 |
The assembly begins on the top of the lower plate, by positioning the going train ...
|
|
|
 |
... and the two barrels, ...
|
|
|
 |
... followed by the bottom plate hiding the tourbillon power source ...
|
|
|
 |
... which is held in place by the tiniest of screws.
I should at this stage underscore the patience and extreme kindness of the head of the "Atelier des Grandes Complications": doing all this with a reflex camera clicking away a mere inch from his right ear must not have been a whole lot of fun!!! 
|
|
|
 |
He is now ready to create a gear-train sandwich, ...
|
|
|
 |
... so he takes the upper plate ...
|
|
|
 |
... and delicately places it on top of the lower plate.
|
|
|
 |
After carefully aligning the plate with all the gears and pinions, the two plates are fastened together with screws.
|
|
|
 |
With that done, he is now able to turn the movement over, and begin working on the “calendar” side of the bottom plate.
|
|
|
 |
First, he begins by partially assembling the calendar works ...
|
|
|
 |
... and so the ratchet wheel and calendar wheel are screwed into place.
|
|
|
 |
The movement is then turned over again ...
|
|
|
 |
... and the first pinion of the differencial gear train is placed upon it, ...
|
|
|
 |
... following which the assembly of the time-side gear train begins.
|
|
|
 |
Finally, the plate holding the time-side gear train is put in place ...
|
|
|
 |
... and gets screwed down securely.
|
|
|
 |
Here is what this side of the movement looks like at this stage of the assembly process.
|
|
|
 |
The assembly continues by putting in place the fourth wheel, which, in most tourbillon movements including this one, is actually a “fixed” wheel.
|
|
|
 |
This is the gear around which revolves the tourbillon cage, through the escape wheel pinion engaging on the fixed fourth wheel, which can be clearly seen here.
|
|
|
 |
Next, he continues the assembly by mounting a few more gears of the differential gear train ...
|
|
|
 |
... and then flips the movement over once again, revealing the “calendar” dial side.
|
|
|
 |
He then continues assembling the various gears for the power reserve indication ...
|
|
|
 |
... adding them on one by one as he goes along ...
|
|
|
 |
... until finally he is able to cover them all with their bridge.
|
|
|
 |
Here is what the “calendar” side of the movement looks like at this stage ...
|
|
|
 |
... as well as the opposite, “time” side.
|
|
|
 |
After a well-deserved break, the head of the "Atelier des Grandes Complications" resumes working on the “time” side of the movement ...
|
|
|
 |
... and completes the assembly of the differential gear train.
|
|
|
 |
The movement is then flipped once again ...
|
|
|
 |
... and his attention turns to the calendar function ...
|
|
|
 |
... which in turn is fully assembled.
|
|
|
 |
We can see here the “time” side of the movement, basically completed with the obvious exception of the tourbillon cage, ...
|
|
|
 |
... as well as the “date” side of the movement, ...
|
|
|
 |
... also visible here with the power reserve indicator already in place.
|