$500,000 Watch Isn't Worth It, God I'm Poor

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Zenith Defy Xtreme Tourbillon ZERO-G El Primero watch has a long name, costs $500,000, and I don't get it.

In a veritable technical revolution, ZENITH Manufacture has devised the Zero-G system, in other words zero gravity! The gyroscope cage Tourbillon comprises an escapement mounted on cardan joints rather like marine chronometers. The instrument, which is sensitive to changes of position, is kept in a constant horizontal position, thereby ensuring optimal amplitude for the spiral balance-wheel. Coordination is provided by an invention patented by ZENITH: a second gear train is the reference point for the swinging of the escapement axles and a differential gear with inverter compensates all the relative movements of the framework. The Zero-G Tourbillon, whose cage alone comprises 166 of the 294 parts that make up the device, 10 conical geared wheels with spiral teeth and 6 ball-bearings, was developed from the El Primero automatic caliber that beats at the record speed of 36,000 vibrations an hour.

Did that make any sense? I didn't actually bother reading past the part the word "veritable", but that's because I knew I wouldn't understand what they were talking about. So someone give it to me straight -- does this watch allow you to travel back in time or not? Because if the answer is not then it's a freaking ripoff. Besides, what sort of a-hole with $500,000 to spend on a watch needs to know what time it is anyway?

Tourbillon Wrist Watch [e-potpourri]

Thanks to Patricio, who actually wears a million dollar watch, for the tip