Flying tourbillon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The flying tourbillon is a variation of the tourbillon pioneered by Abraham-Louis Breguet. Rather than being supported by a bridge, or cock, at both the top and bottom, it is cantilevered, being only supported from one side. The first flying tourbillon was designed by Alfred Helwig, instructor at the German School of Watchmaking, in 1920[1].
In 1993, Kiu Tai-Yu, a Chinese watchmaker who resides in Hong Kong created a semi-flying tourbillon with only an abbreviated carriage for the escapement wheel and pallet fork, the upper pivot of the balance wheel being supported in a sapphire bridge. Some mistakenly believe this to be the world's first tourbillon watch with neither bridge nor carriage.
