Why This Obsolete Mechanism Makes Watches More Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider 

The fact this man is building all of this from raw material to working parts and knows how to do all the design machine set up and the machining itself with all the different machines is simply amazing.

what I find truly amazing is that watchmakers centuries ago were able to not only design this movement, but produce them without any of the modern machinery available today.

I’m broke just looking at that watch

I know it's largely irrelevant to the 'value' of a watch, but having a tourbillon in the movement doesn't add anywhere close to the cost recovery that a watchmaker would lead you to believe. A mechanical chronograph movement is vastly more complex than a tri-hand watch with a tourbillon, it's just used as a luxury marker these days really.

A quartz oscillator is at least a few magnitudes more accurate than traditional mechanical movement. Yet mechanical watches are valued higher. Accuracy never had anything to do with the price. A tourbillon takes more work, therefore is more exclusive, hence priced higher.

The Chinese Tongji movement at 12:33 was not the best example to use for this kind of work lol. Amazing talent, way to go Remy!

I love that salesperson at the end. Yes push those independents!

Its only a tourbillon if it comes from the tourbillon region of France, otherwise its called "sparkling watch spring" Yes I know they are not in France.

Amazing how Remy has mastered this art at such a young age. Amazing

To these young kids dedicating themselves to the craft: KUDOS & RESPECT.

I have been collecting medium to high end watches for a while, but after watching this presentation I feel like a serf.

What’s amazing is these little parts were manufactured hundreds of years ago in older mechanical watches without CNC machines.

Mechanical engineering really is an art form. But I'll stick with my Casio haha.

Superb work! I'm lucky to say that my job is"Angleur " in one of the oldest Switzerland's watchmakers. Beveling is a time consuming and delicate procedure,but like all other surface treatments (like perlage,satinage,cerclage,guillochage,côtes de Genève etc) the aestetic of a mechanical watch is largely improved.

So many errors I stopped counting. "Modern wristwatches primarily sit horizontally." rotfl

Watches aren't expensive because of the Tourbillon (which can be nowadays found in $1000 watches), but because of several other factors like the hand engraving, hand-beveling, and the sheer number of watches produced by a specific brand. Independent watchmakers will charge higher because of limited resources available to them, in addition to lack of manpower. Larger corporate brands will be able to mass-produce commercial pieces at a relatively cheaper price, but can't be compared to the extreme high-end pieces in terms of finishing and handcrafting processes.

One of the few luxuries I actually can see the value behind. These things are works of art. Also that Remy guy is incredible, to know how to do it from step one to the end, on multiple machines, is impressive.

these are he types of ceos i respect, the ones that still are enthusiastic for the craft

I have never had steady hands. I am amazed at the dexterity of these people.

These are the kinds of videos I can just get lost in. Reminds me of the old program on HDNet that showcased watches in what was then among the first of it's kind 1080p programming that was publicly broadcast. The exquisite craftsmanship and artistry in time pieces with modern intricate complications and aesthetics are a wonder to behold.

The Chinese have now brought this complication to the masses for well under 1k. High-end watch makers are taking a piss with some of their prices now. The handmade parts are exceptional, but their prices have increased so much in only 3-4 years that it's largely margin.

You can buy a $5 million watch but you can't buy time.😅

Ugh I absolutely love timepieces. I have such fond memories of watching my late fiance winding his watches, polishing them, and going with him to watch retailers to get new ones. Hearing them talk shop and use jargon, that I didn't know at the time, was so cool. And now I have such a huge appreciation for the craftsmanship. That said, some prices are absolutely insane. But simultaneously I understand why to some degree. Like if you think about what these watches can do, some of them being able to show planet alignments and star tracking without any electornic computing components is mindblowing. That's such insane engineering

I have a after market tourbillon, meaning I move my wrist watch in a few different direction throughout the day and achieve the same accuracy of a tourbillon.:)

10:51 Remy will be unhappy that they did not clean the glass properly :D

Respect for these craftsmen .🎉🎉🎉 Shocked at the price of the watch. !!! 😮😮😮

My grandfather was a watchmaker after his service as a Navy SeaBee during WWII. He worked for the first official Rolex repair shop here in Pensacola FL. He had a shop behind his house where he often worked at home. As a boy I was completely fascinated by all the equipment, parts, machines, and even the smell of the solvents. Sadly, he passed away when I was 10 before I could learn anything from him about his trade. I often wonder if I would have followed him into this work had he lived longer. RIP Pop!

it is not only about the precision and time keeping. It is about the finishing and craftsmanship, which does alto take time, skill, study, concentration and effort... this increases also the price of the watch.

Interesting information but honestly the part I replayed the most was 2:33 - 2:39 those vista shots are incredible.

For that price it better predict my future

Thank you Business Insider for such an incredible video

Amazing video explaining in detail!

Compare to a high-end computer chip made in a Taiwan fab. Millions of even tinier features designed and built by thousands of people and priced for the masses. But the moving parts (electrons) are too small for the eye to see and the net cost using mass production is accessible to almost anyone, so it doesn't get the same kind of attention as an expensive piece of art. (I work in that industry on the machines that test them for quality.)

Kelly is always great to listen to

Im a Filipino watch maker i repaired a tourbillon j&co very satisfying and self fulfilling 😊 im happy and proud to be the one who repaired it.

The craftsmanship behind the torom mechanism is truly remarkable, showcasing the intricate artistry and precision involved in high-end watchmaking. It's fascinating to see how this traditional feature continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts alike, despite technological advancements in timekeeping. ⌚

I had to give this video a Thumb-Down, because it is riddled with misinformation. This video is mistaken on _many_ points: 1. No, hair springs do not move in the way shown in your animation; instead, they expand-only when rotating one direction, and contract-only when rotating the other direction. This is because one end is fixed to the fixed balance cock whereas the other end is fixed to the rotating balance wheel. 2. No, hair springs to do interface with the escape wheel. Instead, hair springs apply bidirectional torques to a balance wheel, which turns an impulse jewel, which nudges a pallet fork, which interfaces with the escape wheel. It is the jewels of the pallet fork striking the teeth of the escape wheel which creates the “tick, tock, tick, tock” sound of escapement-based clocks and watches. 3. No, tourbillons are not “obsolete”; they serve the same purpose they always did. 4. No, mechanical pocket watches have not been replaced by mechanical wrist watches. Instead, most people opt for smartphones and/or quartz-timed electronic wrist watches for their time-keeping. But all four kinds of time-keeping devices (mechanical pocket watches, mechanical wrist watches, electronic wrist watches, smartphones) are still in common use, along with many others. 5. No, “modern wrist watches” are not primarily mechanical; most of them are electronic with no moving parts. 6. No, wrist watches do not “primarily sit horizontally”. Firstly, they don't “sit”; people move around! And secondly, they don't spend all their time in the same position; people have their wrists in _many different positions_ throughout their busy work days. 7. No, tourbillons are not “for accuracy”; people who need high accuracy use smartphones or internet-connected computers; either will tell time to within 0.1 second of UTC. Instead, tourbillons are for accuracy _within the universe of mechanical time pieces_ , and for the joy of owning, looking at, and using a beautifully-engineered mechanical marvel. People don't spend $300,000 on a Grand Seiko Kodo or $8,000 on Horage Tourbillon 1 for split-second accuracy (they could get much better accuracy from a $15 Casio); instead, people buy those watches because of their beauty, and because of their all-mechanical steampunk mystique, and because they manage to eke-out 1-second-per-day accuracy from purely-mechanical systems containing no modern high-technology parts at all. Just because nearly everything these days is made of plastic and controlled by electronics doesn't mean one's watch needs to be; _that_ is the whole point of mechanical time pieces and tourbillons. 8. No, tweezers are not “pliers”; anyone who has used either tweezers _or_ pliers should know better than that. 9. No, it is _not_ true that “tourbillons do not make timepieces more accurate [than they would be without them]”. Tourbillons increase accuracy by decreasing the slowing-down or speeding-up effects of the vector of gravity, by constantly _changing_ the vector of gravity relative to the balance wheel, thus causing those effects to mostly “cancel out”. 10. No, the sapphire crystals (two, not one) on a tourbillon (or any other balance wheel) are not visual “highlights”; instead, they are necessary functional parts of any rotating watch part requiring ultra-low friction. They are used because sapphire is the second-hardest substance on Earth after diamond, and hence brass-on-sapphire lubricated with a tiny drop of synthetic oil provides a near-zero-friction pivot. Thus the description “21 jewels” engraved on a watch is not bragging about jewelry, but rather, bragging about low friction. I'm not a watchmaker, but even *_I_* as a collector and hobbyist can see those 10 obvious blunders in your video; a professional watchmaker would probably see many more errors and be even more emphatic in pointing them out. So, I suggest doing more research before making and posting videos, because this one wasn't very good (it's riddled with errors).

I want the narrator to read me bed time story book where it only could contain the word "Tourbillon"

A true modern innovation, the Seiko spring drive, which essentially is a perpetual movement, that makes it's own electricity, and is therefore basically as accurate as a quartz watch, is way more complex than a tourbillon. You can get one starting at around $3K, and to me, would be way more impressive to have on my wrist.

I enjoy this so much! Amazing content, best wishes to you and your future projects! 🌻

How did you guys animate the escapement wrong. I mean really, did you not have a person who knows how a watch works look at this?

"Every time you pick a time piece, no matter what the price is, you're looking at a piece of art." We all know exactly why some art is expensive. Bloated valuation way above its intrinsic value plus a connection to something which might or might not be related to money laundering. 10:53

Fascinating the work and detail 🙌

TBH every 15$ Casio is more accurate than these watches, the people buying them are not caring about accuracy.

Nothing but toys, though we love them

I wish those fancy watch wearers valued the work of the world's laborers more.

I'd love to see Wristwatch Revival work on one of these things...

Have always loved watches and clocks. The older, smaller ones before all went to batteries are so interesting. I guess the fact that the pieces all work together and are so delicate yet work so well is amazing. I collect older small ones, none are expensive, but love the design differences. Even some old cheap ones are beautiful. Great video. History of watches is cool.

I get all the expensive materials, the fabulous craftsmanship, the time and dedication required to make such stunning items but I don't think those insane prices are justified. Half a million? Five million? You buy those watches when you don't know what to do with all the money you have.

What astounds me is that you can find quartz watches for less than 10€ that are actually more precise than these watches. It's an extraordinary feat of engineering and technological progress that we could evolve such an important device to be so cheap and accurate

The watc itself isn't worth buying for me but the mechanics and mechanisms that constitutes the watch is really worth studying researching for me as an engineering student

Beautiful time pieces, this is art and very much worth it

No one who is buying an expensive watch is doing so for uts accurate timekeeping...

If you have $1000, $1 mean noting to you, same as the billionaire, 1 million mean noting to them.

Reminds me of the problem early communication satellites had when rewinding magnetic tapes, the rewinding motor caused a reverse spin of the satellite.

This is impressive man. I don't get impressed easily but this made me.

This whole video is assuming that people buy expensive watches for performance. And that functionality is what makes watches expensive. Exhibit A: apple watch

Bro who is this kid his pops had to have some serious cash to support all that kit in that workshop. Good for him tho, its pretty cool. And Remi Cools? What a cool fkn name bro!

This video is somewhat out-of date. 5-10 years ago all of this would be relevant, however, I own a skeletonised flying tourbillon watch which cost me < £500. The emergence of such high quality and intricate pieces from China has already started to depress the cost of tourbillons in the luxury markets...

Wow, I can't believe Remy is able to find to do this on top of also being the best chef.

This is not obsolete, as it can work non stop for decades. "Obsolete" is a definition that fits smart watches better, since they need to be replaced every few years, wether because of software, or because of a dead and irreplaceable battery.

there is nothing like a mechanical watch, with a tourbillon. i remember looking the one my dad had, and just being amazed by the action of the watch. sure i wouldnt spend half a mill myself on one, but that doesnt make them any less cool.

NO COMMENTS FOR THIS PRECIOUS AND SPLENDID ARTWORK✨💯..JUST HAT'S OFF FOR REMY❤

I wish I could afford just one piece of truly beautiful, simple but elegant mechanical/automatic watch not even a tourbillon that I will keep for my life time and for the lifetime of my generations to come.

Imagine before CNC machining, all that used to be made by hand.

12:32 Did you catch this? WTF is this?

It’s all about the precision and practice. 30 years ago I was this young man…. I applaud you.

This was really *neat* you guys should do more of these ☝️

my two cents: he just made this presentation to make it look like it's handcrafted, but then all is made by machine with no need to intervention

I wasn't financial free until my 40’s and I’m still in my 40’s, bought my third house already, earn on a monthly through passive income, and got 4 out of 5 goals, just hope it encourages someone's that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any of them right now, you can start TODAY regardless your age INVEST and change your future! Investing in the financial market is a grand choice I made.

The hand cutting of the small wheels was pretty mind blowing 🤯

There’s more artists who do much more precisely or precision works but it’s more about branding and marketing.

Just because it's "obsolete" doesn't mean it's meaningless. The very creation of the tourbillon requires precise skills, and knowledge on how to build one, balance and correctly wind it. It's craftsmanship, it's art. And art can never be obsolete. EDIT for typo.

They be expensive just because they CAN be and it's a bragging right.

What would be cool is not having to watch 4 minutes of ads for 12 minutes of content. Enshittification of this platform is real.

GREAT WORK❤.....Absolutely Brilliant

Calling the turbillion obsolete is like saying a magnetic compass or a wood burning fire place are obsolete.

Ursula is selling watches now

Absolutely loved this video . I've been a collector since 1968 and totally get the "geeky" side that you spoke of . Hahaha !!! Great video !!

The pronunciation of "tourbillon"=10/10

This is the avacado toast of the boomer.

My G-Shock is more valuable 💪

To say he sculpts the pieces himself, then immediately say he uses a CNC machine only proves the people writing the script for this video have no idea what they are talking about.

Remy is my new hero. What a time pimp.

Remy and his counterpart there are so cool!!!

It’s actually brilliant ingenuity, extreme skill,craftsmanship, and availability to many people who truly appreciate how complex these ( mechanical engines) that fit onto your wrist can tell time with extremely precise accuracy using spring tension as a power source.

I stare at motherboard resistors the way watch enthusiasts stare at tourbillions.

lot respect for those genuine craftsman in the pre computer era

THIS SPRING IS FIRE🔥💯

WOW, WOW, WOW! Just spectacular.

Well done Gene! Your advertising board that you call an F1 team managed to sell machines to at least one person. Good job!

imagine how long to make by hand only.... so delicate, each piece. beautiful.

my mind will go bonkers handling the strap only 😅....amazing skills

Always enjoy your narration.

You can tell that Kelly lady is really passionate about what she does!

The world of mechanical watches is an incredibly fascinating subject.

I'm happy with quartz and the quality designs you can get, these watches shown have longevity and may be more reliable, but at a price earmarked for luxury

Did you know that the tourbillon was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet, one of the most influential watchmakers of all time? He also created the first wristwatch, the first perpetual calendar, and the first shock protection device for watches. He was so respected that he was appointed the official watchmaker of the French royal court and Napoleon Bonaparte. Another interesting thing to note is that he was the one who introduced the Breguet overcoil, the slight elevation of the outermost coil of the hairspring that improves the accuracy and stability of the balance wheel. I think the tourbillon is not only a technical marvel, but also a symbol of the artistry and innovation of watchmaking. It’s a testament to the human spirit and the pursuit of excellence. I admire Remy and Clémence for their dedication and talent, and I hope to see more of their creations in the future. Thank you for this informative and inspiring video!

It does take an education in Haute Orlogerie to understand the price of those watches 😊 Thanks great video !

My most accurate watch in my collection has kept pace within a few seconds of my quartz bedside alarm clock over more than three weeks. It is a Fortis MarineMaster Chronograph using the handwound Valjoux 7733 movement. I am genuinely astonished by how accurate it is.