The Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon puts a W16 engine right on your wrist

MANILA: You’ve heard about wearing your heart on your sleeve. Well, how about wearing an engine right on your wrist?

Watch aficionados, that’s now possible as timepiece maker Jacob & Co. collaborates with luxury auto manufacturer Bugatti to reproduce the iconic W16 engine in a watch.

It took a year of full development before the legendary 16-cylinder engine was brought to life in a case inspired by the flowing lines of the Chiron and the movement, or “engine block,” intended to duplicate the Bugatti engine, is placed under a massive sapphire crystal.

Once the right-hand crown is pushed, the engine comes to life, turning the crankshaft and pumping the pistons up and down, just like a true internal combustion engine. Two “turbochargers” (down from four in the actual Chiron engine) on the side of the engine block spin while the engine runs. The movement is comprised of 578 components, amounting to the highest level of complication for the development team.

The sapphire crystal case makes every single facet of the watch visible, including the engine block animation with a crankshaft made out of one solid steel piece that is one of the smallest and most complicated watch parts ever manufactured. The movement is completely suspended in four places, with what looks like the actual shocks from the Chiron. The movement is actually floating inside the case, moving up and down. Framing the engine block are two “exhausts,” completing the engine theme of the design.

Animation aside, the overall theme is minimalist. Except for the flying tourbillon with the Jacob & Co. logo, the only other branding anywhere on the front of the watch is the subtle EB logo on the engine compartment, where the crankshaft holds 16 pistons.

Also read: There’s no purer Bugatti than the US$3.5-M Chiron Pur Sport