Thomas Prescher Triple Axis Tourbillon

The creation of a set of three types of tourbillons required Prescher to invent a third individual construction. Inspired by Randalls work, Richard Good became the first clockmaker to add a triple axis tourbillon to a carriage clock in the 1980s. Thomas Prescher took out his old apprenticeship notebooks containing his sketches and interpretation of Goods work in creating a triple axis tourbillon carriage clock. He wanted to modify this for use in a wristwatch.

Spurred on by the success of his pocket watches, Prescher set to work further miniaturizing these multiple axis mechanics. He met the challenge and added a third axis that revolved once every hour. The construction of such a tourbillon wristwatch was considered long impossible: it was thought that the movement height would be too great for practical use and that the weight of the additional components would not let enough energy get through to the balance. However, Prescher found a number of solutions to address these issues.

The meaning of such a complicated timepiece is much more art for arts sake than the search for any improvement of a rate. A triple axis tourbillon with its spiral-shaped movement takes up far more room in the space of a case than either the single or the double axis tourbillons. It is especially the unencumbered view that makes the tourbillon seem to hover in the air on its three flying axes.

A triple axis tourbillon is not only a technical masterpiece of the art of watchmaking, but it is above all a piece of art that draws our eyes to it—magically—a kinetic sculpture of time.

Special features
· Flying tourbillon construction on all axes
· Movement, Caliber TP 3W6A.3, designed and constructed in-house
· First triple axis tourbillon wristwatch with constant force mechanism in the carriage
· Tourbillon is secured in a specially designed flexible spring to absorb shocks




Movement Information




Diameter
37 mm
Height
6.46 mm
Number of components
327
Weight of smallest screw used
0.0009 grams
Number of jewels
47
Frequency
21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Number of spring barrels
two
Plates and bridges
gold-plated brass, hand-engraved with Guilloché Triangulair
Balance wheel
copper-beryllium CuBe2
Balance spring
flat hairspring
Power reserve
40 hours
Number of subdials
two
Functionshours, minutes, seconds




Tourbillon




Number of axes:
three
Height of tourbillon rotation
12.2 mm
Revolution time:
one minute
Constant force mechanism
on first axis in tourbillon cage
System of constant force
inertia acceleration according to Jaenneret
Constant force reloading
6 times per second
Diameter of balance wheel
9.5 mm
Diameter of cage
13.4 mm
Tourbillon weight first axis
0.347 grams
Weight of first and second axes
0.766 grams
Weight of first, second, and
third axes with ball bearing2.879 grams
Distribution of bearing jewels




First axis

Balance5
Escapement
4
Constant force mechanism
4
Axis
2
Second axis
Flying arm2
Third axis
Drive mechanism4
Setting mechanism4
Movement

Time indication system
10
Drive mechanism
10

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Thomas
• Prescher
• Triple
• Axis
• Tourbillon
• Horology
• watchmaking
• watchmaker
• watch

[YourNextBFND]

watch is ugly cause you can't afford it .. it's a piece of engineering masterpiece and a perfection of someones dream.. time is the most precious thing.. but i guess some people are just too dumb to see art and hours passing by.. stick to booze and farmville ;)

[nemesis4k]

just checked on their website and the price is around $533,000.00 us dollars

..yea.. dumbstruck

[ocanebarsani]

cuanto cuesta este reloj?



[HOTMUSICRAP]

HOW MUCH 1 MILION 2 MILION

[Austimatic]

A gyroscopic tourbillon?!

[fe3doe]

Awesome!!!!!

[flipgangsta1]

id stare at my wrist all day long if i had one of these

[Nebraskahusker23]

@arminask Whenever mine is fully wound up it will go for ~48 hours. The real thing is about the same as that. As far as I know the movement in my replica isn't the real Unitas movement, probably just an exact clone all the way down to the power reserve

[arminask]

@Nebraskahusker23 The watch definitely catches the eye, probably due to the chunky build and the polished case. Not sure if many people actually know what watch it is :)

Only issue I have is the manual wind up, runs for about 24 hours or so (probably more on the real thing). I think the next watch will definitely have to be an automatic.

[Nebraskahusker23]

@arminask I've received multiple compliments when wearing my replica. Unless you have a magnifying loop and very keen eye, you won't be able to tell it's a fake just by seeing it on someone's wrist. Plus 5k is quite a lot for a real 111. I mean a Unitas movement isn't that special - you can get a Victorinox with one. A good thing about Panerais is that they retain their value extremely well, especially the special editions.

[arminask]

@Nebraskahusker23 I've got a pam111 replica myself, supposed to be the most accurate you can get (from watch forums). the watch is very nice, but not sure if I could part with 5k for a real one just yet, maybe after uni :)

[Nebraskahusker23]

@arminask My mistake - the one in the video is a replica - I had bought it to see if I liked wearing it enough every day to purchase the real one, which I eventually did. The fake is pretty well done though and is quite accurate.