The tourbillon is one of the most fascinating inventions of the entire field of watchmaking, and for multiple reasons. First of all, the intellectual concept of the tourbillon is enormous: to conceive the intuition of having the entire balance wheel revolve on itself to compensate for gravity-induced deviations is beyond cunning, and even more remarkably when one recalls that this mechanism was devised in the late 1700s (the A.L. Breguet patent for the tourbillon dates to 1801). From a technical point of view, the concept is simply diabolical to execute given the minute size and even more minute tolerances required. And, finally, from an aesthetic point of view it is one of the very few - beyond the balance wheel, obviously - actively decorative elements that a dial can feature, enthralling the beholder with its subtle dance.

While the tourbillon is one reason for the collectability of this piece, the other is its skeletonized movement, a most appropriate choice for such a refined timepiece which allows the entirety of the movement to be seen without any obstruction to the dial. Epitomizing Audemars Piguet's skills to realize a true masterpiece of mechanical art: the elegantly curved architecture of the bridges is sublime and nearly organic. When admired from the back, the movement gives the impression of being a sort of steampunk, futuristic spiderweb.

Compounding to the aesthetic and technical pinnacle of the timepiece, the present watch is furthermore part of a 100-pieces limited edition, adding a remarkable level of rarity to this spectacular ensemble.