Bugatti is known for going all in when it begins a project. The Tourbillon hypercar was no exception with its incredible … well, everything. Bugatti went so far as to do away with its iconic quad-turbo W16 engine and built an entirely bespoke naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V16 fire-breather with the help of Cosworth.
The hand-built Tourbillon V16 engine, first unveiled in June of 2024, is nothing short of spectacular. Its cross-plane crankshaft is 3-ft 3.4-in-long (almost 1 m) for starters. Inside, 16 relatively small pistons (92 mm) fire off in a magnificent short-stroke (78.55 mm) scream at 9,000 rpm. With a high-octane 14.5:1 compression ratio, the elegant beast makes 986 hp (735 kW) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque.
The Buggati/Cosworth-built engine alone weighs 556 lb (252 kg). It has 64 valves. Just let that soak for a second. Mechanically, it’s maniacal. And it’s beautifully sculpted, as the mid-engine is designed to always be visible from both inside and outside the car – the plenum being the centerpiece; a perfect balance of aesthetics and intake performance.
Bugatti/Jacob & Co.
On the other side of the spectrum, in a partnership with the fine horologists at Jacob & Co., Bugatti also has a gravity-defying 0.19-liter V16 option – for your wrist. It’s nearly a four-teardrop displacement – almost one teardrop for every hundred grand you’ve spent on the matching Tourbillon V16 watch.
Bugatti/Jacob & Co.
Where the Tourbillon V16 engine screams at 9,000 rpm, the Jacob and Co. miniature V16 purrs the seconds away with 16 tiny titanium pistons firing up and down inside a clear sapphire engine block. The shape of the case matches that of the Tourbillon hypercar and even the sides of the case are shaped and tint-matched to the hypercar’s windows. The dials are matched to the car’s rev counter and speedometer. Details down to the exhaust manifold on the small V16 match that of its bigger 8.3-L brother.
Bugatti/Jacob & Co.
“I live to push watchmaking to new levels, coming up with designs and complications that no one had even dreamed about,” says Jacob Arabo, chairman and founder of Jacob & Co. “Bugatti is the same. They push everything beyond what everyone thinks is the limit. The Bugatti Tourbillon is our most advanced timepiece.”
Arabo has courted a bit of controversy in the past. After immigrating to the US from Uzbekistan and dropping out of high school to pursue a career in making high-end jewelry for hip-hop stars in the 1990s, Arabo went to prison in 2006 for 2.5 years after lying to federal investigators during a money laundering case involving gangs in Detroit, Michigan.
Bugatti/Jacob & Co.
While he might not personally be a Master Watchmaker himself, he has the vision to create – or at least the hustle to commission – some of the most unique timepieces in the world.
The Bugatti Tourbillon watch features a 30-second flying tourbillon (most high-end tourbillons are 60 seconds) with retrograde jumping hours and minutes dials – meaning they don’t go in a full 360-degree circle, but instead sweep in an arc, appearing more like a speedometer or fuel gauge before snapping back to the start. The US$340,000 watch has a 48-movement power reserve before it needs winding – or about 20 animations of the V16 engine pistons.
Bugatti/Jacob & Co.
Inside this little wrist-worn marvel is the Concepto Caliber JCAM55 mechanical heart, made up of 557 individual components and 74 jewels. It operates at a “medium-speed” of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), meaning it should be fairly durable at six ticks per second.
Only 150 watches will be produced, leaving at least 100 Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar owners admiring the watch that best compliments their car on someone else’s wrist.
Bugatti/Jacob & Co.
The Bugatti Tourbillon watch isn’t the only Bugatti-branded Jacob & Co. timepiece on offer, nor is it the most expensive. The “Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon Baguette White Gold on Strap” holds that title, at nearly $1 million.
While I did say that the Tourbillon watch is a 0.19-ml displacement, it was just for fun, illustrative purposes. Based on the watch measurements, it looks as though the bore and stroke could be around 2.5mm x 2.1 mm, equaling around a 0.19-ml displacement. Taking the 8.3-L engine measurements and comparing it to the size of the engine compartment in the watch, it appears as though the watch engine is roughly 1:33 scale, making it closer to 0.23-ml displacement. The exact numbers haven’t been released publicly, not that it’s a real thing anyhow. Either way, the watch won’t breathe fire like the Tourbillon V16 will.
Which one would you rather have parked in your garage? I know what I’d pick …
BUGATTI – A NEW ERA: A 16-Cylinder Heart
Sources: Jacob & Co., Bugatti