French hyper-car maison, Bugatti kicks off a new hybrid era as they unveil the successor to the Chiron. As a pleasant surprise, it’s directly named and inspired by one of luxury watchmaking’s mightiest yet eternally elegant complications, the Tourbillon – home turf for us. Right from the skeletonised, aerially exposed 1775-hp V16 to the mechanical speed gauges, we’re breaking down how Bugatti used the tourbillon and the spirit of luxury watchmaking as a muse for their next-gen hypercar.
Sadly, I witnessed a slew of auto journalists misunderstanding the tourbillon and its true function when presenting the hypercar – that’s our cue as watch-geeks to jump in and shed some light on the matter. So, let’s begin by understanding the tourbillon.
Why Did Bugatti Name It The ‘Tourbillon’?
Tourbillon or ‘tour-bee-yon’ translates to “whirlwind” in French, referring to an object or, in this case, a mechanical watch complication swivelling in motion. This dancing marvel of mechanical intricacy was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet, founder of Breguet, in 1795 and patented in 1801. By definition, the tourbillon is a mechanism that perpetually rotates the balance wheel, balance spring, and escapement while the movement is running. In terms of productivity, its sole objective is to counter the effect of Earth’s gravity on the isochronal properties of the balance wheel and spring. With this invention, Sir Breguet strived to eliminate potential errors caused by allowing the timepiece to rest in one position for prolonged periods of time. His theory suggests that if the movement was somehow consistently in motion, these positional errors could be struck out.
Mechanically elegant and mesmerising to watch, the tourbillon’s utility as a complication has been questioned for centuries as it’s simply a correctional feat to a ‘potential’ problem. Nevertheless, today’s tourbillon is embraced as a totem of mechanical poetry, with each watchmaker having their own approach.
Great! Now that we’ve straightened that out, let’s discuss why Buggati’s new flagship hybrid is named after the Tourbillon. In my opinion, a tourbillon defeats the effects of gravity – an apt description for a hypercar capable of defying the forces of nature, but Bugatti has other ideas. They mentioned in a press note, “The design philosophy is focused on timelessness. Inspired by the world of horlogerie, where timepieces older than 100 years can still be worn and used today, our design and engineering teams strived to encapsulate this authentic analogue experience in the Tourbillon’s cabin.”
Fully Mechanized Dial to Tell Speed
he centrepiece of the Tourbillon takes the horlogerie philosophy to its most literal conclusion – boasting an instrument cluster comprising 600+ ultra-lightweight parts designed and built by Swiss watchmakers. As watchmaking has a penchant for incorporating precious jewels and materials, the Bugatti Tourbillon follows this stride – its central instrument cluster is constructed from titanium, sapphire, and ruby and skeletonised in form. The massive 550-km/hour speedometer and gear indicator have central-axis needles, mimicking the appearance of a watch dial with two hands. Its neighbouring panels for fuel, temperature, and battery also create the appearance of sporty sub-dials. Much like how horlogerie’s tourbillon swivels on an axis, the Bugatti Tourbillon’s steering wheel has been intricately engineered to rotate around the instrument cluster using a ‘fixed hub steering wheel’.
Sporty Chronograph-Esque Central Console
When it comes to the retro-futuristic instrument cluster, Bugatti says, “The Tourbillon boasts a completely analogue instrument cluster crafted by Swiss watchmakers and finished with the same care and attention you find in the world’s greatest timepieces. Just as these become heirlooms over generations, the Tourbillon is designed as a car for eternity.” Cast in aluminium and crystal glass, the latter takes after the level of R&D that goes into innovating new watch case materials – 13 stages of pressurisation and clarification, creating a robust, clear, and safe architecture. The aluminium parts are anodised and milled from a single metal block, while the knurled aluminium switches create a skeletonised contrast. As the crystal offers clarity and the aluminium exudes skeletal elegance, the buttons and knobs appear to be inspired by sporty chronograph pusher designs and stainless-steel bezels of luxury watches.
Skeletonised Engine Bay
Going bare-bones, ultra-lightweight and durable, the mighty V16 takes ‘naturally aspirated’ to its most literal sense while taking after key watchmaking cues. Shedding off its glass engine window, it exposes the V16 to the elements, exactly how horlogerie’s tourbillon’s mechanical elegance is put on display. While so, it also showcases its engineering prowess, titanium and carbon-fibre-make, incorporated not only to enhance performance but also to show off its craftsmanship.
The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon
Jacob & Co. and Bugatti are two peas in a pod, creating utter icons of excess. As Bugatti unveiled the Tourbillon, I had a tingling thought that Jacob & Co. wouldn’t dare resist the opportunity to showcase another collaborative mechanical wonder.
While the Bugatti Tourbillon celebrates a ground-breaking new mechanical instrument cluster and mighty V16, Jacob & Co. have miniaturised them in a sleek black-PVD titanium case. Reflecting the hypercar’s mechanical finesse, muscular bodywork, and use of ultra-lightweight ingredients, the Jacob & Co. eponymous timepiece mimics its speedometer as a jumping hours and minutes dial and a ‘Bugatti’ badge at six o’clock. Next to this is a 30-second flying tourbillon (their fastest tourbillon ever) and a power reserve indicator which is dressed as a fuel indicator. Down South, just like the new Bugatti V16, the engine block automation features its own set of exhaust manifolds. This sequence lasts 20 seconds. Inside, the Jacob & Co JCAM55 is hand-wound, comprising 557 components and delivering a 48-hour power reserve. Limited to 150 pieces, the Jacob & Co Bugatti Tourbillon is inspired by a hypercar that’s inspired by luxury watchmaking – call that a cross-cultural phenom!
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