Timeless engineering meets high watchmaking: the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon and Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette

As Bugatti’s world-class engineers worked relentlessly behind the scenes in writing the brand’s new chapter – and rewriting the hypercar rulebook once more – with the Tourbillon car, plans to take the possibilities of high watchmaking to new heights were gathering pace.

Together, Bugatti and Jacob & Co. created a new way to fuse car and watch design into a single, continuous process. In under 18 months, Jacob & Co. and Bugatti developed, crafted and delivered the Bugatti Tourbillon timepiece – the brainchild of the most creative partnership between an automotive marque and a house of high watchmaking.

Defining cues from the Tourbillon vehicle influenced features throughout its horological namesake’s design. The striking appearance of the hypercar’s intricately crafted instrument cluster, itself created by the hands of master watchmakers, translates to the overall appearance of the Bugatti Tourbillon timepiece. Mirroring the vehicle’s mechanical dashboard layout, Jacob & Co.’s fastest-ever, 30-second flying tourbillon takes the left side of the dial, with the hour and minute sub-dial front and center – and representing a near-replica of the RPM and speed counter. On the right is an equally intricate dial, indicating the status of the 80-hour power reserve for the watch’s movement.

Yet, by virtue of a separate delicate hand nestled within, this carefully engineered dial serves to showcase the power reserve of another unique feature of the timepiece. Inspired by Bugatti’s cutting-edge V16 engine architecture, the watch features an engine block automaton, made entirely from sapphire crystal. Inside, 16 titanium pistons are powered by a single-axis, 22.37 mm crankshaft – one of the longest components in contemporary watchmaking which, at the push of a button, rotates and sends all 16 pistons into motion; a hypnotic display of mechanical mastery.

Like the symbolic beating heart of its design, the case of the Tourbillon timepiece echoes the form of its automotive sibling. Measuring 52 x 44 mm and 15 mm thick, its design emulates that of the Tourbillon car – from the rear wing and windows, to the grille and radiators. The latter features are lodged in recesses of the case, covered with a laser-etched grid pattern, while inlaid sapphire crystal in the case sides – shaped and tinted like the vehicle’s side windows – offer a tantalizing glimpse into the inner workings of the movement.

From case to movement, the Bugatti Tourbillon timepiece is a creation executed in the same fashion as its roadgoing partner – one imbued with a precious quality that recalibrates perceptions of what is possible to engineer, and one defined by a spirit of exclusivity. And now, 18 passionate enthusiasts have the opportunity to obtain an exceptional, beautifully crafted iteration of the watch: the new Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette.

Sharing the same holistic design concept as the original Bugatti Tourbillon timepiece, the Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette is also defined by the use of precious materials – but with a difference. The stunning timepiece is an exceptional example of high jewelry combined with high watchmaking, featuring 17 carats of baguette-cut diamonds, seamlessly combining the elegant luxury of the Tourbillon car, with Jacob & Co.'s signature craftsmanship and jewelry expertise.

The case, formed with 18K white gold, is coated with 328 baguette-cut diamonds and 18 baguette-cut rubies – utilizing invisible setting, a technique championed by Jacob & Co., that ensures uninterrupted brilliance from the precious gemstones. With the rubies arranged to evoke the Tourbillon hypercar’s taillights, the appearance of a completely diamond-made design captivates onlookers and, like its hypercar cousin, represents the ultimate expression of innovation, precision, and luxury in a masterpiece of engineering.