CODE41 T360 Tourbillon: The Holy Grail

With transparency, community and fair pricing as its guiding principles, Swizerland-based watchmaker CODE41’s consultative approach to the watch industry is making waves far and wide. I have successfully launched two projects NB24 For X41 and later, Mesascape. All of this is why the brand exists to push the boundaries of watchmaking while keeping the cost of its product affordable.

In its latest venture into the world of fine watches, CODE41 has debuted a timepiece T360 tourbillon, the brand’s first tourbillon watch and a testament to its mastery of the art of watchmaking. In a similar vein as the CODE41 community was involved in designing the T360, the final product also ensures that customers are given many options to customize their desired watch (bridge and hand colours, straps, even case shape). In doing so, the brand hopes the T360 tourbillon will transform watchmaking in that it is open, participatory, and accessible.

According to how previous projects were designed, the CODE41 community voted on what the brand should venture into next, with the tourbillon being the preferred favorite. To make the process as transparent as possible, the brand has created dedicated pages on its website to document every step leading to the final stages of production. The T360 has undergone many changes: 192 different designs, over 12,500 votes cast, nearly 400 comments submitted and 43 sleepless nights. Every critical step was made by voting by hundreds of thousands of community members.

The tourbillon is widely considered the “holy grail” of watchmaking and has captured the hearts of many watch connoisseurs since its inception. Patented by Abraham Louis BreguetThe purpose of the tourbillon was to balance the effects of gravity affecting the regularity of the watch’s mechanical movement. In today’s context, the tourbillon is enhanced because of the “extraordinary mechanical and unique aesthetic ballet that is its primary benefit” because “the movement of our wrists actually deals with balancing changes in rate due to Earth’s gravity.”

Making a tourbillon is no easy feat, and the cost to make one can easily run into five or six figures. However, CODE41 is able to lower the price thanks to its economical model, where middlemen are cut out and sales are made directly to customers. The X41 model is a prime example. While the low cost would raise suspicions, the brand is reassuring Tourbillon T360 Passes all regulatory tests with flying colours. With a starting price of just under CHF 10,000, the T360 tourbillon is the culmination of unparalleled Swiss watchmaking expertise with accessibility.

Considering its design, the T360 is unreservedly masculine and retains the distinctive skeletal features of CODE41. Here, the wearer will be mesmerized by the watch’s captivating dance in which the tourbillon dances as it completes one complete revolution in its cage every 60 seconds. Also, keeping in mind the recent fashion trend, the watch is made for everyday life rather than being worn only on special occasions. Some of the key features include a 105-hour power reserve, deviation of ±5 seconds per day, Super-Luminova on the hands, indices and tourbillon cage bridge, and two types of cases.

In keeping with its principles of openness and excellence, CODE41 has delegated the development and production of the tourbillon to 100 percent Swiss partners, without whom none of this would have been possible. Each of these craftsmen contributed significantly to the design of the T360 itself and these craftsmen can be found on the website. Their tasks and responsibilities are clearly defined and emphasized. Additionally, this human story is one of the daily motivations for the CODE41 teams, inspired by the showcasing master watchmakers making dreams come true.

Delving further into the customization options, the T360 allows for what CODE41 calls superior customization. There are more than 200 possible combinations starting with the straps, where the wearer can choose between leather, rubber or steel. With interchangeable straps, the T360 tourbillon adapts to any circumstance and reflects the wearer’s personal style and mood. Then, there are two types of cases available: NativeDNA or Stratom. Additionally, there are five color combinations that the wearer can also choose from for the dial and hands of the watch.

The CODE41 T360 tourbillon is available for pre-order April 19 through May 17 with a starting price of CHF 9,898, and only 150 Creator Edition pieces are available. click here Learn more about the watch.

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