This season’s Jacob & Co. x Bugatti collaboration has secured pole position in the style stakes. Why? How about 328 baguette diamonds for starters…
The luxury world has car-and-watch collabs galore, but there is something distinctly head-turning about the Jacob & Co. x Bugatti pairing. Now roaring into its sixth year, the union has always been especially high octane—an obsession with ultra-complex engineering and mechanics that’s unapologetically fused with astounding artistry and craftsmanship. And then of course there’s the super-exclusive, equally obsessed A-list clientele—Jay-Z, Salman Khan and Cristiano Ronaldo to name check a few.
And now—if even possible— the tempo has shifted up a gear, courtesy of the new Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette. Limited to just 18 pieces, this horological stunner sparkles with 328 baguette diamonds totalling nearly 17 cts, topped with 18 rubies—yet does not compromise any of the watch’s mind-blowing mechanics within.
Like the original Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon, the timepiece is themed around the V16 engine block automaton—essentially a replica of the engine in the namesake Bugatti Tourbillon hyper sports car, but crafted for the wrist. Here, a single block of transparent sapphire has been drilled with 16 cylinders to house titanium pistons, as another watchmaking feat fires them up: an elaborately crafted yet ultra-delicate single-axis crankshaft. The engine block automaton even features its own set of exhaust manifolds, linked to the engine. Via a pusher on the crown, the on-demand animation is activated, and viewers can witness “art in motion” unfold, as fans describe a Bugatti car.
A single, full wind of the crown delivers an incredible 10 consecutive animation sequences and, to add to the watch’s originality, the automaton has been given a power reserve of its own. This complements the underlying Calibre JCAM55’s power reserve of 80 hours, with the autonomy indicated by a smaller hand, and a larger hand for the watch, both in the same subdial. Echoing that singularity and seamlessness, the one crown at six o’clock also winds both parts of the movement, and is shaped like the control knob on a car’s dashboard.
The piece is also bi-directional— clockwise for the movement, counter for the animation—as timekeeping is set via a separate flip-out rotating bow on the caseback. All this is in service of keeping a super-sleek profile for the case, which comes in at 54.80 mm x 44 mm, its silhouette echoing an actual Bugatti Tourbillon car, complete with front grille, side radiator inlets and large sapphire side windows. “Bugatti has always represented the pinnacle of performance, artistry and innovation, which are values that resonate deeply with Jacob & Co.,” says Benjamin Arabov, Jacob & Co. CEO.
“With the Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette, we wanted to capture that same spirit. The V16 engine block automaton, with its 16 moving pistons and record-long crankshaft, is a marvel I personally admire. It mirrors the power and precision of a Bugatti hyper sports car while pushing the limits of horology, a true symbol of why this partnership is so special: innovation and beauty in perfect harmony.”
Mate Rimac, Bugatti CEO, echoes the unique cross-pollination. “We have taken great inspiration from watchmaking, both in terms of materiality and complexity,” he commented when the Tourbillon first launched.
Further motorsport nods feature in the jumping retrograde timekeeping, displayed front and centre on the dash in a striking red-and-blue palette that pairs brilliantly with the diamonds. With a retrograde jumping hour and dragging minutes, set in a 270° arc, the hour scale notably starts not at the typical 12 but zero, mimicking an RPM counter. Each hand jumps in a solo dance, and in the space left open by the jumping hands, between zero and 60 minutes, is the legendary Bugatti logo.
The ability to craft this wonder—and its predecessor, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon—goes back to the essence of this partnership. These watches were created with a blank slate, with the watchmaker visiting the Bugatti design studio as the hypercars were being created. “Collaborating with Jacob & Co. allowed us to really focus on the subtle details that make a great design,” said Achim Anscheidt, director of design at Bugatti. “Ettore Bugatti’s mantra was ‘nothing is too beautiful’ and that’s an approach we applied here too.”
