Luxury watch - The matching watch for the new Bugatti Tourbillon - for a mere 340,000 dollars
For those frequently active in social media, Jacob & Co. is a name that cannot be bypassed. The watch manufacturing company of Jacob Arabo frequently appears when it comes to very expensive, very exclusive, and admittedly, sometimes habit-forming watches. The founder is often the one presenting prominent customers such as Messi, Ronaldo, DJ Khaled, or Justin Timberlake with his creations.
For several years, Jacob & Co. has been the official watchmaker for the French luxury brand Bugatti, whose cars it accompanies with special watches. This is also the case with the recently presented Bugatti Tourbillon, the latest hypercar from Molsheim priced at €3.8 million before taxes (learn more here).
It seemed almost inevitable that a watch would be dedicated to the vehicle – after all, the Bugatti is named after an exclusive mechanism from the watch world.
A Watch with a V16 Engine
The heart of the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon is once again a real engine. In the lower part of the rather large watch, you'll find, fittingly for the car, a V16 engine block with pistons, cylinders, exhausts, and a crankshaft. This automaton does not drive the watch but can be brought to life with a button press and mimics the function of a real engine. The energy for the sequences comes from the two mainspring barrels that sit in the lower part of the watch.
The upper part of the watch is modeled after the cockpit of the new Bugatti. In total, there are three round openings – just like the original. On the left, there's, as it should be, a tourbillon. This is the name for a popular – and very expensive – complication in mechanical watch movements that allows for the effects of gravity to be compensated and thus improves timekeeping accuracy. A tourbillon has been considered the "pinnacle of horological artistry" since over 200 years and is usually only found in the most expensive models of various manufacturers.
In the middle, there's actually a more or less classical dial for reading the time. However, it quickly becomes apparent that it's not fully numbered, so the hands don't make a full rotation. The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon uses a so-called retrograde display. This means that the hands return to their starting point whenever the measurement segment, i.e., either the 60 minutes or the eleventh hour, is reached. Noon is displayed when both hands are on the zero.
With this unusual display, the manufacturer wants to mimic the tachometer and speedometer of the car. This is also evident on the right side, as the power reserve looks like a fuel gauge. The watch can run for 48 hours without winding, after which it needs to be wound. There is no winding automatism.
Bugatti Role Model: High Price and Strict Limitation
Jacob & Co. plans to produce 250 examples of the watch – also in line with the strict limitation of the Bugatti Tourbillon. Initially, the watch will only be available in brushed titanium, with models in precious metals and a diamond bezel to follow later. The black watch will be produced 150 times at a price of €340,000 each.
- In addition to soccer stars like Messi and Ronaldo, other prominent figures such as DJ Khaled and Justin Timberlake have also received watches from Jacob Arabo, the founder of Jacob & Co.
- The Bugatti Tourbillon, the latest hypercar from Molsheim, is accompanied by special watches from Jacob & Co., as the watch manufacturing company has been the official watchmaker for Bugatti for several years.
- The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon features a V16 engine-inspired automaton in its lower part, mimicking the function of a real engine with pistons, cylinders, exhausts, and a crankshaft.
- Priced at €340,000 each for the black titanium model, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon will be limited to 150 pieces, aligning with the strict limitation of the Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar.
