Introducing Jacob & Co Unveils Its Latest Creations, The Bugatti Tourbillon

Jacob & Co entered into a groundbreaking partnership with the esteemed French car manufacturer Bugatti in early 2019. This collaboration marks the convergence of two iconic brands, each known for their exceptional contributions to engineering, design, and luxury. Together, they have created a collection of extraordinary timepieces that encapsulate the spirit of Bugatti's automotive excellence.

Amidst the excitement of Bugatti's latest hypercar, the 1800-HP V16 Hybrid Bugatti Tourbillon, Jacob & Co unveiled the Bugatti Tourbillon watch, a new piece that elevates complex horology to unprecedented levels with an automaton that mimics a car engine, and featuring a flying tourbillon. 

Before we get into the watch, let’s talk about what inspired it. Bugatti has just revealed its first hybrid car, called the Tourbillon. This beast of a vehicle packs 1,800 horsepower from a 16-cylinder engine and comes with a hefty price tag of $4 million, or AED 14.7 million. And if you haven't guessed it already, the car is named after the tourbillon mechanism. The car itself showcases several elements that reflect horology, with the most striking being the gauge cluster. This entirely analogue display has been crafted using watchmaking standards.

This is the first model in over 20 years that doesn't run on a turbocharged W16 engine. Instead, it's powered by a 1,000-horsepower, 8.3-liter V16 petrol engine with three electric motors, one in the back and two up front, adding another 800 horsepower. Only 250 of these cars will be made, and they’re already sold out.

As for the timepiece, it features a black-PVD titanium case that mirrors the car’s distinctive elements, such as the front grille, side radiator inlets, and large sapphire side windows. Through the various sapphire crystals on the case, you can see a remarkable engine inspired by Bugatti’s latest automotive creation. The watch measures 52mm x 44mm in diameter and 15mm in thickness, and displays the Bugatti logo on the caseband at 12 o'clock.

The sub-dials are designed to resemble the car's dashboard in blue and silver. On the left side, there is a 30-second flying tourbillon, and at the center, the retrograde indication for both the hours and minutes replicates the rev counter and speedometer of the car. The third sub-dial displays the power reserve for the barrels driving the time indication and the automaton. The time mechanism's power reserve is indicated by the larger red hand, and a smaller hand in blue for the automaton.

The engine automaton features a new miniature V16 engine block. Crafted from a single block of sapphire crystal, it has 16 cylinders to house titanium pistons. Pressing the push-piece integrated into the crown activates the animation. 

The watch is powered by the JCAM55 caliber, a hand-wound movement composed of 557 components. It offers a power reserve of 48 hours and operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz). The watch comes with a black rubber strap with black PVD titanium deployment buckle, and is limited to 150 pieces at a price of USD 340,000, equivalent to AED 1,250,000. 

For more information please visit Jacob & Co’s official website.