How to transcribe the universe of a mythical racing car, the Bugatti, into the world of watchmaking?
Jacob & Co, partner of the brand since 2019, decided to push logic as far as possible: by miniaturizing the hypercar engine in order to create a watch movement.
Unveiled in April 2020 by the New York jeweler and watchmaker, the Chiron Tourbillon is now available in four limited editions.
The first offers a massive block of sapphire crystal with a sapphire crystal caseback, crowns and even buttons.
The second 72-piece limited edition combines an 18-carat rose gold case, special anti-reflective sapphire crystal and black DLC titanium crowns and buttons with the stamped Bugatti logo.
Another 52-piece limited edition features an 18K rose gold case set with crisp white diamonds and anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
Finally, an extreme edition features an 18-carat white gold case set with 391 black and white diamonds.
Crowns and buttons are set with white baguette diamonds.
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A Bugatti Chiron engine on the wrist
Bugatti
All these versions carry the same complex movement composed of 578 parts inspired by the W16 engine of the car.
This watch engine comes to life as soon as the right crown of the watch is pressed.
A
steel
"crankshaft"
begins to turn and drives the "pistons", which move up and down, while two
"turbochargers"
on the side of the engine block begin to turn.
This entire mechanism, within which is a flying tourbillon inclined at 30 degrees, is held in place at four points by miniature Chiron-type shock absorbers.
It thus seems to float in the case, literally in suspension.
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The crowns of this timepiece are located on the underside of the case.
The left one is used to set the time, the central crown rewinds the movement for 60 hours of power reserve and animation, while the right crown starts the visual animation.
Next to the flying tourbillon stamped with the Jacob & Co logo, the window of which shows the iconic horseshoe grille of blue cars, there is an EB logo on the engine compartment.