Jay-Z Is the First Person to Own Jacob & Co.’s Bonkers Bugatti Tourbillon

Jay-Z just loves being the first to flex a fancy Jacob & Co. watch.

Jay-Z's 40/40 Club Will Return to N.Y.C., Starting With a Sports Festival Pop-Up This Summer

The 24-time Grammy-winning musician, who has an enviable collection of w a t c h e s by the likes of Patek Philippe , Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille , showed off the newly released Bugatti Tourbillon at his 40/40 Club pop-up during Fanatics Fest in New York City over the weekend. Hov is the first to own the coveted timepiece, according to Jacob & Co . He was also the first to receive the American watchmaker’s Five Time Zone watch 25 years ago. It certainly pays to be a “friend of the brand.”

Unveiled in late June, the tourbillion was created in honor of the Bugatti Tourbillon . Unveiled a few days before the watch, the 1,800 hp hypercar is the most powerful model in the French marque’s history and will be able to hit 276 mph at full tilt. The four-wheeler also features a skeletonized instrument cluster inspired by Swiss horology, highlighting the ongoing intersection of cars and watches. Bugatti and Jacob & Co. entered into a partnership in 2019 and have since released several collaborative designs that epitomize luxury, performance, and quality. (The Chiron and the Type 57 are two Bugattis that have already received the Jacob & Co treatment.)

The latest collab is different in that it emulates the actual automotive machinery. The 52 mm black titanium case evokes the exterior of the Tourbillon, with the front grille flanked by two cooling inlets. The case sides also showcase two large sapphire openings that mirror the car’s windows, while the retrograde hour and minute indicators resemble its tachometer and speedometer. Even the winding crown mimics the ride’s control knobs.

Maluma Designed a Bespoke Jacob & Co. Watch and Necklace in Honor of His New Album

The functioning engine is pièce de résistance, though. The V-16 is an operable mechanical automaton made from a single piece of sapphire. It houses 16 cylinders and 16 titanium pistons that are driven by a single-axis crankshaft. When the automaton is activated, the crankshaft spins and the 16 cylinders move up and down. The hand-wound Tourbillon (JCAM55) comprises some 557 components and offers a power reserve of 48 hours.

The watch is limited to 150 examples and costs $340,000. The car is limited to 250 examples, with each one starting at €3.8 million (approximately $4.08 million). The first customer cars are set to be built at Bugatti’s atelier in Molsheim, France, starting in 2026. The first watch has already been built and delivered to Mr. Carter, no less.

Bugatti's Last Street-Legal W-16 Supercar Could Top 260 MPH in Final Testing