The Jean Bugatti Chronograph is A Magnificent Manifestation of Heritage and Technology

The Jacob & Co. x Jean Bugatti watch is undoubtedly one of the most sophisticated and inventive chronographs ever built, reflecting the Bugatti tradition and is possibly the most difficult watchmaking project Jacob & Co has ever attempted.

History

Jean was Ettore Bugatti's firstborn son, born in 1909 - the same year Ettore founded his new firm in Molsheim, Alsace. As a kid, Jean adored seeing Bugatti's craftspeople enthusiastically develop and create automobiles — each component a piece of beauty in its own right. Later in life, Jean would pay many visits to his grandpa, Carlo, in Paris, where he was influenced by his furniture designs that fused styles, cultures, and materials. Jean would eventually become the head of Bugatti, creating masterpieces such as the duotone Type 50 series, the Type 41 Royale with the world's longest wheelbase, and the Type 57SC Atlantic. Its defining design element was a raised seam extending vertically from the split bonnet hinge to the tail — dimensions previously unheard of in the automotive industry.

57 exclusive premium timepieces

The Jean Bugatti clock, limited to 57 pieces, is a homage to this great pioneer, evoking his avant-garde and creative interpretations of automobiles. As with Jean Bugatti's automobile designs, this namesake watch defies established patterns. It is one of the most advanced clocks introduced in recent years and ventures into terrain not before explored by Jacob & Co.

Remarkable & Challenging

The development and manufacture of the Jean Bugatti were fraught with difficulties. Made up of 470 components, the delicate, wafer-thin design of many sections is remarkable in light of the enormous pressures and forces to which they are exposed. The control of forces and energy inside the movement is quite complicated, which becomes instantly obvious upon revealing the caseback. The architecture of the movement is three-dimensional and a spectacle in and of itself.

Distinctive

It has a circular case, a round bezel, short and ornate lugs, mushroom pushers, and a rose gold or white gold casing that is fully polished. With its graceful cursive numbers, blued hands, and blue or cream-white dial, the 46-mm Jean Bugatti nearly seems unassuming without its distinctive configuration.

The Design

The dial's two holes house a pair of one-minute flying tourbillons. Their cage design is crowned by the trademark polished steel Bugatti 'EB' insignia. The Hours and Minutes are shown on the Jean Bugatti by a pair of red, inward-pointing hands situated on the dial's rim. The chronograph hands are a pair of short, blued hands rooted in the dial's centre. The longer of the two represents the chronograph's seconds units. The smaller number represents the chronograph's tenths of seconds. When each of them reaches the end of its path, it reverses direction, resulting in a double retrograde chronograph. The chronograph is self-contained and self-regulatory, having its own barrel and high-frequency regulating mechanism.

Wiebke Ståhl, Managing Director of Bugatti International, commented:

"Imbuing a single timepiece with Jean Bugatti's elegance and creative flare is a difficult undertaking, but Jacob & Co. is the ideal brand partner to do this." Within the halls of Molsheim, Jean's spirit lives on, as our designers and engineers continue to take inspiration from his almost century-old masterpieces. Wearers of this newest timepiece will experience an altogether new level of elegance and painstaking attention to detail – the same level of refinement and attention to detail that Bugatti brings to each of its new super sports vehicles."

"Designing and creating the Jean Bugatti has been a fascinating and fulfilling process,"

remarked Benjamin Arabov, CEO of Jacob & Co.

"Our collaboration with Bugatti has taken on a new form, and although the watch feels comfortably vintage, it is really unique. This clock is a departure from our previous collections, yet it demonstrates that great figures inspire great art. Applying these vintage design features from Bugatti's illustrious history is an intriguing complement to the hypercar inspiration of today. And we rose to the occasion with a ground-breaking movement that reimagines the operation of a chronograph. This is how Jacob & Co. challenges and surpasses expectations."

Source: Bugatti