a mechanism that is simpler in component count than it looks. The cage sits in open space, its kinematics unobstructed.