Graham is a very atypical brand, it usually focuses exclusively on the design of high-tech sporty watches geared towards tech addicts and then, all of a sudden, it decides to launch an extra-thin 1-minute-super-classic-tourbillon instead. It is as if John Mc Guinness were first riding a motorbike at the Isle of Man TT race and then, once out of his racing suit, would wear blazer and tie to slowly walk into a London's tea room.
The Geo Graham collection is Graham's high-end line and the Graham Geo Graham Tourbillon is a very special piece that was released this year. “Not yet another tourbillon, please!” you might think, especially if you consider that this type of complication in its simplest form is about to become less and less exclusive and it will be soon available at a more accessible price to a wider audience of customers. In spite of this big change which is about to happen, Graham has decided to come up with a state-of-the-art timepiece that fully embodies George Graham's legacy and that features some technical characteristics which can seriously compete with those of the best tourbillons currently available on the market.
The watch is just 9,85mm thick and it features a faultless and classy 40mm wide pink gold case, whose double bridge tourbillon is tranparent. The dial is enamelled and the minute track on its outer ring widens at 6 o' clock to house the tourbillon cage. If you turn this timepiece to its backside you'll be surprised to find out what hides behind that dial: a pink gold off-centered micro-rotor (a true rarity today) and a beautiful Cotes de Généve decoration. Since Graham is not a manufacturer, it had to partner with Le Clerce des Horlogers in La Chaux de Fonds to create such a special caliber.
Let me point you out some more of this timepiece's fine details: the G1796 Caliber beats at 3Hz giving this timepiece 72 hours of Power Reserve. The watch also features an Incabloc Shock absorbing system; shock resistance is one of Graham's strengths and I can still remember a Youtube video starring Eric Loth (Graham's CEO) busy testing the Tourbillograph's shock resistance during a live interview.
The one-minute tourbillon counts 67 components and is mounted inside a movement that is embellished with circular Cotes de Geneve decorations, whose micro-rotor, that ensures the movement's thickness and that the watch would look and feel like a manual one, is decorated with drawings inspired to the historical pocket watch created by George Graham himself.
Honestly the Graham Geo Graham Tourbillon is a state-of-the-art tourbillon (limited to 100 pieces), something quite unexpected, given the fact that the brand is better known for an image that is mostly connected with the world or motorsport and outdoor sports, something which definitely doesn't help when you are looking into considering a Graham as your next tourbillon. This timepiece is, however, a nice addition to the Geo Graham collection and it features an original technical and aesthetical package that makes it a good choice, also considering its historical pedigree and its price tag of around 80000$.
(Photo credit: courtesy of Graham watches; Horbiter®'s proprietary photo-shooting)
Gaetano C. @Horbiter®
