Jay-Z has a penchant for being the first to showcase an exclusive Jacob & Co. watch.
The 24-time Grammy winner, known for his impressive watch collection featuring brands like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille, recently displayed the newly released Bugatti Tourbillon at his 40/40 Club pop-up during Fanatics Fest in New York City. According to Jacob & Co., Jay-Z is the first to own this highly sought-after timepiece. This isn’t the first time he’s had such an honor—25 years ago, he was the first to receive the American watchmaker’s Five Time Zone watch. It pays to be a “friend of the brand.”
Unveiled in late June, the watch was designed to honor the Bugatti Tourbillon. The hypercar, revealed just days before the watch, boasts 1,800 horsepower, making it the most powerful model in Bugatti’s history, capable of reaching 276 mph. The car also features a skeletonized instrument cluster influenced by Swiss horology, illustrating the continued blend of automotive and watchmaking craftsmanship. Since their partnership began in 2019, Bugatti and Jacob & Co. have released several luxury designs that showcase top-tier performance and quality, with previous collaborations inspired by Bugatti’s Chiron and Type 57 models.
What sets this latest collaboration apart is its intricate mimicry of automotive machinery. The 52 mm black titanium case reflects the exterior design of the Tourbillon, with a front grille flanked by two cooling inlets. The case sides feature large sapphire openings resembling car windows, and the retrograde hour and minute indicators mimic the car’s tachometer and speedometer. Even the winding crown is designed to resemble the car’s control knobs.
The watch’s centerpiece is its working engine, a V-16 mechanical automaton crafted from a single piece of sapphire. This intricate engine includes 16 cylinders and 16 titanium pistons, driven by a single-axis crankshaft. When activated, the crankshaft rotates, and the cylinders move up and down. The hand-wound Tourbillon (JCAM55) consists of approximately 557 components and provides a 48-hour power reserve.
This limited-edition watch is priced at $340,000, with only 150 pieces available. The hypercar, limited to 250 units, starts at €3.8 million (around $4.08 million), with production beginning at Bugatti’s Molsheim, France atelier in 2026. The first watch has already been completed and delivered to none other than Mr. Carter himself.
