Each of us uses watches. They are different: ancient and modern, mechanical, quartz and electronic. There are many of them.

But among the huge variety of watch movements, there are some that, due to the special complexity of manufacture, determine the status of the craftsman and the owner.  

How often we see expensive prestigious watches on the hand of celebrities, royalty and presidents! But very rarely, even on the hands of famous people, you can see a watch called a "Tourbillon."

The word "tourbillon" in Russian means "whirlwind", "tornado", "whirlpool", "whirlwind", "signal flare", "flying spiral".

Perhaps these definitions only marginally reflect the beauty, grace and flying, light movement of this extraordinary watch movement.

A tourbillon is a watch with a turbine movement. The most complicated and very expensive movement is the chronometer English escapement watch. These were pocket tourbillons. A countable number of such mechanisms were made in Europe. In Russia, such watches were never made. It is worth noting that fireplace tourbillons were never made in Europe either.

And now, finally, the Russian master Alexander Milyaev turned to such an exceptional device and created a fireplace (table) tourbillon. And now we can safely say that Russia has created the world's only unique watch.

Pictured: watchmaker Alexander Milyaev. Source

The Master brought his own vision to this design. This feature consists of adjusting the balance of the tourbillon carriage and combining the movement regulator with the seconds hand, something that has never been done before in the history of working on such complex movements as the tourbillon. Also in this design, the master craftsman managed to add a beating mechanism that does not create any problems for the accuracy of the watch. There has never been a lower bell strike in tourbillons. And the Russian tourbillon has it. The master built in his watches the famous English escapement, which has advantages over the Swiss, as it was used in the navy, as well as for scientific purposes. And this is the kind of tourbillon called a flying tourbillon. And of course, this work was preceded by years of hard labor.

Alexander Milyaev is a restorer of antique watch movements. What watches have not passed through his hands. These include the famous Norton with its unique beating system, and Breguet, an excellent legislator of various design features, and Patek Philippe, which developed a unique system of perpetual calendars.

Alexander was pushed into restoration by an incident that happened to him in his youth.

Alexander Milyaev was born in the Saratov region of Russia. During World War II, his father volunteered for the front. He was severely wounded, went through German captivity and returned home with one left arm. It was difficult for an invalid to find a well-paid job, and his family had to be fed. He was an able-bodied man, and having become interested in the work of watchmakers, he studied in the workshop, standing behind their backs. Gradually, he tried working on his own and became an unrivaled craftsman.

Alexander learned from his father as a child, and from the age of 14 he started working independently. As he himself believes, he went through a great school with the old Saratov masters.

My father worked under a patent, on his own. One day an elderly man from Saratov came to their house. He was, as it later turned out, from a very old family. The family still had his grandfather's antique clock, which had stopped. The city masters were unable to restore it and advised the owner to turn to a provincial master.

When this man arrived at the Milyaevs' house, the father was away. The Saratov guest left the watch and left. Alexander, who was 17 years old, could not help himself and tried to repair the mechanism himself without his father's permission. By the time his father arrived, the watch was working properly.

This love of antique watches remained with the boy for the rest of his life. And one day, when he received a tourbillon watch for restoration, a mechanism he deeply admired, Alexander decided to try to create a watch that no one had ever created before.

Pictured: The world's only Russian Tourbillon, author's work
A.E. Milyaeva. Source

I realized," says the master himself, "that the main task of my life - the glory of Russian watchmaking - had been fulfilled. And this is not bragging. It is a destiny.

And today we can talk about the creation of a unique creation that raises the status of Russian watchmaking, an example for young masters, showing that there are no limits to achieving the highest level of craftsmanship.

Lyubov Usoltseva

Preview image: fountain