The tourbillon remains one of watchmaking’s most stubborn status symbols, partly because it’s difficult to make and partly because the industry has long priced it that way.
BA111OD has built much of its identity around challenging that assumption, and its latest move gives the argument new weight.
By acquiring BCP Tourbillons, the Neuchâtel-based brand is tightening its grip on the specialist know-how behind its most important complication while introducing a new generation of the Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D.
At a glance
- BA111OD has acquired BCP Tourbillons, the Swiss movement developer behind its accessible tourbillon strategy.
- The new Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D uses the hand-wound BA.01 calibre with a 120-hour power reserve and Timelab chronometer certification.
- The watch is offered in 39mm and 43mm grey DLC steel cases, with both sizes priced at £7,800.
A sharper case for accessible haute horlogerie
BA111OD was founded in 2019, but its defining moment came in 2021 with the Chapter 4 T.V.D, a Swiss tourbillon priced at CHF 3,920.
The initials stood for The Veblen Dilemma, a neat reference to the way luxury objects can become more desirable simply because they cost more.
That made the watch more than a value play.
It was a provocation aimed directly at the belief that high complications need to sit beyond the reach of most collectors.
Low-cost tourbillons are not new, but BA111OD’s position has always been different because the work sits within the Swiss watchmaking corridor between Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds.
That distinction matters in a category where origin, training, supplier networks and tolerances are all part of the conversation.
What BCP Tourbillons adds to BA111OD
BCP Tourbillons was founded by master watchmaker Olivier Mory with a focused brief.
Rather than treating the tourbillon as one expression of broad haute horlogerie, BCP has specialised in making the mechanism more efficient to develop and more attainable for brands.
Its approach strips away much of the traditional cost burden that comes with ornate hand-finishing and complex movement architecture.
Instead, it leans on simplified construction, specialist local suppliers and a narrow technical focus.
The result is not a traditional haute horlogerie formula, but that’s precisely the point.
For BA111OD, the acquisition secures tourbillon supply and gives the brand greater freedom to shape future calibres.
BCP Tourbillons will continue to operate under Olivier Mory’s leadership and will keep developing movements for other brands, so the move is not a closed-door consolidation.
It does, however, make BA111OD a more serious player than its price positioning alone might suggest.
The new Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D
The latest Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D keeps the open, contemporary character of the earlier watch but gives the architecture more refinement.
The reworked flange and dial structure create more visual depth, with the eye drawn toward the tourbillon at seven o’clock and the engraved mainspring cover.
The grey DLC steel case combines polished, sandblasted and satin-finished surfaces, giving the watch a stronger sense of contrast without pushing it into excess.
BA111OD has also moved away from the previous 44mm size, offering the new model in 39mm and 43mm.
That split gives buyers a more wearable choice at either end of the spectrum, even if some collectors may wish there were a 41mm middle ground.
Inside is the hand-wound BA.01 calibre, now offering a 120-hour power reserve while retaining a 3 Hz frequency.
The movement is chronometer-certified by Timelab, the Geneva Chronometric Observatory, adding a welcome layer of independent performance validation.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | BA111OD |
|---|---|
| Model | Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D |
| Case size | 39mm or 43mm |
| Case material | Grey DLC-coated steel |
| Dial | Skeletonised architectural display with reworked flange |
| Movement | BA.01 hand-wound calibre |
| Complication | Tourbillon at seven o’clock |
| Power reserve | 120 hours |
| Frequency | 3 Hz |
| Certification | Timelab chronometer-certified |
| Price | £7,800 |
At £7,800, the new Chapter 4 Tourbillon T.V.D is still not an impulse purchase, but it sits in a very different universe from the traditional Swiss tourbillon market.
For collectors curious about high complications without the usual gatekeeping, BA111OD has made one of its clearest statements yet.
