Imagine a watch so mesmerizing that it seems to defy gravity. That’s exactly what the master watchmakers at Cartier have achieved with their Double Mystery Floating Tourbillon.

Using an anti-glare treated sapphire crystal disc with a hole perfectly matching the tourbillon’s size, Cartier creates the illusion of a floating tourbillon. To make this magic happen, the disc supporting the frame is set into motion, with the minute wheel driving the pendulum placed on an axis. This axis limits the internal ‘resistance moment’ of the mechanism supporting the tourbillon, successfully transferring energy to it.

The result? A breathtaking display where the tourbillon completes a full rotation every minute in a transparent open space, while its frame also completes a rotation. The secret lies in the rim of the sapphire crystal disc, where a set of gear teeth connects to a main gear rotating once per minute.

Driven by a meticulously crafted manually wound mechanical movement developed by independent watchmakers, this ‘magic watch’ is a testament to years of innovation. For example, determining the speed of each moving part required countless calculations. To minimize energy consumption, the tourbillon frame completes a full rotation every minute in its designated space. To enhance the efficiency of this moving mechanism, the weight of each component was reduced to better control the inertia of rotating parts, including the disc and titanium tourbillon frame. Despite its ‘floating’ nature, the frame weighs merely 0.28 grams. To balance the weight of the regulating mechanism and the frame, part of the circular frame engaged with the gear is made of gold and positioned opposite the tourbillon, achieving dynamic equilibrium.

Here are some specifications of the Rotonde Tourbillon Mysterieux Double Mystery Tourbillon watch: It has a case made of 904 steel, measuring 45 mm in diameter. The crown is a platinum bead with a cabochon natural spinel. The watch face features a deep gray electroplated guilloché dial, with silver-plated openwork grille and sunburst effect, and black transferred Roman numerals. The hands are sword-shaped blue steel. It comes with an Italian calfskin strap and original steel folding buckle.

The movement is the Cartier 9454 MC workshop-made hand-wound mechanical movement, engraved with the ‘Geneva Seal,’ and features the double mystery tourbillon. It includes 25 ruby bearings, 242 components, a balance frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, and a power reserve of 42 hours. Each watch is individually numbered, and pre-orders allow for the selection of a preferred lucky number.