WATCH SPECIAL

CORUM CLASSICAL BILLIONAIRE TOURBILLON

Corum clearly decided not to pull any punches when choosing

a name for the most expensive watch in its range. You will indeed

need to be decidedly Š ush to buy the Classical Billionaire Tourbillon,

which features a bracelet swathed in 288 diamonds, with more

than 800 set into the case and crown. An 'invisible' crystal dial

enables the hand-wound, tourbillon mechanism to be seen

in all its glory. £1,006,500 (only to order); corum.ch

HARRY WINSTON HISTOIRE DE TOURBILLON 5

The tourbillon complication - in which the watch escapement

is contained inside a tiny revolving cage to counteract the e‘ ect

of gravity - is considered to be one of the ultimate horological

achievements. Back in 2009, Harry Winston set out to interpret

the tourbillon in a series of di‘ erent ways, the latest of which, the

Histoire de Tourbillon 5, sees the tourbillon spinning on three axes

beneath a domed display window. £496,400; harrywinston.com

BREVA GENIE 01

Fledgling brand Breva has taken the horological world by

storm with its ingenious 44.7mm Genie 'weather watch', which

incorporates a tiny aneroid barometer. It works by displaying

barometric pressure on a secondary subdial marked with

symbols for sun, cloud and rain. A disc beneath the dials contains

one of two aneroid capsules (the other is directly below it) that

measure alterations in air pressure. This platinum version is

limited to 12 examples. £120,000; williamandson.com

GREUBEL FORSEY QUANTIÈME PERPÉTUEL

Greubel Forsey makes no more than 100 watches per year - and

they are among the very best in the world. The new 'QP' model

(which stands for quantième perpétuel, or perpetual calendar) isn't

so much a watch as a 550-part mechanical computer that, as long

as it is kept running, will display the correct day, date, month and

y e a r f o r t h e n e x t c e n t u r y, a u t o m a t i c a l l y a c c o u n t i n g f o r l e a p

years and short months. c. £574,500; marcuswatches.co.uk

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