When renowned watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the tourbillon back in 1795, it was rightly hailed as a revolution in the horological arts. After all, this tiny mechanism – a genius bit of engineering that houses the escapement and balance wheel in a continuously rotating cage – counteracts the effects of gravity by continuously correcting any positional errors. This innovative mechanism ensured that the popular pocket watches of the day – worn vertically and hitherto susceptible to gravity-derived inaccuracies – told precisely the right time no matter where they were positioned.

In the contemporary, wristwatch-favouring era, of course, tourbillons are inevitably a little less indispensable. This, though, has in no way diminished their appeal to the more discerning collector, with haute horology houses subsequently never more keen to unveil ever-more ornate iterations of the original design. While their numbers truly are legion, seven in particular merit especial consideration…

First up is the somewhat unconventional DB Kind of Two Tourbillon, a relatively new offering from independent Swiss watch manufacture De Bethune, which boasts not one but two distinct faces on its 42.8mm titanium pivoting case. On one side lies a traditional blue-on-white guilloché watch face with Arabic hour markers ringed by a seconds indicator. The reverse dial, though, is all about contemporary appeal, with a lovingly crafted titanium Ultra-light De Bethune 30” tourbillon taking pride of place at 6 o’clock. Blending the past and present with true aplomb, extra-supple alligator straps complete its appeal.

A more futuristic twist, meanwhile, comes courtesy of Chopard with its new Mille Miglia Lab One. Conceived as a concept watch and a homage to the high-performance race cars of Italy’s famous Mille Miglia race, this stunning timepiece has been crafted from ultra-lightweight black bead-blasted titanium. The brand’s first self-winding tourbillon chronometer, under the hood of this 20-piece limited release can be found a Chopard 04.03-M movement, effortlessly powering a titanium tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

Similarly opting for an ever so cool all-black aesthetic is the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon, which is now available from the indisputably luxurious Bulgari brand. Fetchingly, its noir fascia comes fitted with an open-worked metallic grille, allowing a fascinating glimpse of its new BVL428 manual-winding movement. Housed in a black DLC titanium case, this 44mm timepiece effectively combines both a tourbillon and a three-hammer case while maintaining a minimalist – almost industrial – flair.

Deservedly meriting our fourth slot is the stunningly slim Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which comes complete with a classic white-on-rose gold motif. Unashamedly taking tourbillon stylings to a new height – quite literally – this elegant wrist adornment’s flying tourbillon is paired with a moon phase aperture ringed by a jumping date indicator at the top of the dial. The design’s thinness – something of a signature look for JLC – belies the complexity of its engineering and measures a scant 12.1mm.

Another precision engineering masterpiece setting its sights on the skies is the Code 11:59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon, with its 18K pink gold case – burnished with a shimmering black aventurine dial reminiscent of a star-lit night sky – making it a real standout. Equipped with a Calibre 2950 movement that combines a flying tourbillon with a central rotor, this 41mm timepiece is also available as a white gold-blue aventurine avatar.

For those in search of something a little more outré, German luxury label Montblanc’s new Star Legacy Exo Tourbillon Skeleton Limited Edition 8 skeletonised tourbillon timepiece delivers in spades. Its innovative open-worked approach, for instance, affords direct views into the inner workings of its Calibre M B M 18.69 movement – a mechanism comprising 188 disparate parts, all lovingly handcrafted by the maison’s skilled artisans. Its dial proper, meanwhile, has been neatly bisected, with an off-centre hour-and-minute dial at 12 o’clock perfectly balancing the Exo Tourbillon on its southern hemisphere. As its name suggests, this fine example of haute horology is available in a limited edition of just eight.

A true statement timepiece, however, concludes this month’s round-up – Vacheron Constantin’s recently-unveiled Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin. Launched to welcome the Lunar New Year, its hand-guillochéd black dial comes elaborately burnished with a pair of matching hand-engraved Qilin – the mythical hooved chimeric creature of Chinese legend. The tourbillon proper at 6 o’clock, meanwhile, comes fitted with a small seconds indicator and sits beneath a gold-accented power-reserve indicator. A perfect blend of precision engineering and gorgeous aesthetics, this is a future collector’s piece in waiting.