BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
When Dutch watchmaker extroardinaire Machiel Hulsman emailed me to say he’d released a new tourbillon watch, called the Tourbillon Solstitium, I just knew I had to write about it. You may recognise the Hulsman name from our write-up last year about Hulsman’s Easy Perpetual Calendar watch, and if you haven’t seen that, I suggest you read up on it.
The new watch’s most apparent feature is its one-minute tourbillon, which Machiel Hulsman designed. The balance wheel within the tourbillon is made of Berillium Bronze and then gold-plated, with gold weights to balance it out. The balance wheel beats at 3Hz and is free-sprung, meaning it is more resistant to shocks than a traditional balance wheel and is likely to remain accurate for longer between service intervals. The tourbillon is 14mm in diameter. Machiel Hulsman also prides himself on making the components for the movement, with the gears, pinions, and escape wheels made from steel on a 120-year-old machine that he adapted. Also, each piece will have a different bridge design for the tourbillon, according to the customer’s wishes, so there are plenty of creative opportunities.
The dial is simple and has a classy layout. Next to the tourbillon is the hour display, and above them both sits the retrograde minutes hand, which has a special extra feature. Retrograde hands move from one side to the other to display and then ping back to the beginning to display information instead of performing endless rotations; however, retrograde hands can only be adjusted forward. Hulsman’s Tourbillon Solstitium’s retrograde minutes hand can be adjusted forward and backwards without damaging the mechanism for precise time setting. Another feature hidden on the dial is the winding indicator. The movement has a 75-hour power reserve and is manually wound, but rather than a display taking up dial space with additional information, the Tourbillon Solstitium has a discreet indicator within the Hulsman logo that turns red when only 10% of the power reserve remains, so you know to wind it again. A service manual will be included with every watch, so that most competent watchmakers can see how to service the piece, ensuring the watch can remain running long after we’re all gone.
This is all presented in a case measuring 39mm x 9.3mm, which can be made in either 18k white gold, 18k rose gold, 18k yellow gold, or platinum. The case, complete with its open lugs and complicated shapes, is formed using the lost-wax casting method. Each case is then finished by hand – no machines are used to mill the case at all, and each one takes around three weeks to make.
You may have noticed that there are plenty of opportunities to customise each watch along the way. As well as the case material, any dial colour can be requested by the customer. The hands can also be heat-coloured to any colour you’d like, or made from steel or made to match the case material – the same goes for the indices. Even the movement’s finishing material can be changed: you have a choice of white rhodium, black rhodium, yellow gold, or rose gold. Buyers will be kept updated on the progress of their watch and will even be invited to the workshop to craft a component of their own watch. Naturally, production is strictly limited; Hulsman can only make so many watches, capping the Tourbillon Solstitium at just 12 pieces, plus a 13th created exclusively for a charity auction to support the community around his workshop. The delivery will take 2 to 2.5 years, priced at €138,000 before VAT. Orders and an initial down payment of 50% of the total price (€69,000 excl. VAT, non-refundable) must be placed by Tuesday 1 September 2026, by emailing your details and the options you’d like. If you have questions, Machiel Hulsman himself was quite active in our comments section last year, so with a bit of luck, you might get an answer from him this time.
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