Jacob & Co. | Bugatti Tourbillon

In the realm of high-end horology and automotive design, few partnerships are as synergistic as that between Bugatti Automobiles and Jacob & Co. Established in 2019, this collaboration is a fusion of extreme luxury, mechanical prowess, and unparalleled craftsmanship, producing hypercar-inspired timepieces that stand in a league of their own.

Bugatti Tourbillon: A Timepiece Like No Other

Jacob Arabo, Founder and Chairman of Jacob & Co., describes the partnership with palpable excitement: “Working closely with Bugatti is an exciting experience. I live to push watchmaking to new levels, coming up with designs and complications that no one had even dreamed about. Bugatti is the same. They push everything beyond what everyone thinks is the limit. The Bugatti Tourbillon is our most advanced timepiece, the great achievement of a great partnership.”

The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon is the hyper-twin to Bugatti's latest hyper sports car, the Tourbillon. Both marvels of engineering feature groundbreaking inventions and complications, boasting a new architectural design inspired directly by Bugatti's automotive masterpieces. This integration of aesthetics, mechanics, and functionality sets a new benchmark for the likeness between a timepiece and an automobile.

Design and Mechanics in Perfect Harmony

The Bugatti Tourbillon's design incorporates ten defining elements directly drawn from the car. The case mirrors Bugatti's iconic car shape, with the front grille flanked by side radiator inlets. Sapphire openings on the case sides mimic the car's tinted side windows, while the sub-dials echo the dashboard and RPM counter. Most notably, the timepiece features an automaton that replicates the V16 engine block, complete with exhaust manifolds. Even the winding crown is crafted to resemble the car's control knobs.

A New Era of Innovation

In September 2022, Bugatti discreetly informed Jacob & Co. of a new hyper sports car to succeed the Chiron. By January 2023, Jacob Arabo, CEO Benjamin Arabov, and their team visited Bugatti’s design studio to collaborate with Bugatti’s design leaders, Achim Anscheidt and Jan Schmid. This meeting led to a seamless integration of car and watch design, culminating in the extraordinary Bugatti Tourbillon, a testament to 18 months of intensive collaboration.

The Unrivaled Caliber JCAM55

At the heart of the Bugatti Tourbillon is the Caliber JCAM55, a movement that stands alone in its creative and mechanical ingenuity. Its features are as follows:

The V16 Engine-Block Automaton: Made from a single large block of transparent sapphire, it houses 16 titanium pistons driven by a single-axis crankshaft, one of the longest and most intricate watch parts ever crafted. When activated, the crankshaft spins, and the cylinders move in unison, mimicking the car’s engine.

The 30-Second Flying Tourbillon: To counteract gravity's negative impact on accuracy, the tourbillon spins the escapement continuously. In Caliber JCAM55, this rotation takes 30 seconds, enhancing accuracy more effectively than the standard one-minute tourbillon. The carriage is held only by its base, creating a flying tourbillon effect.

The Retrograde, Jumping Hours, and Retrograde Minutes: Both hour and minute hands are retrograde, jumping back to zero after completing a 270-degree arc. The hour hand jumps to the next hour every 60 minutes, remaining there until the next cycle.

The Double Power Reserve Indicator: This unique feature displays the power reserve for the automaton and the overall power reserve of 48 hours. The smaller hand in the Power Reserve counter indicates the remaining autonomy for the engine block automaton, which can perform 20 consecutive animations on a full wind.

Celebrating Engineering Excellence

The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon not only emulates but also reinterprets Bugatti's extraordinary design and engineering achievements in horological form. To honor the new engine architecture of the Bugatti Tourbillon hyper sports car, Jacob & Co. has crafted a new miniature engine block. This V16 engine block induces a new level of excitement and exhilaration for Jacob & Co.'s discerning customers, symbolizing the pinnacle of luxury and innovation.

In the world of luxury watches and hypercars, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon is more than a timepiece; it’s a mechanical masterpiece, a testament to what happens when two giants of their industries come together to push the boundaries of what’s possible.