The partnership between Bugatti and watchmaker Jacob & Co. has been around since 2020 and has spawned several limited-edition timepieces inspired by Bugatti’s hypercars over the last few years. With the French automaker lifting the veil off of its multi-million-dollar automotive creation, the Bugatti Tourbillon, last week, it was only a matter of time before we were greeted with a special collaborative timepiece. Well, the Bugatti Tourbillon-inspired Jacob & Co. watch is here, and it’s just as crazy as the previous special edition timepieces to come from the partnership between the two brands. Meet the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon, a horological masterpiece that’s both visually and technically captivating.
The newest Jacob & Co. piece for Bugatti is a watch inspired by a hypercar, which itself is inspired by the world of horology. The result is one of the most interesting intersections of haute horlogerie and the art of making automobiles that set new performance and engineering standards. But before we discuss the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon in detail, it’s important to talk about the ultra-impressive gauge cluster in Bugatti’s newest hypercar, which served as design inspiration for the limited edition timepiece’s dials. Instead of fitting a digital display to function as the gauge cluster, Bugatti created one of the most mechanically complex and equally beautiful instrument consoles. Designed to look like a mechanical watch, the three-dial unit was created in collaboration with movement designer Concepto. The movements developed and produced by the Swiss company can be found in many ultra-high-end watches, including most Jacob & Co. x Bugatti watches.
Crafted out of titanium, the gauge cluster weighs just 1.5 pounds and appears to float in the middle of the steering, which rotates around the unit. All the dials are analog and made with the same attention to detail as fine watchmaking. Created using Swiss watchmaking standards and engineering, the gauge cluster comprises over 600 components, while the structure is built with tolerances of 5 to 50 microns. The center dial has the speedometer and rpm indicators and a small digital display at the bottom for the speed and gear selection. The dial on the right has the power indicator, while the one on the left has three subdials for temperature, fuel, and battery gauges.
The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon celebrates the French marque’s newest creation by using it as a design reference. The shape of the watch’s black-PVD titanium case captures the muscular appearance of the V16 hypercar. Measuring 52 x 44 mm, the case features the Bugatti Tourbillon’s distinctive front grille, side radiator inlets, side windows, and several other design elements. At the top is a cluster of the three dials, which is clearly inspired by the hypercar’s beautiful instrument console. It is covered by a single sapphire crystal. At the center are the retrograde indications for the jumping hours and the minutes, replicating the rev counter and speedometer. On the left is a 30-second flying tourbillon, while the dial on the right coaxially displays the barrels’ power reserve.
Underneath the three-dial cluster is a stunning automaton that is a miniaturized version of Bugatti Tourbillon’s all-new V16 engine. It is made from a single block of transparent sapphire and makes 20 full animation sequences on a single full wind. It’s nothing but a piece of horological artwork. The engine comes to life once the push-piece integrated into the crown is pressed. The timepiece is powered by the caliber JCAM55 hand-wound movement with 557 individual components, which offers 48 hours of power reserve for the timing side of the movement. Like the hypercar it is inspired by, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon’s production will be limited to just 250 units. The first 150 pieces will be made in black DLC titanium, each priced at $340,000.
