IW357701 Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL

The tourbillon is one of the most sophisticated complications in fine watchmaking. As dozens of miniscule parts have to work together in a confined space, it is particularly vulnerable to shocks and damage. With the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton, IWC’s engineering division XPL pushes the boundaries by combining its patented SPRIN-g PROTECT® shock absorber system with a tourbillon movement for the first time. First introduced in 2021, the SPRIN-G PROTECT® system uses a cantilever spring to cushion the movement and suspend it inside the case. In the event of an impact to the case, the movement is protected by the compressing spring system, reducing impact forces significantly. To adapt the shock absorber system to the IWC-manufactured 82915 caliber with a flying minute tourbillon, the shape of the spring had to be redesigned. Each of the eight arms was recalculated using advanced simulation tools and adapted to the dimensions and weight of the tourbillon movement. The re-engineered shock absorber underwent comprehensive testing using advances measurement methods. During these tests, protected tourbillon movements have survived the extreme forces from accelerations in excess of 10,000 g. The key to this extraordinary performance lies in the spring’s perfect form and material execution in bulk metallic glass (BMG). The spring is designed to evenly spread shock forces across its length and width. A highly complex manufacturing process gives BMG a disordered atomic-scale structure. This amorphous microstructure makes the material significantly more elastic than conventional metals – a key requirement for a shock absorber spring.

Tourbillon | IWC Schaffhausen