A tourbillon (French for "whirlwind") is a centuries-old mechanism built inside some of the world's most expensive watches. It was originally designed to improve the accuracy of pocket watches by rotating the escapement and balance wheel to help counter the effects of gravity.
Today, collectors consider tourbillon watches works of fine art. The construction and assembly of the mechanism are very time-consuming and require extreme precision and patience. Tourbillon watches' complex design, combined with their limited production, contributes to their exclusivity and high price tags.
Remy Cools, an independent watchmaker based near Lake Annecy in France, is working on his second limited-edition release of 36 tourbillon watches, called the Tourbillon Atelier, which will sell for about $172,000 each.