Technically speaking, no modern watch needs a tourbillon. Conceived by British watchmaker John Arnold and brought to life by Swiss legend Abraham-Louis Breguet at the beginning of the 19th century, it was designed to prevent the effects of gravity that came to bear on a pocket watch’s escapement from being sedentary.
Being stuck in a pocket all day affected the balance, which led to timekeeping errors. Wrist watches live much more active lives now, making a tourbillon redundant. However, that doesn’t stop people wanting them.
Rather than being practical, they are now signifiers of a brand’s mechanical prowess,