Are tourbillon watches worth it ? A tourbillon is a mechanism found in some high-end watches that reduces the effect of gravity on the watch's accuracy? But why do you even need to care about this? Here's what you need to know about tourbillons, their history, and how much they matter in the big picture of watchmaking today. Definition of tourbillon In horology, a tourbillon is an anti-shock system invented for pocket watches. The heart of the concept is to mount the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage on staff so they can be set into motion away from any interference or pressure that would cause disturbing influences on their movement. Various patents have been granted since 1795, but most agree that Englishman George Adan's patent of 1821 was the first to illustrate how a tourbillon could provide better timekeeping. Tourbillons are expensive because of all the work that goes into them and increased accuracy due to decreased friction on moving parts. Ar...