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Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon watch inspired by Bugatti's new tourbillon super sports car



In a groundbreaking move, Jacob & Co. and Bugatti - long-time partners who have launched several highly complicated watches in recent years - have both launched new tourbillon watches.

Jacob & Co.'s new Bugatti Tourbillon watch takes horological complications to a whole new level, with an automatic that simulates a car engine, a flying tourbillon escapement and more. The watch was designed by the two luxury brands to celebrate the launch of Bugatti's latest super sports car, also known as a tourbillon.

A milestone in the relationship between watches and cars, this new three-dimensional watch, with a Bugatti-like shape and dimensions of 52 x 44 mm, is inspired by the new tourbillon super sports car's distinctive front grille, side radiator air intakes, side windows and seven other design elements. It features a visible V16 engine block automatic made from a single block of transparent sapphire. The engine block is part of the JCAM55 manual-winding movement, which has 557 individual parts and can be fully wound once to complete 20 complete animated sequences, simulating a car engine block constantly moving 16 pistons in the crankshaft below.

The single-axis crankshaft is one of the most complex and difficult parts to make in a watch, requiring extreme precision so that the cylinders fire in the proper sequence when the crown is pressed to start the automatic. The engine block even has its own exhaust manifold.

Through the upper crystal, the wearer and onlookers can get a full view of the movement's engine block and its sapphire structure. The movement also features (on the left side of the watch) a 30-second flying tourbillon - the fastest tourbillon escapement ever made by Jacob & Co. - and a 48-hour double power reserve indicator (on the right).

The finished watch is a new first of its kind: the off-centre jumping retrograde hour and minute hands are located in the centre, with each hand starting at zero, designed to replicate the tachometer on the dashboard of a new car. After completing a 270-degree arc, each hand jumps back to zero to restart. The hour counter, like a tachometer, starts at zero, rather than the traditional 12 o’clock.

Jacob & Co. previously collaborated with Bugatti on the new Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon, and this latest creation celebrates the launch of the Bugatti Tourbillon sports car, taking watchmaking to new heights.

In an exclusive interview, Jacob & Co. CEO Benjamin Arabov said: “Inspired by the design and engineering marvel of Bugatti’s latest super sports car tourbillon, this watch is not only a super watch, but also a work of art that pays homage to the legacy of Ettore Bugatti, who taught us that engineering is about pushing boundaries.”

He noted that the two teams worked together for two years, each pushing their own boundaries. The concept of the Bugatti Tourbillon watch was completely started from scratch. “The new Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon represents the brand’s advancement in the industry. Made from a flawless sapphire and 16 titanium pins, the V16 engine block now runs faster, lasts longer and is more efficient. The flying tourbillon at 10 o’clock is now double speed and now completes one rotation in just 30 seconds. Last but not least, we created a new, highly complex bi-retrograde movement that displays minutes and hours in a new but intuitively familiar format, similar to a car’s tachometer.”

At the end of 2022, Bugatti shared with Jacob & Co. its vision for a new hypercar. This car will follow the Chiron and will feature a completely new design, engine and other luxury features. Within months, Jacob & Co. executives visited the Bugatti design studio to see the new tourbillon and worked with Bugatti’s design team (led by Achim Anscheidt and Jan Schmid) to conceive a Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon watch to go with the new car. The watch took about two years to make.