Pequignet Royale Tourbillon Watch Review
A product of the Franche-Comté region, the Pequignet Royale Tourbillon is a beautiful expression of Haute Horlogerie. An aperture at the base of its dial reveals a tourbillon, delivering an animated scene of moving parts. This is framed by an undulating blue dialscape that evokes thoughts of rippled water. Angus Davies begins by talking about what makes the tourbillon so desirable to hordes of watch collectors before looking closely at this particular high-end reference, crafted in the brand’s French Manufacture.
The tourbillon – introduction
Within the rarefied heights of Haute Horlogerie, the ‘tourbillon’ is one of the most coveted complications. Inevitably, this prompts non-watch experts to ask a series of questions, ‘What is a tourbillon?’, ‘Why do horophiles crave tourbillons?’ and, lastly, ‘Why are tourbillons expensive?’ Allow me to enlighten you!
‘The Enlightenment’
During the 17th and 18th centuries, a philosophical movement known as ‘The Enlightenment’ (also referred to as the ‘Age of Reason’) spread across Europe. Fields such as philosophy, science and politics experienced significant change during this period. Indeed, much emphasis was placed on ‘reason’, with great minds acquiring knowledge, in some cases challenging and sometimes changing existing beliefs. Scientists embraced ‘empiricism’, the idea that learning comes from the senses, observations and experiments. Intellectuals such as Christiaan Huygens, Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei were at the forefront of this scientific revolution and their work strongly influenced the field of horology.
What is a tourbillon?
During the 18th century, Paris and London were at the vanguard of clock and watchmaking. In France, the likes of Janvier, Le Roy and Berthoud were developing increasingly precise clocks and pocket watches and Paris was a beacon, attracting young talent and brilliant minds. For instance, Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), a son of Neuchâtel, travelled to Paris to further his career as an aspiring watchmaker. Widely described as a genius, Breguet conceived many mechanisms which are still in use today.
Breguet recognised that a pocket watch, typically worn in a waistcoat pocket, spent most of the time in a vertical position. The escapement and regulating organ within its movement would therefore be perpendicular to the ground most of the time. Aware of Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation (1687), Breguet realised that gravity would adversely influence the behaviour of the balance spring and, by default, its rate. His solution was to place the escapement and regulating organ within a rotating cage, revolving 360° every 60, 240 or 360 seconds. As the cage rotated, it ameliorated any positional errors, countering the adverse effects of gravity on the rate.
Why do horophiles crave tourbillons?
Unlike a pocket watch, a wristwatch will be subject to a myriad of positions, hence some experts question the validity of a tourbillon on this form of timepiece. On balance, it is likely that a wristwatch fitted with a tourbillon still delivers some chronometric benefits, albeit in most cases this is probably not the primary reason for selection. So, why do horophiles crave tourbillons?
The dials found on those wristwatches equipped with a tourbillon often include an aperture that reveals the mechanism. There are exceptions where the tourbillon is hidden beneath a solid dial, but these are comparatively rare. For many watch aficionados, the dial side aperture grants sight of the balance spring pulsing with life, the balance wheel oscillating to and fro and the pallet lever repeatedly kissing the escape wheel. It is this dialside animation that elicits a smile of appreciation from many watch obsessives and tempts them to splurge their children’s inheritance on a tourbillon-equipped timepiece.
Why are tourbillons expensive?
In the finest Manufactures, there is a hierarchical structure. Having spent many years training and honing their craft, most watchmakers are entrusted with working on comparatively simple timepieces, eg two handers. The more experienced personnel are usually tasked with working on complications, eg dual time models, watches with a power-reserve indicator, etc. At the top of the tree, a small number of highly proficient watchmakers are engaged in working on high complications such as the tourbillon.
Tourbillon timepieces require the expertise of the most brilliant watchmakers and they take an inordinate amount of time to assemble and regulate. It is this combination of factors that makes the tourbillon one of the most expensive complications on the market.
Pequignet Royale Tourbillon – rare
Pequignet, the French Manufacture known for crafting expressions of Haute Horlogerie, offers a wristwatch equipped with the gravity-defying mechanism. Housed in a 44 mm rose gold case and brimming with numerous refinements, the Royale Tourbillon is limited to just 24 pieces, a number that confers a high degree of exclusivity. Let’s take a close look.
Pequignet Royale Tourbillon – dial
The blue dial beautifully emulates the appearance of water with ever-increasing ripples emanating from the dial aperture at 6 o’clock. Fine, stick-style hour and minute hands, executed in golden tones, cooperate with slender, elongated indexes, succinctly expressing meaning. But the star of the show is the tourbillon, the prima ballerina pirouetting at the base of the dial. Its choreographed dance, captivating onlookers with its consistent pace.
Not content with equipping this model with a ‘regular’ tourbillon, Pequignet has gone further by equipping the watch with a ‘flying tourbillon’. Invented by German watchmaker, Alfred Helwig back in 1920, the flying tourbillon eschews the upper bridge found on a ‘regular’ tourbillon. Instead, the tourbillon cage is supported solely from below. By adopting this approach, the wearer is indulged with superior, unrestricted views of the tourbillon in motion, the main reason most horophiles are drawn to the complication. In this instance, the cage performs one revolution every minute.
Pequignet Royale Tourbillon – case
As stated earlier, the case is formed of 18k rose gold 5N, imbuing the watch with a warm appearance. Measuring 44 mm in diameter, the Royale Tourbillon is blessed with an expansive dial, aiding readability and providing sufficient room for the tourbillon to perform its hypnotic dance.
The multi-facetted housing is highly polished and readily engages with light, exhibiting a brilliant gleam. The lugs are stepped, subtly projecting from the caseband, heightening the aesthetic allure of the case. To the rear of the housing, a pane of sapphire crystal indulges the wearer with views of the finely decorated hand-wound movement.
The Pequignet Royal Tourbillon is presented on a blue alligator strap, complemented with tone-on-tone stitching. The watch and strap ensemble secure to the wrist with a gold pin buckle, bearing the brand’s Fleur-de-Lys logo.
Pequignet Calibre Royale Tourbillon – movement
Many purists enjoy setting aside a few seconds each day to wind a hand-wound movement. It’s a cathartic ritual that provides a brief escape from the frenetic pace of everyday life. Pequignet sates this horological habit with the manually-wound Calibre Royale Tourbillon.
The escapement and regulating organ are mounted within a titanium cage. Despite comprising 157 pieces, this cage has a low mass, a characteristic which mitigates energy consumption, contributing to the movement’s impressive 88 hour power-reserve.
The design of the tourbillon mechanism affords wonderful front-to-rear views through the case, allowing light to pass through the aperture, highlighting its rotational behaviour. The balance has a cadence of 21,600 vph (3 Hz) and the rim of the balance is set with four, solid gold timing screws.
Perpetuating the exalted standards of Haute Horlogerie, the Calibre Royale Tourbillon is enriched with peerless finishing. For example, the barrel bridge is adorned with Côtes de Genève, while adjacent bridges are embellished with perlage. Furthermore, the barrel cover is endowed with snailed decoration, the bridges are bevelled, the openworked tourbillon bridge is endued with a sandblasted finish and numerous screws are polished to a brilliant conclusion. Everything is refined to the nth degree.
Closing remarks
In today’s market, many watch obsessives look to Switzerland’s old guard when seeking to satisfy their horological cravings. The landlocked nation crafts watches of the highest order, producing several tantalising high complications, including tourbillons. However, Pequignet, a highly competent practitioner of French Haute Horlogerie, provides a welcome alternative to Swiss watchmaking.
Crafted in the Franche-Comté region, Pequignet’s products are imbued with a local flavour. Indeed, when appraising the specification of the Pequignet Royale Tourbillon you will see the gravity-defying mechanism at play, framed with a series of ever-increasing blue circles and juxtaposed with a sumptuous rose gold case. The design language and execution of this watch differentiate it from its Swiss rivals, conferring a fresh perspective on Haute Horlogerie. Quite simply, the refined timepiece Royale Tourbillon perpetuates France’s horological patrimony.
Do you feel suitably enlightened?
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Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Pequignet Royale Tourbillon
- Reference: 9035475 AB
- Case: 5N Rose Gold 18K, diameter 44 mm, height 11.70 mm, water resistance 5 ATM (50 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon
- Movement: Calibre Royal Tourbillon, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), 23 jewels, power reserve 88 hours
- Strap: blue alligator strap fitted with a polished gold ardillon buckle (5N, 18K)
- Price: €65,000 (RRP as of 18.7.2025)