The Dong Son Tourbillon features a red gold dial with centre intricately etched to leave a fascinating relief motif inspired by the prehistoric bronze drums of the ancient Dong Son people of Vietnam.

The meticulously detailed dial is complemented by the drum-like Speake-Marin Piccadilly case in 18k red gold.

The top surfaces of these drums are adorned with a central starburst and concentric circles within which are repetitive images of armed warriors and flying egrets as well as geometric hatching.

The dial centre motif of the Dong Son Tourbillon follows a similar pattern to these historical masterpieces, with an outer ring of graceful egrets complemented by an inner ring featuring plumed warriors holding their weapons between the 12 points of the eye-catching starburst.

These 12 points also form a neat horological reference for the central hands indicating hours, minutes and seconds.

The Dong Son Tourbillon’s visually-arresting blued steel hands are also designed in the same style as the hands of the Foundation Watch, the Rosetta Stone of Speake-Marin.

The polished, sculpted hands – including a heart-shaped hour hand – are set off superbly by the white etched dial centre.

Around the circular-grained periphery of the 18 k red gold dial, Roman numerals are first engraved, then lacquered, then circular-grained.

The polished gold bezel frames the dial, just as the polished guard in the dial around the escapement frames the tourbillon.

Turning the Dong Son Tourbillon over, the movement featuring hand-finishing can be fully appreciated through the display back.

On top of the offset mainspring barrel is the noble platinum micro-rotor, its strong and sober aesthetic counter-balanced by the intricate complexity of the tourbillon.

The lower tourbillon cage is supported by a striking paddle-shaped bridge offering clear visual access to the surrounding gears below.

The rhodium-finished German silver bridges and movement plates are circular-grained with polished screw heads and countersinks. Technical details are engraved and gilded on the bridges either side of the platinum rotor.

Dong Son drums are bronze drums crafted by the Dong Son culture in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam between 600 BC and the 300 AD.

The Dong Son people were highly-skilled bronze casters and their drums – of which the sides and top surface were usually decorated with geometric patterns and scenes depicting daily life – are considered to represent an artistic level that very few cultures of the time could match.

It is thought that the Dong Son drums were used as musical instruments in festivals, in prayers for rain and for good harvest, in rituals such as weddings and funerals, and for rallying men for war.

The sides and top surface of the drums were usually decorated with geometric patterns and realistically inscribed scenes depicting daily life – for example war, animals and boats.

The Dong Son Tourbillon comes in a limited edition of 8 pieces, following the Western view of luck for number eight. Each costs $130,000.

As one of the world’s leading watchmakers, Peter Speake Marin has made watches for important people such as Malaysian King, Japanese royal members, Dimitry Medvedev – the Prime Minister of Russia... Each year, Speake Marin produces only 500 watches.