Thomas Prescher is another one of those lucky watch making prodigies. The type of person who just innately understands how to design, make, and improve watches. The young watch maker began the brand in about 2002 after working at a few of the top watch manufactures. This is the typical path for gifted watch makers. Owning their own brand is a lot of work, and a great wrist, but if you have proven yourself, the financial backing will always be there. Especially when you can clients pre-order watches that are yet to be made.
Thomas Prescher has a small, yet very interesting line of watches, and I would like to focus on the Tourbillon Trilogy collection in this article. The Trilogy collection has three different types of tourbillon movements, even though they look similar. The visual differences are remarked in the watch cases, which are a square, cushion, and round shape. The square watch holds a single tourbillon. Meaning it travels along one axis. Then a double tourbillon for cushion case, and finally a triple axis tourbillon in the round case.
Why all the fuss about the number of axises that a tourbillon travels around? To be honest, it is only two things; visual splendor and bragging rights. Thomas Prescher is the first watch maker to successfully place a triple axis tourbillon in a wrist watch. “They said it could not be done!” Well what ever “they” said, it was done, and in a manner that is outstanding to view. Because when it comes down to it, that is the purpose of tourbillon movements in wrist watches. To look cool and complication, which does to the visual splendor element I referred to.
Because a tourbillon is inherently complicated an delicate, a premium is place upon these watches, the more complex it is, then the rarer, and inherently more desirable it is. Prescher is just adding to the bar which must be met for watches to be considered ultra complex these days.
The Thomas Prescher Tourbillon watches ensure that the focal point of the designs are the tourbillon cages. This is the area where the tourbillon is located. Again, a tourbillon is a rotating escapement whose idea it is to increase the accuracy of a watch, although they are mainly for show. Because this escapement is constantly moving, they are an excellent aspect of a watch to focus on. As such, the Prescher watches feature viewing windows for the flying tourbillons contained within; with a view all the way through the watch. Thomas Prescher really went to great lengths to create a new kind of flying tourbillon. One that is held in place by a single arm. On the double tourbillon the arm spins (one per a minute), and on the triple tourbillon the arm spins and rotating (once per an hour) around the tourbillon carriage. The spinning frequencies are synced to the hour and minute of the watch time itself.
Rightly, the Thomas Prescher watches use the entire dial design to frame the torbillon cage window. The watch itself is nicely integrated into the dial, but very high legibility given the small size. Design inspirations come from classic 18th century guilloche machine work, and art deco. The result is a modern interpretation of classic watch maker aesthetic without running the risk of becoming dated anytime soon. In addition to the fine hand machines face of the watch, the rear is so nicely decorated it makes me want to weep. Honestly, the refinement and attention to detail are so impressive, I can’t even look at most mainstream super luxury watches the same way again. Thomas Prescher seems to have that ultra meticulous attention to detail that is needed in any master watch maker. As such, he wanted to create a new type of guilloche design pattern. Look at the rear of the Tourbillon watches and notice the triangular patterns. For me, they remind me of the Triforce in the Legend of Zelda video games, and if you don’t know what I am talking about, then they just look cool, ok?
Going back to the front of the watch, it is easy to miss little details. Take the hands for example which are fashioned from single blocks of gold, and machined until the highly polished, faceted hands are perfect. The miniature detail is so impressive. The tourbillon care has a small plaque with what I believe is the watch’s serial number. Each is individually numbered, and you know exactly how many of them came before yours; a number that is likely not to be very high.
The case materials are gold or platinum, with a lot of gold in the watch itself. The dials are made of silver, which is an excellent metal for polishing and engraving. You probably want to know a few details about watch ‘numbers.” I will just copy and paste a bit directly from Thomas Prescher below. Oh, and of course the movement is manually wound.
Movement
Diameter: 37 mm
Height: 5.43 mm without bridge over the ratchet wheels
6.46 mm with bridge over the ratchet wheels
Height of the rotating tourbillon: 12.2 mm
Beat rate / frequency: 21.600 beats per hour
Number of barrels: 2
Power reserve: 42 hours
Number of jewels: 67
Number of sub dials: 3
Indications: minutes and hours; seconds; tourbillon
Tourbillon
Number of axis: 3
Bearings: all flying
Revolving time first axis: 1 minute
Revolving time second axis: 1 minute
Revolving time third axis: 1 hour
Remontoir/force constant: in the cage, first axis
System of force constant: slowness of weight
Reloading time of constant force: with every beat
Diameter of balance: 9.5 mm
Diameter of cage: 13.4 mm
Diameter of the complete Tourbillon: inner diameter: 15.6mm
outer diameter: 23.1mm
Weight of the first axis: 0.347 g
Weight of the first and second axis: 0.766 g
Weight of the turning Tourbillon parts: 2.879 g
Weight of the complete Tourbillon: 4.472 g
Special features:
* The complete Tourbillon rests in flexible springs to absorb any shocks.
* The third axis is synchronized with the minute hand, with each revolving one time per hour.
* The time setting turns the third tourbillon axis, so minute hand will rest synchronic with the third tourbillon axis.
Thomas Prescher Trilogy Tourbillon watch series details:
Movement
Diameter: 37 mm
Height: 5.43 mm without bridge over the ratchet wheels; 6.46 mm with bridge over the ratchet wheels
Height of the rotating tourbillon: 12.2 mm
Beat rate / frequency: 21.600 beats per hour
Number of barrels: 2
Power reserve: 42 hours
Number of jewels: 67
Number of sub dials: 3
Indications: minutes and hours; seconds; tourbillon
Tourbillon
Number of axis: 3
Bearings: all flying
Revolving time first axis: 1 minute
Revolving time second axis: 1 minute
Revolving time third axis: 1 hour
Remontoir/force constant: in the cage, first axis
System of force constant: slowness of weight
Reloading time of constant force: with every beat
Diameter of balance: 9.5 mm
Diameter of cage: 13.4 mm
Diameter of the complete Tourbillon: inner diameter: 15.6mm; outer diameter: 23.1mm
Weight of the first axis: 0.347 g
Weight of the first and second axis: 0.766 g
Weight of the turning Tourbillon parts: 2.879 g
Weight of the complete Tourbillon: 4.472 g
Special features:
* The complete Tourbillon rests in flexible springs to absorb any shocks.
* The third axis is synchronized with the minute hand, with each revolving one time per hour.
* The time setting turns the third tourbillon axis, so minute hand will rest synchronic with the third tourbillon axis.
Jewels total: 57
First axis: 15
Balance: 5
Escapement: 4
Constant Force: 4
Axis: 2
Second axis: 6
Arm: 2
First reduction axis: 2
Second reduction axis: 2
Third axis: 18
Ball – bearing: 10 Balls
diameter 0.6 mm each
Setting mechanism: 4
Driving train of gear: 4
Time indicating system: 4
Movement: 18
Time indication system: 12
Driving mechanism: 6
Case:
Material: Platinum
Diameter: 41 mm
Length (over lugs): 53.58 mm
Weight : 96.7 g
Height total: 16.1 mm
Strap: Leather
Buckle: Platinum
Developing time: very long
Prototyping: about 12 weeks
For me, the square case is very attractive, but the watch of choice is of course the triple tourbillon which comes in the round case. But you know what, I a sure if you want the triple tourbillon in a square case, Mr. Prescher will grant you wish. You get treatment like that for these prices ($$$,$$$). Look at the three videos to learn a few things. First, a good visual presentation of the synced rotation of the tourbillon (to hours and minutes), and then a bit about the Thomas Prescher brand. You might be paying a pretty penny for objects like this, but you are buying more than a superior quality nice watch. By owning a Thomas Prescher watch, you can honestly say that “I am in possession of one of the most ‘complicated watches’ in the world” given the functions, that features some of the top levels of refinement and craftsmanship that money can buy, at any price. This really represents a pinnacle of horological appreciation.
Visit the Thomas Prescher watches Tourbillon collection page here.
See Thomas Prescher and tourbillon watches on eBay here.
See tourbillon watches on Amazon here.
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