Vanguart’s Orb Flying Tourbillon Gets a Ceramic Evolution

Two years after the debut of the Orb Flying Tourbillon, Vanguart returns with a consistent further development. The two new variants, Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold, add colored ceramic elements to the existing case frame. That sounds like a small adjustment. Technically, it was not.

From Concept Carrier to Everyday Object 

The original Orb model from 2024 was deliberately positioned as a haute horlogerie demonstration: complete with a flying tourbillon with a function selector that allows switching between manual and automatic winding. A complication that did not exist in this form until then. The 41 mm titanium case, with a height of 10.5 mm, was remarkably flat for this mechanism, and the sapphire crystal allowed an unobstructed view into the movement architecture. The selling point was the mechanical idea, not the color.

With the ceramic variants, Vanguart shifts the target group definition. The brand itself describes it as an “everyday tourbillon” — which admittedly is a contradiction in terms, but describes the strategic approach. A flying tourbillon with list prices in this segment operates in a market that is driven not only by lovers of complications, but also by aesthetically motivated collectors. Ceramic in pink and blue is a direct attempt to reach this group of buyers.

The Material Problem and Its Solution 

Bringing ceramic into curved shapes without letting the brittleness of the material become an issue is a real manufacturing challenge. According to Vanguart, a year of development time was invested to find a ceramic formulation that could be integrated into the flowing contours of the Orb case while remaining polishable.

The ceramic is positioned on the case flanks as well as in the crown pusher. Custom tools were developed to maintain surface finishing to Vanguart’s standards. Two components that resisted direct ceramic application were solved differently by the development team: the rehaut and the concave oscillating weight were treated with a motorsport-inspired micro-painting technique in the corresponding ceramic color. The process required months of testing, as it is applied to three-dimensional components in operation.

Movement and Mechanism: Unchanged, but Relevant 

The caliber remains identical to the original model. The 3 Hz flying tourbillon (21,600 vph), with a titanium main plate, bridges, and tourbillon cage, is made in Grade 5 titanium, with microblasting, satin finishing, block polishing, and hand-drawn facets on the main plate, bridges, and tourbillon cage. The total number of components is 395, and the power reserve is 60 hours.The function selector, the key feature of the Orb, remains present. 

Three positions (M / A / H) are selected via the crown pusher; the modes activate or deactivate the oscillating weight. In manual mode, it remains fixed; in automatic mode, it rotates freely, with the diamond brilliance set in the rotor acting as a kinetic, light-reflecting surface. A function that goes beyond the decorative. Those who want to control their energy manually can do so. Whether this matters in everyday use is debatable. (Read also: Vanguart expands the Black Hole collection with two fascinating variants).

Finishing Depth as a Differentiating Feature 

Both new models show revised finishing compared to the 2024 original. The central bridge receives a three-dimensional, hand-polished bevel on a sandblasted base. The hour ring now combines microblasting and mirror polishing in a technically complex alternation. The hour markers differ between the models: triangles on the blue version, trapezoids on the pink. Both are luminescent and deliberately contrast with the visual depth of the movement behind them.

The pink model features a sandblasted main plate with subsequent PVD coating and hand beveling, exposing the polished titanium surface underneath. In the blue model, the barrel bridge and tourbillon cage receive a gold PVD coating. Two different finishing approaches for two watches that are defined by color at first glance. On closer inspection, there is more.

Limitation and Distribution 

Both models are limited to 25 numbered pieces each. With the Orb model in 2024, Vanguart formulated a clear horological thesis. The ceramic variants in 2026 are not a reversal of this thesis, but an extension of the target audience. However, 25 pieces per reference suggests that Vanguart does not relinquish its exclusivity lightly.

To learn more, visit Vanguart, here.