Being the “biggest”, “smallest” or “fastest” of anything usually calls for exceptional effort. In the case of Franck Muller’s GIGA tourbillon, the over-size 20mm diameter escapement & movement took a team of dedicated watchmakers years to develop in order to capture the title of the largest tourbillon housed in a wristwatch. 

Due to its (relatively) immense size, the GIGA tourbillon is in fact a power-hungry beast fed by a total of four winding barrels placed side by side and stacked two deep.  These hand-wound barrels create enough stored energy to achieve not only superlative chronometry via the over-sized regulator, but they also power Franck Muller’s Curvex GIGA Tourbillon for an unprecedented nine days when fully wound! The barrels are first paired in series to double the operating reserve; then they are assembled to work in parallel, effectively doubling the torque supplied to the movement. Each of the four 16.4mm barrels are 25% larger than a typical mainspring barrel and deliver a consistent force to the massive tourbillon escapement throughout the two hundred sixteen hours running time.

In addition to the upgrade in power, the Giga Tourbillon movement also had to lose weight. The oversize escapement called for an across-the board load reduction within the movement, and especially the escapement itself. The flying (no top bridge) tourbillon cage is crafted in titanium, while the escape wheel’s teeth have been skeletonized to further reduce weight and inertial resistance within the system. Other components have been crafted in lightweight alloys to further reduce the mass of the mechanism.

Another factor extending the running reserve is the stately, almost hypnotic pace of the balance wheel. Running at 18,000vph (2.5 Hz), the over-sized balance stretches the running time simply by using less energy than a higher frequency. Every time a balance wheel receives an impulse from the escape wheel, mainsprings release up a tiny amount of stored power, so high-speed escapements will use up reserve more quickly, all-else being equal. In any case, the slower beat of the GIGA tourbillon creates an optical and audible symphony in motion suspended within the Curvex frame.

With all the effort that went into the development of this tourbillon, it made perfect sense to platform this technical tour de force as close to the viewer as possible. To achieve this, the GIGA movement has been inverted, with the bridges placed on the dial side, while the winding & setting system (keyless works) is located underneath. After all, if you’re going to create a world record, you should show it off.

As if the world record is not enough, the GIGA tourbillon is also offered in a version enhanced with a minute repeater.  With the simple push of the button below the crown, the GIGA will come to life and deliver the time in sound. Crystal clear notes chime once for each hour, a double strike for each quarter past the hour, and another set of single chimes for each minute past the quarter. Considered one of the most challenging complications to perfect, adding a minute repeater to the GIGA Tourbillon transports this timepiece into a new echelon of Grand Complications.

Requiring years of research and development by a dedicated team of expert watchmakers, the challenge has been met and their success is shown by the creation of not only the world’s largest tourbillon, but a tourbillon that meets the high standards set forth by “Master of Complications."