I can't go full-skeleton. I prefer most if not all of my dial visible. Interesting that they're the first American-made Tourbillon. As far as American-made goes, I like Ball watches. They have a solid horological history that precedes Rolex by more than 20 years and they make a decent, low to mid-tier luxury tool watch ($1500--$4500).
Tourbillons are for high-minded movement nuts. The people who are Tourbillon fans are usually watchmakers and people with far more watch knowledge than me. I am more of a high-end tool watch guy. I like my Rolex, Omega, Corum, Breitling, Ball.
This was a good post, though. Yeah, at $95K, I'd rather get a Platinum Rolex Day-Date and used the change to get myself a Bregeut Type XX! or a mid-tier Grand Seiko.
I like tourbillon for their complexity and visual beauty, but they don't actually make the watch any better. I am an automatic man. The fact that they made a perpetual motion machine with function, harnessing our body movement is what does it for me. Bulova accutron system with basically Faraday cage free energy, citizen eco drives with their solar power dials, that's the cool shit. I like 100k watches but my fascination can be satisfied for under a grand with high quality craftsmanship
AGREED.
That is one thing I wish Rolex would do: Make a display back. This is one of many arguments for why Omega is actually a better watch than Rolex, but Rolex has better marketing and aesthetics so they do better business. Tourbillons and skeleton watches are intriguing, but they're a little too "busy" for me aesthetically. Also, since I know very little of watch mechanics beyond the most rudimentary understanding of the main spring and escapement gears, it doesn't appeal to me as much. I think as far as that kind of watch goes, Breguet and Corum do it very well. You can get some high-end Corum Bridge watches for a couple hundred grand. Ditto Breguet.
My three main checkboxes for a watch is that the case and bracelet be steel or metal (I don't like leather bands and I'm not crazy about Nato straps), there be at least a date function--if not day/date, and that the watch have a pretty dial.
EDIT: Bulova is a turn of a watch these days unless you're going to get a Precisionist, and even then it is still a turd compared to lower-end Swiss luxury like Oris and Tissot. I wear Bulova because it is a Queens, NY brand with some heritage and my father and his father were Bulova guys, but I'm really a Corum/Rolex guy.
I've never been a huge fan of Rolex, not because they aren't great watches, they are just played to death by Hollywood which Jack's up the price. My requirements are a giant case because I'm a giant of a man, a metal band(fuck leather and rubber I like my watches loose), an automatic or similarly awesome ingeniousness of mankind and skill and science, and a unique but classy look. I don't like gaudy or garish. I like classy bordering on simple. Too much going on takes away from the look, unless the look is too much going on on purpose.
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