🏎️ The Essence of the Collaboration

🏎️ The Essence of the Collaboration

Jacob & Co. and Bugatti joined forces in 2019, sharing a vision rooted in pushing the limits of luxury, design, and mechanical innovation  The result: horological sculptures that fuse automotive aesthetics with high-complication watchmaking.

Model Overview

Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon

A tribute to the Chiron hypercar, this dramatic timepiece (limited to 150+ units) channels car-inspired design down to miniature details. It houses Caliber JCAM37 with 578 components, a W16 engine automaton, and a 30‑degree inclined flying tourbillon, plus a 60‑hour power reserve 

Bugatti Tourbillon

This model mirrors Bugatti’s Tourbillon car rather than the Chiron. Its JCAM55 movement includes a V16 engine automaton, 30-second flying tourbillon, retrograde hours and minutes, and dual power reserve indicators — all assembled across 557 components in a vehicle‑inspired case 

Key Features & Design Highlights

  • Automaton Engine Block: Both models feature sapphire‑crystal mini engine replicas. In the Chiron, 16 pistons move rhythmically; in the Tourbillon model, pistons fire in V16 layout driven by a single-axis crankshaft 

  • Tourbillon Mechanics: The Chiron model rotates once per minute; the Tourbillon model speeds up to a 30‑second revolution for improved precision 

  • Design Language: Case shapes echo car features—horseshoe grille motif, radiator-like tourbillon cage, and fuel-gauge shaped power reserve indicator 

  • Materials: Offered in rose gold, titanium, white gold with ceramic, or gem‑set baguette versions; straps are high‑end rubber matching the hypercar theme 

  • Exclusive Mechanisms: Multiple crowns along one flank (Chiron) or at top/back (Tourbillon) manage time‑setting, winding, and automaton activation 

In the Spotlight: Users & Reactions

  • Jay‑Z sported the Bugatti Tourbillon (~$340K) at a New York event, showcasing notable complex movement inspired by automotive engineering 

  • Tyson Fury reportedly owns a Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon (~ÂŁ300K) as part of his extravagant watch collection 

Praise & Criticism

âś… Admirers say:

– It’s a mechanical spectacle, more about emotion and performance than daily legibility.
– Offers unmatched novelty via live‑engine animation and three-dimensional movement sleeves 

❌ Critics claim:

– It's over‑the‑top and ostentatious, prioritizing flash over subtlety.
– Seen by some as design without artistry, a literal translation of car-to-watch that lacks refinement

Quick Comparison

Feature Chiron Tourbillon Bugatti Tourbillon
Movement JCAM37 (578 parts) JCAM55 (557 parts)
Engine Automaton W16 piston animation V16 piston animation
Tourbillon Rotation 1‑minute flying 30‑second flying
Power Reserve ~60 hours ~48 hours with dual gauges
Complications Engine‑automaton, tourbillon Retrograde time, automaton, dual reserve
Aesthetic Style Hypercar body silhouette Dashboard‑inspired dial layout

Verdict: For Whom?

If you’re a collector craving flamboyance, mechanical theatre, and showmanship, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti models deliver. They exist in couture watch territory—almost wearable art.

But if you value subtlety, minimalist design, or understated wearability, these are likely not your cup of tea.

Final Thoughts

Jacob & Co. and Bugatti’s partnership results in timepieces that don't just track time—they dramatise it. These watches provoke dialogue, polarise opinion, and personify the brands’ shared philosophy of "inspired by the impossible" 

They may be too extravagant for many, but no one can deny the ingenuity—animated engine pistons, gravity-defying tourbillons, and cases shaped like hypercar chassis. In the world of haute horlogerie, these are machine-age masterpieces designed to astonish.

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