Tourbillon Cage Achieves Rotational Speed Sufficient for Takeoff, Watch Ascends From Display Case

An experimental triple-axis tourbillon mechanism displayed at SIHH Geneva achieved sufficient rotational velocity during a live demonstration on Tuesday to briefly lift the watch from its display cushion, hovering approximately 3mm above the velvet surface for 1.7 seconds before a security guard placed his hand over it. 'It was rotating very fast,' said the guard, Jean-Claude Breguet (no relation to the brand), who was stationed beside the display case. 'The watch was vibrating, and then it was not touching the cushion. I put my hand on it because it seemed like the watch was trying to leave.' The mechanism, developed by independent watchmaker Koji Tanaka as a prototype for what he calls the 'Aeronautical Tourbillon,' features three nested cages rotating at 6, 30, and 120 revolutions per minute on orthogonal axes. At peak operation, the combined angular momentum of the cages generates a gyroscopic force that Tanaka acknowledges 'exceeds the design brief.' 'The intention was to counteract gravitational effects on the balance wheel,' Tanaka explained. 'We appear to have counteracted gravity itself. This was not in the specifications.' Physicists in attendance were skeptical that a mechanical device of this size could generate sufficient force for liftoff, but video evidence — captured by approximately 200 smartphones — clearly shows the watch ascending from the cushion. 'I cannot explain it with current physics,' said Dr. Marie Laurent of CERN, who was attending the fair on personal time. 'But I also cannot explain why anyone would build a watch with three spinning cages that rotates faster than a helicopter blade, so perhaps we are beyond physics here.' Tanaka has returned to his atelier to refine the design. His stated goal is a tourbillon that 'compensates for gravity without actually defying it,' a distinction he concedes 'will require some engineering adjustments.'