Jacobs, Bugatti, and a tribute to the mythical car that disappeared after World War II
The most famous automatic disappearance event in history inspired the creation of the Bugatti Supercar GT and Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious tourbillon minute repeater.
The story of the disappearance of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupé in the 1930s is a story shrouded in mystery. Between 1936 and 1938, Ettore Bugatti’s eldest son, Jean, created four of this incredible vehicle. Jean kept the second all-black version for himself. It was named “La Voiture Noire” (“Black Car”) and was the pinnacle of luxury supercar technology and design during the pre-war heyday. Except for a few of his friends, they are the company’s test pilots and no one is allowed to drive it. The car is exhibited at different car exhibitions all over France.
Ghost train
Before the Germans occupied Bugatti’s Morsheim plant in 1940, the car was believed to have been loaded on a train bound for the company’s second plant in Bordeaux. It was sent there along with other assets for safekeeping, and as a result, it completely disappeared from the earth. Experts estimate that if the miracle appeared behind the French barn, its value would be around 100 million euros.
Black night
In 2019, Bugatti decided to pay tribute to the car and the legend with a modern version of this famous car. This one-of-a-kind super sports car was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show for 11 million euros, making it the most expensive new car ever. It is equipped with the same 8.0-liter four-turbocharged 16-cylinder and 1,500 bhp engine as the Bugatti Chiron, and draws all-black design inspiration from Chiron and Divo.
Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious La Montre Noire
Since Jacob & Co. first collaborated with Bugatti in 2019, its founder Jacob Arabo has also been fascinated by the legend of La Voiture Noire. “When Bugatti released a modern version of this car, I couldn’t wait to start designing an excellent all-black timepiece that could rival the excellent mechanical and design level of the new’La Voiture Noire’ supercar,” Arabo explained .
Body
This case is an engineering feat in itself. It is made of 18 carat black gold and contains 88 individual parts. Its bezel is also decorated with 344 natural black rectangular-cut sapphires to enhance its powerful appearance. In addition, these smoked black sapphires can be found on black gold and titanium clasps.
Engine specifications
La Montre Noire’s 832-part engine equipped with two accelerating three-axis tourbillons, a decimal minute repeater, a single-button chronograph and a power reserve indicator did not disappoint.
Close observation under the hood
Jacobs has broken through the limits with this movement, including not one but two tourbillons and a rare decimal minute repeater, which can tell the time as needed every ten minutes (after the hour and before the minute). astronomia watch
The decimal minute repeater table is particularly atypical (if you can call the minute repeater table typical!), you can count the number of brands that make them with one hand.
The single-button chronograph is also worth noting because it is equipped with a “reference time” indicator. Inspired by the racing pit board, the reference time display is located in the center of the dial, indicating the difference in seconds compared to the reference time.
The last detail is the power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock on the dial. Using a clever planetary system composed of a differential gear mechanism, the power reserve pointer points to the full power on the left and then moves to the right at the end of the 48-hour power reserve.
Finally, the timepiece is wound by a vintage style crank instead of a traditional crown.
Like the car, this outstanding large-scale complication is a unique piece, but the good news is that it is still available. Therefore, if you let go, you may have a part of this mysterious story. luxury replica watches