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Posted October 22, 2012

Thought I'd share the following info I picked up from a variety of sources (including RWG posts) - a high-level
pictoral overview of some currently popular tourbillon movements used in Chineses reps. Looking forward to
feedback and hoping this is of use to folks.

These tourbillon movements are divided into two groups - the Blancpain Flying Carrousel Type, and the Breguet
Coaxial Type. You'll be able to distinguish between the two types from reviewing the text and pics below. From
there, if you have a Chinese rep'd tourby, there's a reasonable chance you're looking at one of the 2 or 3
movements listed in the relevant sub-section.

Table of Contents

Flying Tourbillon

Blancpain Flying Carrousel Type

- Tianjin (Sea-Gull) ST80

- Liaoning (Million Smart) 5010

Breguet Coaxial Type

- Shanghai Classic

- Hangzhou (PTS) FD3310

- Guangzhou/GuangDong (Dixmont) DG8101

 
Flying Tourbillon - This describes a tourbillon carriage that is supported only at the back so that from the dial
side it appears to be floating with no visible means of support. The lack of a bridge on the dial side also helps
reduce the height of the tourbillon sub-assembly. Of the five movements listed below, the Shanghai usually has
a bridge (that is, it is not "flying"). Note, however, that sometimes a normally "flying" type movement may have a
bridge attached for purely decorative reasons - this is seen with some Liaoning movements - so the presence of
a bridge does not always indicate a Shanghai movement.

Blancpain Flying Carrousel Type

This describes the Blancpain model in which the axis of the balance is offset from the axis of the tourbillon
carriage, giving the tourbillon a "carrousel-like" appearance and reducing the overall height of the tourbillon. If
examining a Flying Carrousel rep, look for the four decorative screws of the Liaoning movement; if you don't see
those, then you may be looking at an ST80 movement.

Tianjin (Sea-Gull) ST80 Tourbillon (Blancpain Flying Carrousel Type)

- Relatively high price and quality; may be the best Chineses copy of the Blancpain design

- 42 hour power reserve

- Usually handwound (autowinding available but quite rare and even more expensive)

 
Liaoning (Million Smart) 5010 Tourbillon (Blancpain Flying Carrousel Type)

- Higher production and lower price

- Recognized by the four (4) decorative screws

- Considered less attractive, with reliability issues periodically reported

- Used in British Horological Institute's anniversary watches, as well as Cecil Purnell watches (although they
publicly claim to be 100% Swiss)

Breguet Coaxial Type

This describes the Breguet model of a large balance-wheel on a common axis to the tourbillon cage. If
examining a Coaxial rep,

a) Is there a bridge across the movement? Then it may be a Shanghai movement

b) Are the hour and minute hands pushed up from the center of the face? Then it may be a Guangzhou
movement

c) If there is no bridge, and the hour and minute hands are centrally mounted or only very slightly pushed up,
then it may be a Hangzhou movement

 
Shanghai Classic Tourbillon (Breguet Coaxial Type)

- Relatively high price and quality; decent Chinese copy of the Breguet design

- Usually "non-flying" with bridge across the watch face

- 63 hour power reserve

- Considered an attractive movement

- Popular in Breguet reps

Hangzhou (PTS) FD3310 Tourbillon (Breguet Coaxial Type)

- Higher production and lower price

- 40 hour power reserve (60 hours available on the more expensive FD3900 movement)

- Some say it's reliable, some say otherwise

- Considered an attractive movement

- Commonly modified in a wide range of reps including JLC and Hublot among others

Guangzhou/GuangDong (Dixmont) DG8101 Tourbillon (Breguet Coaxial Type)

- Lower price and high production

- Autowinding

- Some consider it awkward because the hour and minute hands are usually off-center (pushed upward) on the
dial