Sylvain Pinaud’s 30s Tourbillon Puts Asymmetry in Motion

Sylvain Pinaud’s 30s Tourbillon is a compact expression of high-level independent watchmaking, built around a dial that deliberately refuses symmetry.

It follows the design language established by the Origine, but shifts the focus to a fast-rotating tourbillon and a manually wound movement developed and assembled in-house.

The result is technical without feeling overdrawn, with the regulating organ placed in full view and the rest of the display arranged around it with clear intent.

At a glance

• Sylvain Pinaud has introduced the 30s Tourbillon, an asymmetric manually wound tourbillon watch from the independent watchmaker.
• The tourbillon cage completes one rotation every 30 seconds, with a titanium cage designed to reduce weight by approximately 20%.
• The watch is offered in three variations and is priced at CHF 180,000 before sales taxes.

An asymmetric dial with a controlled sense of tension

The 30s Tourbillon is built around contrast, proportion and legibility rather than visual spectacle for its own sake.

Its asymmetric layout gives the 30-second tourbillon the central role, while preserving room for the time indications and the large seconds display.

Black polished steel components sit against finely grained surfaces, creating shifting reflections across the layered dial architecture.

The round case measures 39 mm across and 11.2 mm thick, placing the watch in a size range intended for everyday wear rather than safe-bound ceremony.

Three executions, three distinct characters

The collection is made in three variations, each changing the relationship between case, movement and dial materials.

The lightest and most contemporary expression combines a titanium case and titanium movement with a silver dial, white agate centre and black hands.

The two other versions use platinum cases and movements crafted from nickel silver and rose gold.

One of those pairs a black dial with an onyx centre and rose gold hands, while the other uses a white dial, a white agate centre and blued steel hands.

All three are fitted with leather straps, keeping the focus on the dial architecture and the movement rather than on a bracelet-driven silhouette.

The 30-second tourbillon and in-house movement

The tourbillon cage completes a full rotation every 30 seconds, twice the pace of the one-minute tourbillon most collectors are used to seeing.

Made from titanium, the cage is designed to reduce weight by approximately 20%, a decision aimed at improving mechanical efficiency while balancing inertia, rotation speed and movement frequency.

The balance wheel measures 9.1 mm and uses variable inertia with a Phillips curve balance spring.

The manually wound movement operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour, or 3 Hz, and uses a double-barrel construction for a 100-hour power reserve.

Functions are kept focused, with hours, minutes and seconds joined by a zero-reset mechanism integrated into the large seconds indication for more precise time setting.

Viewed through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement architecture is arranged around the mechanical components and their finishing.

Finishing includes fine graining, satin finishing and black polishing, while the bridges feature hand-executed bevels with sharp internal angles.

The wheels receive circular brushing and bevelled edges on both sides, and the large barrel bridge on the reverse is treated as a sculptural element, with anglage worked from the raw edge and polished by hand.

Details & Specifications

The 30s Tourbillon is a watch for collectors who like their mechanics exposed but not theatrical, where the drama comes from construction, finishing and an unusually quick tourbillon rather than excess decoration.