First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2016, the Bugatti Chiron was the long-awaited successor to the Veyron, the first road-legal production automobile to break the 250mph barrier. To achieve such breakneck speeds, Bugatti had to develop an engine capable of delivering a monstrous amount of horsepower. Their 8.0 liter, W16 cylinder engine with four turbochargers has become the stuff of legend in the automotive world.
In 2019, Jacob & Co. signed a partnership with Bugatti to create timepieces for the automaker under licence. What resulted can only be described as mind-blowingly jaw-dropping. The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon recreates the automaker’s incredibly complex engine in miniature and places it in full view on the face of the watch. This is not merely a static model but a fully animated replica that sits on functioning suspension coils. Wei speaks to Valérien Jaquet, founder and CEO of Concepto, Jacob & Co.’s movement specialist on how such a crazy idea for an automaton wristwatch could even be achieved.
