SpotlightPerrelet’s Most Wearable Turbine Yet Debuts At Geneva Watch Days 2023
Smaller and lighter than ever, the new Turbine 41 Titanium from the house of Perrelet gives their flagship collection a much greater appeal—a move that will definitely propel the line and the brand forward
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Smaller sizes, smaller sizes, smaller sizes… That’s been the mantra in the world of watches for the last few years now. There was a time when 46 to 48mm used to be considered oversized. Now that’s that case with 44mm and sometimes even 43. Sizes from 38 to 41mm are today considered to be in that sweet spot, for several experts and enthusiasts alike. It’s almost a done deal for brands to now offer such sizes, if they weren’t already doing so. And that’s what Perrelet are finally doing this year, with their signature Turbine watch. What used to go from 44 to even 48mm, earlier, is now down to 41mm. And adding to (or subtracting from) the pared-down Turbine is the material it’s been realised in—lightweight, yet resilient titanium. This is the Turbine 41 Titanium.
Titanium And Treatment For The Turbine 41
The new 41mm case of the Turbine is in grade-2 titanium, with a smooth bezel and a contrasting edgier construction of the case and the integrated bracelet. In its size, the Turbine 41 almost looks more refined, even though in theory it may just be a proportionate reduction. There are four version in plain titanium—in red, blue, green and grey colourways. On the other hand, a DLC-treated edition makes a bigger splash with colour, iterated as it is in red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and a monochromatic black. While the DLCs have rubber straps to match these colours, the plain titanium versions only have the colours on discs beneath the turbine-blade dials.
Displaying The Turning Turbine 41
Matching the DLC of the more colourful Turbine 41 watches is a main dial in anodised aluminium, with ‘blades’ inspired by airplane propellers—the most definitive feature of the Turbine collection. Common elements seen across the dials in all 10 variations of the Turbine 41 include the hour markers in indexes and Arabic numerals, and the three hand timekeeping display. The centrepiece, in more ways than one, as always in this collection, is the Turbine display, turning and stopping, owing to a complex construction of the mechanical parts.
Turning The Turbine 41
Sizing down the Turbine was more complex than proportionately reducing the sizes of all the parts. It took a fresh approach to creating the smallest movement yet for a Turbine watch. It took sheer skill and expertise by the watchmakers to miniaturise the turbine’s construction, which includes the 12 blades and five counterweights, to help the spinning turbine slow down and come to a halt. Behind this fascinating display is the movement for the timekeeping—the P-331-MH automatic calibre, which is a COSC-certified chronometer movement. It offers a standard power reserve of 42 hours.
All this is housed in the titular 41mm case. It’s also water-resistant to 100m, which makes it extremely practical for daily-wear. And at this size, one can definitely wear it every day, especially given how light it is. Hitting the sweet size spot is definitely going to work out well for this collection.
While the spinning turbine of the collection might have made it an occasionally-worn conversation starter, the new Turbine 41 Titanium can surely make it more mainstream and more wearable than ever before.
