The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon Timepiece Puts Automotive Perfection on Your Wrist

Last week, Bugatti and Rimac boss Mate Rimac introduced the 2026 Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar, a performance monster designed in accordance with Ettore Bugatti's mantra that "nothing is too beautiful," which apparently entails that mechanical complications are the most beautiful of it all. The Tourbillon hypercar, as its name clearly shows, is inspired by the tourbillon, a mechanical complication in high-end watchmaking that improves the accuracy of a watch's escapement over time.

Tourbillon complications have been around since the first days of the 19th century, but they picked up traction considerably in recent years for reasons that go beyond their touted benefits of improving accuracy – which, by the way, are somewhat disputed. Tourbillons are beautiful to watch because of their perpetual movements and the elements they integrate, but also because they seem to exist in defiance of the laws of physics.

Few other watchmakers do complications like Jacob & Co., a watchmaker that walks the fine line between outrageous jewelry making and haute-horlogerie. No wonder then that the Bugatti Tourbillon, the new hypercar from the French luxury maker, took inspiration precisely from one such tourbillon in the design and the workings of said hypercar.

Now, Jacob & Co. is announcing a continuation of their years-long partnership with Bugatti, unveiling the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon, a companion timepiece that aims to parallel the achievements, the exclusivity, and all the outrageousness of the hypercar. They call it design integration, because both pieces are meant to exist together looking, feeling and working unmistakably like a Bugatti.

It's art come full circle in the most needlessly and beautifully complicated way, a tribute to the timeless appeal of mechanical fascination.

The Bugatti Tourbillon timepiece also bundles in a handful of world-firsts, as you've come to expect from Jacob & Co. if you're reading this. To describe the Tourbillon as either a watch or a miniature Bugatti feels reductive – and maybe even slightly offensive in the case of the former.

Designed with Bugatti over the course of 18 long months, it presents as a timepiece that's the Bugatti spirit held within the not-so-standard confines of a wrist watch. Measuring 52 x 44 mm and with 15 mm of thickness, the case is shaped like a Bugatti, down to the spear-heading front grille flanked by two radiator inlets, the knob-shaped crown, and two sapphire openings shaped and tinted like car windows.

This being a Jacobs & Co. watch, the exterior appearance is only a teaser of the treasures held within – in this case, a sapphire-carved automaton that resembles the Bugatti V16 powerhouse in motion. The crankshaft is a one-piece delicate part that spins, while the high-grade titanium pistons move up and down when the automaton is activated. Each automaton sequence lasts 20 seconds, and a single full wind allows for 20 consecutive sequences.

We've said this before and it warrants saying again: where other car-themed or car-related watches strive to achieve this automotive vibe, Jacob & Co. just does.

Much like the Tourbillon hypercar integrates tourbillon-inspired gauges in the dashboard, the Tourbillon timepiece's "dashboard" features automotive-like gauges. On the left is a 30-second flying tourbillon that regulates the movement, the fastest ever designed by this particular watchmaker. On the right-hand side is a twin power reserve, showing remaining power for both the watch's movement and the engine block automaton. This is yet another world first in the industry.

In the center, flanking the Bugatti logo, is an RPM counter that's actually doing the timekeeping. This is another world first, according to the watchmaker: a piece with retrograde hours and minutes, starting at zero instead of twelve, and with hour hands that jump back to zero once they've completed a 270-degree arc.

"Jacob & Co. is ushering in a new age of car watchmaking," Benjamin Arabov, Jacob & Co. CEO, says. "We're building up on the incredible success of our Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon timepiece and on a shared frame of mind with Bugatti automobiles. This high complication, high octane watch sets the highest bar for innovation, design integration and exhilarating watchmaking."

The movement caliber JCAM55 has a 48-hour power reserve, while the Tourbillon itself is rated for 30 meters (3 atm) water resistance.

The first 150 units of the planned 250 in total (as many as the units of the namesake hypercar) will be made of black DLC titanium, with Jacob & Co. saying that the final 100 units will allow them to "apply its mastery of colored and precious materials as well as high jewelry" to the timepiece. In less elegant terms, if you think this one is outrageous or out of this world, wait till you see what's coming.

The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon in titanium comes with an MRSP of $340,000 – making it a comparatively affordable must-have for the discerning auto collectors forking over $4 million for a Tourbillon hypercar.