Cabestan’s Winch Tourbillon Vertical is among the most intriguing timepieces made in the modern era. The gears of the going train of this manual-winding movement stand perpendicular to the plane of the watch.

It features a chain and fusee constant force mechanism and time is displayed on a pair of rotating drums – in fact the seconds indication is attached a vertical tourbillon. A chain and fusee system is an archaic solution that ensures there is a constant supply of power to the escapement. The system comprises no fewer than 450 steel links and 150 rivets and it takes about 40 hours to assemble by hand.

The movement was developed by the visionary watchmakers Jean-François Ruchonnet and Vianney Halter, whose signature rivets can be seen on the brushed titanium case. Cabestan is the French word for capstan seen on the boats and the movement is wound by a winch handle that sits ensconced within the titanium deployant buckle.