Revving Up Haute Horology: Bugatti and Jacob & Co. Unleash a Masterpiece
Bugatti and Jacob & Co partner up again with the Hypercar inspired Bugatti Tourbillon.
The connection between cars and watches is no secret. There is a rich history, well documented from the Daytona to the Speedmaster, all connected with the gas-guzzling, speed-seeking pastime.
In 2005 Bugatti partnered with Parmigiani Fleurier to create the Type 370 Revelation utilizing what we call a “sculptural movement” two years before the likes of MB&F watches saw the light of day. Then again in 2018, Bugatti partnered with Parmigiani Fleurier to create the Type 390 Chiron Sport.
Most recently in 2020, Bugatti partnered with famed jeweler and watchmaker Jacob & Co. to create the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon, which, as Jack Forster eloquently put it, is an “exercise of pure excess.” The watch featured a working W16 engine actuated by the crown and of course in true Jacob & Co fashion they decided to throw a tourbillon in there because they could. (To note something that my millennial self feels compelled to say, and because I have never actually seen it spelled out in any watch article I have read, yes, Jacob & Co. is the same “Jacob the Jeweler” all our favorite hip-hop stars called out on TRL and MTV Cribs. The man is an absolute legend).
Jacob & Co. is not your everyday luxury watchmaker, and their watches are definitely not for the everyday person, which isn’t a major problem because that is not who they target. They are outlandishly tasteful, thematic, and sometimes mind-bendingly confusing works of horological art. I view them in the way one views a sculpture they can’t understand but appreciate all at the same time.
The 2020 Chiron Tourbillon essentially mimicked the design cues from the record-breaking car, replicating a working model of its W16 engine, crafted entirely in sapphire crystal. It is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is pretty freaking cool.
Just in time for Tourbillon Day and 224 years after Breguet received his patent for the Tourbillon, we get to showcase the successor to the Chiron watch with the aptly named Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon.
The Car
The Watch
Inspired by the car’s distinctive design elements, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon watch is a technological masterpiece of horology. The 52mm x 44mm black-PVD titanium case features a visible V16 engine block automation, crafted from a single block of transparent sapphire. This intricate mechanism performs 20 full animation sequences on a single wind, mimicking the car’s engine.
The crankshaft is a standout feature of the timepiece. Its single axis requires exacting craftsmanship to ensure the cylinders ignite in a precise sequence when the automation is triggered by a crown push. The engine block is further detailed with exhaust manifolds, adding to the watch’s attention to detail.
Through the upper crystal, the wearer can view a remarkable 30-second flying tourbillon, Jacob & Co.’s most rapid tourbillon to date, positioned on the left flank of the watch. The center of the watch features the retrograde indication for both the jumping hours and the minutes that replicate the rev counter and speedometer. Meanwhile, a dual power reserve indicator, displaying a 48-hour reserve, is situated on the right flank, mimicking the fuel gauge of the car and creating the sense you are truly staring at the car’s dashboard.
The watch’s caliber JCAM55 hand-wound movement comprises 557 individual components and features a flying tourbillon escapement. Limited to 150 pieces, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon watch is priced at $340,000 USD.
My Take
I must honestly admit I am not a “car guy.” I appreciate the fast and the furious gas guzzling innovation from manufacturers across the globe, but I will never be the one at car shows asking “whats under the hood” or counting pistons in the neighbor’s garage. As well, I have small wrists and tend to stay away from anything bigger than 42mm. I don’t wear loud watches with bold colors either, and prefer understated luxury. That said, I actually do love the boldness and ostentation of both the carmaker and watchmaker. The attention to detail, the horological innovation, and the creative take are truly admirable.
I appreciate Jacob & Co. for the fact they are different, they are bold, and they take risks that many manufacturers won’t. They do it with such panache that you can’t help but be enraptured by the watch. As a lover of all things horology, this is a watch I expected to scoff at but instead found myself mesmerized by.