At the hands of Abraham-Louis Breguet, whose household name I’d recognized from the lips of the luxury market, this technicality manifested in such miniature form, housed in a delicate cage on the pocket. But as evolution works, technical durability has a short lifespan in our modern society. Like the advent of the iPhone, once a spearheading device, now akin to a brick, the use of the tourbillon has become a visual feature today as well. While less than 20 years ago the watchmaking elite were proficient in producing tourbillons, they grew more affordable and commonplace as their influence in timekeeping.
But like Steve Jobs’ first iteration, we wouldn’t be where we are today without it. 220 years on, Tourbillon Day, marked as the 26 June, commemorates the pioneering patent. And while its legacy continues: the tourbillon propels a forward motion, just like our outlook in life, the need to continue moving forward as we look ahead to the future of tomorrow.