Every HORAGE watch that features a tourbillon is equipped with a feature not used by many brands in horology – a sealed ceramic bearing. Want to learn more about this technology and how it differs from the set-up used by many other movement manufacturers? As usual our go-to human horological encyclopaedia Lenny is here to help fill in the gaps in knowledge.
What components exactly are we talking about?
HORAGE’s system replaces conventional pivots with ceramic ball bearings, reducing friction, whilst simultaneously increasing the durability and efficiency of the movement. Thanks to the increase in diameter compared to the standard jewel and axle construction the shock resistance of the watch is massively improved.
What does it do?
Reducing friction at the points where the tourbillon cage pivots, which helps maintain more consistent timekeeping over longer periods.
Additionally, the ball bearings reduce the amount of wear on moving parts, leading to a longer lifespan for the movement. Because we use a ceramic bearing no lubrication is required. Less wear, less friction, less servicing required – a triple win!
How is it different from other constructions?
The key difference between a traditional tourbillon and a tourbillon ball bearing system lies in the cage pivoting mechanism. In a conventional tourbillon, the cage components rely on friction-based pivots. A metal arbor, or axle rests on a jewel and acts like a bearing. This set-up requires oiling by the watchmaker and as a result can wear over time and slightly decreases efficiency.
In contrast, a ball bearing system replaces the pivot points with ball bearings, drastically reducing friction and wear. This modification leads to smoother movement, greater precision, and higher durability. Additionally, it allows for more effective power transmission and more consistent timekeeping over time.
The 7 ceramic balls used in the bearing measure just 0.2mm in diameter and are made of silicon nitride Si3N4 [Ed: no escaping from this silicon stuff I’m afraid]. Ceramic bearings are around 5 x more expensive than steel variants but have lower friction, less wear and run lubricant free – perfect for watch applications.
What are the advantages of our system?
The main advantages of the Tourbillon ball bearing system include:
Reduced friction: Ball bearings ensure smoother rotation of the tourbillon cage, improving accuracy over traditional pivot-based systems.
Enhanced durability: The ball bearing system results in less wear and tear over time, which means the watch may require less frequent maintenance and continue performing at a high level for longer.
Improved efficiency: With reduced friction, energy loss is minimized, potentially contributing to a more stable power reserve and better timekeeping.
Improved shock absorbing: The bigger bearing diameter has more contact surface which distributes the force of a shock over a larger surface area. Our bearing is 13 x wider than a standard tourbillon axle
Thermal expansion: the ceramic balls expand less at different temperatures, which better maintains precise bearing clearances
Lubrication-free: The ceramic ball bearing can be installed without lubrication. This means less lubrication is required and there is no oil to age
What are the challenges of producing a flying tourbillon with a bearing system?
We believe the hard work to engineer and build our bearing system for our Tourbillon calibre offers many advantages for the wearer of the watch, although there are challenges for us to bring this technology to our watches:
Higher costs of production, due to the complexity and precision involved in crafting the ball bearing system and the tourbillon components mean this type of watch is likely to be more expensive than non-tourbillon models. Luckily the HORAGE tourbillons are the best value Swiss made tourbillons on the market!
High degree of cleanliness needed in production to ensure top performance. The bearings have extremely tight tolerance demanding strict attention to detail during assembly. The use of laminar flow production spaces at HORAGE, ensure the assembly environment is spotless, perfect for the watchmakers to build our watches.
Thanks again to Lenny for sharing your knowledge. We love these behind-the-scenes tech insights and hoped you learned something new.
Do you have a tourbillon timepiece in your collection?
Which HORAGE tourbillon model is your favourite?
Ceramic bearings what I turn to for critical race bike components like derailleur pulleys and the bottom bracket. Very cool it's in the base of the Tb.
Q's for Lenny: Is this bearing system used by other brands or is it pretty unique with Horage? It reminds me also, Rolex debuted a ceramic balance staff recently, is this something Horage and other brands will move to (for the same reasons as ceramic bearings)?
Still want to get a Tb one of these days!