The 150th anniversary of Audemars Piguet's founding was a year in which the company looked back on its long history while also presenting a vision for the future. Take the tourbillon, for example. The ultra-thin automatic tourbillon watches of the 1980s that astonished the world, and the ever-evolving ultra-thin flying tourbillons of the 21st century are enough to reaffirm the company's unique styling, which not only showcases its advanced technology as a specialist in complicated watches, but also pays attention to aesthetics.
Photographs by Eiichi Okuyama
Text by Shigeru Sugawara
Text by Shigeru Sugawara
Edited by Yuzo Takeishi
Edited by Yuzo Takeishi
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
The impact of the world's first automatic tourbillon watch
Reference 25643. At the time, it was the world's smallest and thinnest automatic tourbillon wristwatch, and the first commercially available. 401 gold and platinum models were sold between 1986 and 92. It was also exceptional for being produced in series. The dial design was also highly original, with rays of light emanating from the sun-like tourbillon at 11 o'clock and the automatic winding hammer visible at 6 o'clock. Automatic movement (Cal. 2870). 18K yellow gold case (32.7mm x 28.6mm x 5.3mm thick).
It wasn't until the 1990s, fueled by the revival of mechanical movements, that the Swiss watch industry began to release a succession of wristwatches equipped with tourbillons. Because it was a highly complex mechanism, it was seen as a symbol of excellence. However, looking back at wristwatches in the 20th century, tourbillon watches were rarely produced commercially, apart from as experimental prototypes, for observatory competitions, or as special orders from customers. This was because miniaturizing the mechanism, originally invented by Breguet for pocket watches, was extremely difficult to fit into a wristwatch, and many attempts had been rejected up until then.
(Center) The titanium tourbillon carriage was the world's smallest at the time, with a diameter of 7.2 mm and a thickness of 2.5 mm, and weighed just 0.123 g.
(Right) You can see that the anchor, escape wheel, and balance wheel with hairspring are also small.
Despite this, it was Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet that succeeded in developing and commercializing the watch. This was in 86, before the boom had even begun. The Ref. 25643 "Ultra Thin Automatic Tourbillon" that was released commercially was described by the company as "the world's first wristwatch with a tourbillon escapement and automatic winding mechanism, and also the smallest and thinnest of its kind." Why these specifications?
Of course, it was a challenge to develop a difficult mechanism, but wasn't it also a fierce counterattack against quartz watches, which boasted high precision, thinness, and modern designs in the 1980s, when quartz watches were at their peak? In fact, the Ref. 25643 combined three features: high precision thanks to the world's smallest tourbillon, measuring 7.2 mm in diameter and 2.5 mm thick; an ultra-thin case with a thickness of 5.3 mm; and a cutting-edge, innovative design, all while proclaiming its mechanical nature through the dial window. It's not hard to imagine how the unusually shaped tourbillon, which seemed to have arrived from another world, astounded watch enthusiasts and fellow watchmakers at the time.
The Royal Oak Concept collection is at the forefront of technological innovation in complications, exterior design, and high-tech materials. The 2022 model combines a sandblasted titanium case with a green ceramic bezel, creating a high-tech and contemporary sporty feel. Manual-winding (Cal. 2954). 24 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve: approximately 237 hours. Titanium and ceramic case (44mm diameter, 16.1mm thick). Water resistant to 100m. Price upon request.
The tourbillon, which required extensive research and development and involved the use of computers in its design and construction, was a significant milestone in the history of high-end mechanical watchmaking, paving the way for a historically complex mechanism and demonstrating the usefulness of advanced design. While high-tech engineering has since spread throughout watchmaking, this model undoubtedly marked the beginning of Audemars Piguet's successful integration of cutting-edge technology into watchmaking to this day.
Audemars Piguet then introduced a classic dress watch equipped with a standard tourbillon, but since the Royal Oak Concept in 2002, the brand has been promoting avant-garde watchmaking and has sought to further advance the tourbillon. This trend has led to the creation of models equipped with a GMT in 11, models equipped with a flying tourbillon in 18, and models equipped with a chronograph. The flying tourbillon, which is essential to the aesthetic appeal of the dial, has also been used in the recent "CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet" and has become an important design element of the dial.
Audemars Piguet continues to pursue tourbillon technology and refine its aesthetics with a challenging attitude.
This watch combines a flyback chronograph and a flying tourbillon, and is equipped with the Cal. 2952 movement, characterized by its compact design. Since 2020, CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet has been offering a variety of variations using a combination of materials unique to the brand. On the right is the 18K White Gold and black ceramic model released in 2024. On the left is the 18K Gold Pearl and black ceramic model released in 2022. Automatic (Cal. 2952). 40 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve approximately 65 hours. Case diameter 41mm, thickness 13.8mm. Water resistant to 30m. Prices for both models are available upon request.
The quest for a small, thin tourbillon continues
Inspired by the 39mm and 37mm (RD#3) stainless steel models released in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak, this new model is crafted in white gold and features a bezel set with 32 baguette-cut diamonds. The dial, adorned with gorgeous diamonds, is also impressive. Automatic winding (Cal. 2968). 33 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve of approximately 50 hours. 18K white gold case (37mm diameter, 8.1mm thick). Water resistant to 5 bar. Price upon request.
The modern evolution of tourbillons has seen them become highly complex through the addition of multiple mechanisms and axes, but what is noteworthy from an aesthetic standpoint is their contrasting simplification and slimming. Tourbillons, which are based on the principle of offsetting positional error by housing the entire escapement and regulating mechanism in a carriage and rotating it, are thick due to their vertically stacked structure.
In the most classic tourbillons, the upper bridge supporting the carriage lies across the dial. This creates a distinctive design that makes it instantly recognizable as a tourbillon, but the flying tourbillon does not have this upper bridge; instead, the carriage is supported at the bottom. This not only allows the rotation of the carriage to be seen without being obstructed by the bridge, but also helps to keep the overall design neat and tidy, without the tourbillon dominating the dial too much. This is likely why Audemars Piguet has focused on these benefits of the flying tourbillon.
Released in 2022. It features a flying tourbillon in a compact size of 29.6mm in diameter and 3.4mm thick, and yet is revolutionary in that it features a central rotor for automatic winding. The case back allows a glimpse into the movement's interior through the rhodium-plated openwork bridges and 22K gold rotor.
*The image of the Cal. 2968 movement mounted on the Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin (RD#3) featured on page 122 of the July issue (No. 119) of Chronos Japan, released on June 6, 2025, showed an incorrect rotor color. The correct rotor color is as shown in the image above.
Flying tourbillons first gained attention in 2018 when they were introduced into the Royal Oak Concept collection, but the most interesting movement of this type today is Cal. 2968. Originally designed to fit the 39mm diameter case of the Royal Oak "Jumbo," its greatest feature is that it maintains the diameter of the titanium carriage while using a horizontal drive system to reduce the number of layers in the mechanism and keep the overall height low. This allows Cal. 2968 to be a center-rotor automatic movement with a thin profile of just 3.4mm.
The Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin (RD#3), released in 22 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak, was equipped with the Cal. 2968, enabling a case size of 37mm in diameter and 8.1mm thick. Following the stainless steel version, in 24 a model with a white gold case and a bezel lavishly decorated with baguette-cut diamonds was added to the collection. This model proves that the flying tourbillon blends seamlessly with a jewelry watch approach, enhancing its stylish appeal.
The tourbillon is elegantly crafted from 18K sand gold, which changes color depending on the light. The dial, set with sand gold hands, indexes, and logo, and 235 brilliant-cut diamonds, create an even more elegant look. Automatic winding (Cal. 2968). 33 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve: approximately 50 hours. 18K sand gold case (diameter 38mm, thickness 9.6mm). Water resistant to 3 bar. Price upon request.
The same approach as RD#3 is also incorporated into the latest CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet. The case is compact, measuring 38mm in diameter and 9.6mm thick. The CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet flying tourbillon was released in 2019 as a simple two-hand automatic model equipped with the Caliber 2950. However, the new model differs not only in movement but also in design. Wrapped in the warm tones of 18K sand gold, a first for the CODE collection, it bears some resemblance to the 1986 ultra-thin automatic tourbillon, which was inspired by the sun, despite being from a completely different era and design.
Audemars Piguet has always focused on the future, focusing on mechanisms, design, and materials. This has undoubtedly been the driving force behind innovation, as evidenced by the tourbillon's constant evolution over the decades.
