At Baselworld 2015, Cabestan showed off its Triple Axis Tourbillon watch. The watch was the first timepiece to be 100% signed by master-watchmaker Eric Coudray. The hand-made sapphire tube provides a luminous setting for a unique and exclusive flying triple axis tourbillon. Now, in Cabestan is back with the Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon Full Sapphire watch, a new version that features a full sapphire case.
Watches with full sapphire cases are something of a trend these days, and this material was already used generously in the existing Triple Axis Tourbillon models, which use a sapphire crystal tube as the main case element.
The Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon Full Sapphire uses sapphire for the inserts as well (also machined and polished by hand), making the case completely transparent. The sapphire case allows owners to admire its wonderfully complex Caliber CAB0017 movement which consists of 978 individual components from all angles, and there is indeed a lot to see.
While the off-set triple-axis tourbillon clearly attracts the eye in the upper half of the case, in particular thanks to the magnifying effect of the curved sapphire crystal, the true Cabestan signature element common to all of the brand’s timepieces, can be glimpsed just beneath the skeleton dial: a 240mm long steel chain, consisting of 350 links and 234 rivets (all assembled entirely by hand) ensures that the energy from the mainspring barrel is released to the tourbillon escapement at a constant torque.
Unlike the other Cabestan collections, however, the Triple Axis Tourbillon is the only one in which this fusee and chain mechanism is arranged horizontally rather than vertically. Cabestan’s team of experts spent over 2,000 hours working on this masterpiece.
Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon Full Sapphire is limited to only 50 pieces, and each is priced at 265,000 CHF ($268,300 USD).