1. Hublot

In the manually wound Caliber HUB9005, 11 vertically arranged barrels provide a power reserve of 50 days. Hublot includes a special power tool with each watch to make sure the winding process doesn’t also last for days. The hours, minutes, and power reserve are shown on cylinders; there’s a vertical tourbillon, too.

2. Corum

The Golden Bridge movement, created by Vincent Calabrese for Corum in 1980, has long been a cult object. In 2011, the brand upgraded the Golden Bridge with an automatic winding mechanism. Naturally, given the Golden Bridge’s unorthodox structure, the movement doesn’t have a traditional winding rotor; instead the winding weight moves linearly along two rails.

3. Montblanc

The hand-wound Caliber MB M68.40 from Montblanc gives the time in two time zones. It also powers two 24-hour rings that rotate around models of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. An added bonus is the patented tourbillon with a cylindrical balance spring, spinning at 12 o’clock.

4. Vacheron Constantin

A tourbillon that runs for two weeks? Amazing! With the hand-wound Caliber 2260, Vacheron Constantin has created a real long-distance runner.

5. Patek Philippe

Every lever, edge and screw recess has been meticulously finished in Patek Philippe’s hand-wound CHR 27-525 PS, a split-seconds chronograph movement. The work increases exponentially with a movement as complicated as this.

6. Roger Dubuis

Two tourbillons in a skeletonized environment give this watch a 3-D look. According to Roger Dubuis, 1,200 hours are needed to manufacture its manual-wind Caliber RD01SQ.

7. A. Lange & Söhne

With the manual-wind Caliber L043.5, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, which shows the hour and minutes digitally in two windows, is upgraded to become a minute repeater. The repeater chimes the time in decimal fashion, ringing out 10-minute intervals rather than quarter hours, as most minute repeaters do.

Audi’s “progress through technology” motto also applies to the importance of the tourbillon for watch design, because this eye-catching complication greatly enhances a timepiece’s visual appeal. A new trend contributes its fair share, too: many recent models are styled with such a strong emphasis on high tech that their tourbillons fit harmoniously into their overall designs. Here are 10 of these tourbillon watches.

1. Richard Mille 50-02 ACJ

Richard Mille RM 50-02 ACJ

Richard Mille collaborated with Airbus Corporate Jets, which builds luxurious aircraft, to design a technical miracle with an extremely modern-styled tourbillon at 6 o’clock. The split-seconds chronograph for measuring lap times, the torque indicator at the 2 to show how much tension remains in the barrel, and the display at the 4 to show which position has been selected for the crown are likewise readily visible. Titanium-aluminum alloy, manufacture Caliber RM 50-02, automatic, 30 pieces, $1,050,000.

2. Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari Sapphire

Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari Sapphire

In this transparent and very extreme wristwatch from Hublot, a vertically positioned tourbillon perfectly augments 11 vertical barrels, which team up to provide 50 – yes, 50! – days of power reserve. A battery-powered screwdriver is delivered along with the watch to wind the mainsprings. Sapphire, 29.5 mm by 45.8 mm, manufacture Caliber LaFerrari, hand-wound, 20 pieces, $575,000.

3. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie

A tourbillon provides additional visual appeal in the open styling of this newest technological tour de force from Audemars Piguet. This timepiece also offers a delightful audible treat in the form of the clearest and loudest minute repeater in the entire watchmaking industry. Titanium, 44 mm, manufacture Caliber 2937, hand-wound, 520,000 Swiss francs.

4. Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon

Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbilon

The tourbillon is the sole classically designed component here. The highly unconventional time display consists of a jumping hour with two separate disks and a minutes hand pulled across a linear scale by slender cables. The rollers that move these threads resemble the winches that tighten the lines that secure the mast on a sailing yacht. White gold, 44 mm, Caliber UN 630 by Christophe Claret, hand-wound, 18 pieces, $280,000.

5. Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon

Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Earth & Moon

Eclipse the tourbillon to indicate the moon’s phase? This may sound crazy, but it’s precisely what Cartier does. When the push-piece at 4 o’clock is pressed, a circular disk of stone cut from a meteorite slides in front of the tourbillon so the portion of the “whirlwind” that remains visible corresponds to the moon’s momentary phase. Rose gold, 47 mm, manufacture Caliber 9440 MC, hand-wound, 15 pieces, $239,000.

6. Montblanc 4810 Exotourbillon Slim

Montblanc 4810 ExoTourbillon Slim

“Ordinary” tourbillons are also still available. A handsomely closed dial and a tourbillon in a dedicated aperture are Montblanc’s interpretation of classical horological beauty at a comparatively affordable price. Rose gold, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber MB 29.21, automatic, $33,500.

7. Christophe Claret X-Trem-1

Christophe Claret X-TREM-1

The characteristically wavy grain of damascene steel makes the Christophe Claret X-Trem-1 look even more extreme. This watch set new technical standards in 2012: its tourbillon is positioned on a diagonal, which makes it difficult to connect the tourbillon to the movement. The “whirlwind” combines with floating balls, magnetically pulled through tubes, to show the hours and minutes. Damascene steel and rose gold, 40.8 mm by 56.8 mm, manufacture Caliber FLY11, hand-wound, eight pieces, $308,000.

8. Breguet La Marine Équation Marchante 5887

Breguet La Marine Équation Marchante 5887

The tourbillon was patented by the French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet on June 26, 1801. For the 5887, the prestigious brand has not only added a perpetual calendar, but also measures time according to the current position of the sun (the central hand with sun motif), by which the length of a day can vary by -16 to +14 minutes compared to average or civil time. The difference is called the equation of time. The cam responsible for this is shaped like a figure eight, and visible on the dial through a window that also displays the tourbillon carriage. It runs on a sapphire disk so as not to block the view of the tourbillon. Platinum, 43.9 mm, manufacture Caliber 581DPE, automatic, $230,400.

9. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Ultranero

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Ultranero

Bulgari unveiled the slimmest tourbillon movement ever in 2014. The caliber is just 1.95 mm tall and ticks inside a 5-mm-slim wristwatch, which acquires a sporty touch in 2016 thanks to blackened titanium. The straight lines in this watch’s design highlight the complication, which attracts everyone’s admiring gaze. DLC-coated titanium, 40 mm, manufacture Caliber Finissimo Tourbillon, hand-wound, $99,000.

10. TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 Tourbillon

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer-02T

A tourbillon watch with a chronograph, automatic winding and chronometer certificate is sensational, even if TAG Heuer tries to quell the hype by calling attention to its industrialized fabrication. An open and symmetrical construction further enhances this watch’s visual appeal. Titanium, partly coated with titanium carbide, 45 mm, manufacture Caliber Heuer 02T, automatic, $15,950.

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1. Andersen Genève Montre à Tact

Andersen Genève Montre à Tact

“Tactful” watches enable their wearers to discreetly check the time, e.g., while in a theater or at a business meeting, without having to turn their wrists. That’s why Svend Andersen provides a second time display between the lower pair of lugs of the Andersen Genève Montre à Tact. The tactful indicator runs synchronously with the large display on the dial. Andersen’s watches are set via an inset wheel in the back of the case. (White and rose gold, 42 mm, modified historical Adolph Schild caliber, automatic, around 64,000 euros)

2. Bell & Ross BR01-92 Turn Coordinator

Bell & Ross BR01-92 Turn Coordinator

Emulating the turn-and-bank indicator in the cockpit of an aircraft, the Bell & Ross brand of pilots’ watches indicates the time only in the upper half of the dial. Disks rotate below a motionless hand to show the hours and minutes. The disk module can be installed atop a conventional basic caliber. (PVD-coated stainless steel, 46 x 46 mm, ETA 2892, automatic, $6,000)

3. Botta-Design Uno-24 Plus

Botta-Design Uno-24 Plus

Like Breitling’s model (below), the Uno-24-Plus from Botta-Design in Taunus, Germany, likewise has a 24-hour indicator. As a single-handed watch, its concept is even more extraordinary – and its time display is more difficult to read. Incidentally, this brand’s founder, Klaus Botta, established the historical single-handed concept among modern wristwatches in the 1980s. (Stainless steel, 45 mm, Ronda 515.24H, quartz, 548 euros)

4. Breitling Avenger Hurricane

Breitling Avenger Hurricane

A 24-hour indicator, like the one in this piece, the Avenger Hurricane, is especially helpful for pilots who use coordinated universal time (UTC). Alongside its unusual time display, this 50-mm-diameter Breitling behemoth also boasts an extremely lightweight yet sturdy case made of “Breitlight” and a chronometer-certified movement with a 70-hour power reserve. (Polymer composite material, 50 mm, manufacture Caliber B12, automatic, $8,390; for more details on the Avenger Hurricane, click here.)

5. Christophe Claret X-Trem-1

Christophe Claret X-Trem-1

Under his own brand name, Christophe Claret offers an “extreme watch” in the truest sense of the phrase. Available only in damascene steel, the X-Trem-1 has two spherules that seem to float weightlessly in their tubes alongside the minutes and hour scales. The trick: The metal balls follow magnets, which are raised and lowered along the edges of the movement. (Damascene steel and rose gold, 40.8 x 56.8 mm, manufacture Caliber FLY11, hand-wound, 8 pieces, $308,000; for more on the X-Trem-1 and other notable Christophe Claret watches, read our profile of the man and his brand.)

6. Hublot MP05 LaFerrari

Hublot MP05 LaFerrari

While Bell & Ross relies on turning disks, Hublot deploys rotating drums: The MP05 LaFerrari combines the unconventional indicator with a vertical tourbillon and 11 vertically aligned barrels for 50 days (yes: days, not hours!) of power reserve. A battery-powered screwdriver is used to wind this marathon runner. The newest version is made of sapphire. (Sapphire, 29.5 mm x 45.8 mm, manufacture Caliber LaFerrari, hand-wound, 20 pieces, $575,000)

7. Meistersinger Salthora Meta

Meistersinger Salthora Meta

MeisterSinger ranks among the best-known brands for single-handed watches. Unlike most of this label’s timepieces, which feature a lone hour hand that turns its circles above the dial and indicates the minutes with less than to-the-minute legibility, the Salthora Meta combines a conventional minutes hand and a jumping digital hour in a window at the 12. (Stainless steel, 43 mm, Sellita SW 200 with module from Synergies Horlogères, automatic, $3,675)

8. Ulysse Nardin Marine Grand Deck Tourbillon

Ulysse Nardin Marine Grand Deck Tourbillon

The tourbillon at 6 o’clock is interesting, but the minutes hand of the Ulysse Nardin Marine Grand Deck Tourbillon is even more remarkable. The minutes are shown by a mast that’s pulled across a linear scale by miniature “rigging.” The accompanying rollers recall the winches used to adjust the tension on a sailboat’s mast. The hours are indicated on a jumping display in a double window below the 12. (White gold, 44 mm, Caliber UN630 from Christophe Claret, hand-wound, 18 pieces, $280,000; for a more in-depth look at the Grand Deck Tourbillon, read our report on the watch from Baselworld 2016.)

This article first appeared in WatchTime Magazine.

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Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon

This year’s limited edition of the Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon from Parmigiani Fleurier appears clad in 950 platinum. The elegant Milano blue dial is framed by the line’s signature knurled bezel, also made of platinum. The dial has delta-shaped skeletonized hands and applied markers, celebrating contemporary minimalism. The eye-catching feature is the flying tourbillon, which completes one revolution per minute between 6 and 7 o’clock.

Inside the 42-mm case, which measures just 8.6 mm in height, beats the automatic manufacture caliber PF517. It is wound by a 950 platinum micro-rotor decorated with a fine barleycorn guilloché pattern. Other exquisite finishes, such as circular Geneva Waves, perlage and angled bridges, can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. Thanks to a screw-down crown, this haute-horlogerie watch, which is limited to 25 pieces, is water resistant to 100 meters. Pricing is available upon request.

To learn more, visit Parmigiani Fleurier, here.

Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde

The somewhat long name already hints at the technical complexity of the Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde. This exceptional timepiece combines a double-axis tourbillon with two retrograde displays for the hour and minute. This symphony of mechanics is orchestrated by the manufacture caliber HUB6200 with manual winding, which offers a power autonomy of a full four days and consists of a total of 374 components. Some of the intricately decorated parts are revealed through the open-worked dial.

Yet, the flying double-axis tourbillon, positioned at 6 o’clock, is the undisputed star of the dial. On one axis, it completes one full rotation per minute, on the other every 30 seconds. To make this precise performance visible from all sides, the bezel is extended downwards.

The Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde is housed in a 44-mm titanium case and is limited to 50 pieces. Pricing is marked at $158,000.

To learn more, visit Hublot, here.

Bulgari Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon

This new interpretation of the Bulgari Octo Roma Papillon Tourbillon is rightly named “Striking”, as it stages the exceptionally creative form of time display. The hour is jumping and the minutes, arranged on a semicircle, are alternately indexed by two diamond-shaped hands in “Papillon” style, with new sophistication. It also offers fascinating insights into its mechanical inner workings through the partly skeletonized dial.

The characteristic Octo case in black-coated titanium is closed with a sapphire crystal that enhances the dial. As such, the dial illuminates via indications that are coated in vibrant green Superluminova. The same applies to some components of the genuine hand-wound movement, the BVL348 caliber, which provides a 60-hour power reserve.

It goes without saying that this beauty is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback of the 44 mm case. The highlight of the sporty and modern Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon is the flying tourbillon, which sits in the center of the dial.

Pricing is marked at approximately $140,000 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Bulgari, here.

Recalling a bright and cloudless summer sky, the newcomer is powered by the Swiss luxury manufacture’s genuine HUB1280 caliber. Revealed via skeletonized dial is its column-wheel and other sophisticated elements, such as the date wheel. This self-winding chronograph movement offers a 72-hour power reserve.

The watch face showcases the typical design, with an alternation of Arabic numerals and hour markers, which are coated with Superluminova for great legibility in the dark. It is framed by the signature bezel, here likewise crafted from light blue ceramic, with the six signature Hublot screws.

Limited to 200 pieces, the summer edition comes with a Velcro strap with sports fastener and a lined natural rubber strap with a titanium deployant buckle.

Pricing for the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sky Blue is marked at $23,800.

To learn more, visit Hublot, here.