Horological Meandering

Side by side:

Nice family resemblance!  The Jean Daniel Nicolas on the left is designed and manufactured by Daniel Roth, who was technical director at Breguet when Breguet developed, with Lemania, its tourbillon movement in thew 1980's. The Breguet Tourbillon Messidor is a wonderful, whimsical variation on the theme with its invisible tourbillon brdige. The mechanism looks like it is floating!

Bill

I'm discovering the JDN Tourbillon thank to you, and all you wrote about it, Bill.

The Messidor is a Tourbillon I love a lot, but really a lot.

This play of transparencey blending tradition and modernity is the creme de la creme.

Good idea to put them side by side.

Best,

Nicolas.

is the Tradition tourbillon. That would be the one for me from Breguet. But the JDN is still atop the tourbillon hill as I measure things.

Bill

Except the dial layout, I find the Tourbillons very different.

I really like the bridge on the JDN watch... and this watch makes me think about the Tourbillon Speake-Marin based on the STT Tourbillon.

The Breguet is a true beauty, it hypnotizes me each time I see it.

If I'm not wrong they don't rotate at the same speed: the Breguet goes twice faster. Do you have a movie to see the difference?

Thanks a lot for this pic and for the nice idea !

Fx

meaning the carriage rotates once every two minutes. Most tourbillons rotate once a minute around a fixed fourth wheel. The JDN fixes the third wheel and the fourth wheel is placed within a mini-bridge withing the carriage.  The JDN is also powered by two mainspring barrels for a 72 hour power reserve, while the Breguet has one for a 40 hour reserve.

I think you are right to say that the resemblance is merely superficial.

The bridge of the JDN is brilliant on both design and execution. It still makes me smile when I look at it.

Bill

Thank you for showing these for us!

 

 

 

 

Best

 

Blomman

Each has its own merit.  Seeing them side by side is interesting.  Aesthetically, I wonder whether the dials/movements go better with the counterpart's case and hands?!  The Dial of the JDN is somewhat more elegant, IMO, while the Messidor's bridges give it a bit of an industrial look.  I think, too, that the placement of the dial of the JDN and that fact that is is partially cut out reminds me of the La Tradition. My perspective on the cases and lugs, though, is reversed.  The Breguet case is more delicate, while the JDN is significantly heavier.

Thanks for the opportunity to compare the two.

Best,

CaliforniaJed

and let's be honest, like all skeleton watches it is not so easy to read the time, which is not a problem with the JDN. Still, that fact wouldn't stop me from getting the watch. Just to be clear, the Breguet is not mine. Rather I had the opportunity to get these two side-by-side.

Bill

Thanks for the pic.

It's a grail piece
*CL

Let's meet.

Bill

nt

Thanks for sharing  :0))

 T

Thanks Bill. Impressive pair and interesting to think about the Daniel Roth link. Also great to see these creative watch designers continuing to produce innovative watches over decades.

 

I have always had a soft spot for the Breguet Tourbillon Messidor. Just beautiful at 40mm with the highlighted ‘floating’ tourbillon within its own bezel and the skeletonized movement.

 

And at the other extreme, your hand made JDN. I would love to see it one day. Great photo.

 

Andrew

so if you are going to see the JDN I think you'll have to find a Japanese or Singaporean collector who either has or will get one. That is, unless you happen to catch the Australian collector who has one on one of his trips back home...

Bill

Rather "nice tourbillons"? Mate they are awesome!!! And I can see how the two are "related"

Thks for sharing,

Best, Horo

these are two of the best tourbillons made.

I'd have to dig out some photos of the Perrelet and Graham tourbillons to get a "nice" pair.

Bill

images taken off the web. now thats a NICE pair.

best,

Horo