The story of Purnell begins with Cecil Purnell, a World War I veteran who, after being injured in the war, turned to watchmaking. He quickly became captivated by the works of Abraham-Louis Breguet—particularly the tourbillon. Decades later, his grandson, Jonathan Purnell, carried that fascination forward and founded the brand in the mid-2000s with a singular focus: to push the limits of tourbillon innovation.

The present Spherion Tourbillon is the result of that ambition. It features the world’s fastest triple-axis tourbillon, completing a full rotation in just eight seconds. Developed in collaboration with master watchmaker Eric Coudray—known for pioneering creations like Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Gyrotourbillon—the movement is a technical marvel. Each tourbillon cage operates at lightning speed: the inner cage rotates in 8 seconds, the middle in 16, and the outer in 30, all constructed in lightweight titanium with tolerances under 0.2mm. It took over two years of intense development to bring this mechanical ballet to life.

But the engineering challenge didn’t end with the movement. Housing the triple-axis tourbillon required a case and sapphire crystal unlike any other. Most sapphire suppliers declined the project due to its complexity. After finding a partner willing to take it on, another 14 months were spent perfecting the crystal architecture. The result is a breathtaking display: sapphire windows at the front, back, left caseband, and even at 12 and 6 o’clock provide an uninterrupted view of the tourbillon in motion.

Limited to just 20 pieces, this 18k white gold example is particularly striking with its deep blue tourbillon cage, white markers, and matching hands—a perfect blend of technical audacity and visual impact.