Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon

It started with an idea conceived by Jacob & Co. together with Bugatti – how to reproduce the visceral sensation of the iconic Bugatti 16-cylinder engine in a timepiece.

After almost a full year of development, the answer is here in the form of the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon. Everything is designed to honor the Chiron in a timepiece. The case is inspired by the flowing lines of the Chiron and the “engine block” animation, intended to duplicate the Bugatti engine, is placed under a massive sapphire crystal, on display for all to see.

Here’s where it gets interesting: push the right-hand crown of the timepiece and the engine comes to life – the crankshaft turns and the pistons pump up and down, just like a true internal combustion engine.

Incredible to see and unbelievably complicated to realize (the movement is comprised of 578 components), the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon timepiece has done something no one has ever even attempted before – to seamlessly marry engines and watches.

The top and sides of the watch are sapphire crystal, making every single facet of the watch visible. Most captivating, of course, is the engine block animation. The crankshaft driving this is one of the smallest and most complicated watch parts ever manufactured, made out of one solid steel piece. The pistons, challenging to fabricate in their own right, are mounted onto the crankshaft at varying angles to maximize the show.

The movement is completely suspended in four places, with what looks like actual automobile shocks from the Chiron. The movement is, in fact, floating inside the case -- you can see it move up and down inside. Framing the engine block are two “exhausts,” completing the engine theme of the design.