By almost any standard, the luxury watch world enjoyed a successful year in 2021 despite the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and its worldwide economic consequences ? with high-profile retailers reopening and expanding, new auction records set, some large-scale industry events (like our own WatchTime New York) returning, and of course, a host of notable timepieces launched. As we wrap up 2021 and look ahead enthusiastically to 2022, we take our annual look back at some of the year’s notable timepieces in various popular categories. Today we showcase tourbillon wristwatches that caught our eye.

Audemars Piguet kicked off its new partnership with Marvel Entertainment with the unveiling of the Royal Oak Concept ?Black Panther? Flying Tourbillon, a limited edition of 250 pieces. The watch?s 42-mm white-gold case, made of 18k white gold, feature a hand-engraved motif inspired by the high-tech uniform of its namesake, Marvel?s Black Panther, aka Prince T?Challa of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. The character is also fully rendered on the dial as a carved, hand-painted 3D figure in the same white-gold as the case. The hallmark octagonal bezel, with its eight visible hexagonal screws, surrounds an inner bezel in purple, accented with black-PVD-coated white-gold hour markers. The movement is Audemars Piguet?s hand-wound manufacture Caliber 2965, whose flying tourbillon cage at 6 o?clock on the dial side shares the main stage with the figure of the Black...