UGears Sky Watcher Tourbillon - table clock mechanical model kit

Description

The standout feature of this functional and beautiful wooden model table clock is the rotating tourbillon that sits on top. In wrist and pocket watches a tourbillon mechanism helps increase accuracy by counteracting the effects of gravity when the watch is stationary. By seating the escape and balance wheel within a rotating cage, slight errors in timekeeping introduced by the force of gravity are averaged out. In table clocks and wall-mounted clocks a tourbillon often serves a more decorative purpose. This is true of the Sky Watcher Tourbillon Table Clock from Ugears, where the sphere of the tourbillon has been styled to resemble a large telescope observatory scanning the celestial sphere, like those at Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Perhaps it is creating a map of the heavens? Conducting infrared studies? Or maybe searching for new planets or signs of intelligent life?

The first prototype of the tourbillon was developed in 1795 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, who also succeeded in reducing the size of the mechanism and mounting it into a pocket watch. More than a century later, in 1920, the "flying tourbillon" was developed by Alfred Helwig, which opened the mechanism to view by having it mounted on only one side, endowing it with an aesthetic function. Today, there are many variations on the tourbillon mechanism, including single, double and triple axis designs, but what is common to all designs is that they are a daunting engineering challenge, such that a watch featuring a tourbillon will fetch a significantly higher price than models that lack the mechanism. The idea that you can build your own tourbillon out of composite wood, from a DIY model kit, without need of glue or special tools, is kind of amazing, but amazement is what our Ugears customers have come to expect.

The Sky Watcher tourbillon mechanism has three axes of rotation: around the vertical axis of the clock, horizontal axis of the clock, and relative to the central axis of the inner sphere. The wind-up clock operates based on the accumulation of potential energy in a flat spring, and the metered release of this energy. When the model is fully wound it can power the timepiece for approximately 2-3 hours, sufficient for long observation of the mesmerizing mechanism, or to provide a pleasant background ticking clock sound and visual diversion for a period of work or rest. Rather than an all-too-common clock face with hands, we have created additional interest by having the time display placed on reels. The minute reel rotates smoothly with the progress of the tourbillon, while the hour reel marks the passage of time with a percussive mechanism.

Features

• Estimated time for assembly: 14-16 hours
• Number of components: 338
• Model: 70162
• Level: Very hard
• Model size: 30.5 x 18 x 16.5 cm
• EAN: 4820184121324