Bugatti’s rich history of timepieces
The word for today is ‘Horology,’ which is the study of time and the art of making instruments for measuring and indicating time. Long before they could measure your O2 levels, heart rate, or sleep patterns, watchmaking was about the precision and unfathomable attention to detail required to craft the perfect device for tracking the time we have in this world as accurately, and as aesthetically pleasingly, as possible.
The bond between hypercar maker Bugatti and some of the world’s most renowned watchmakers dates back to 1925 when Bugatti caught the attention of Swiss watchmaker Mido. Known for its automotive-inspired timepieces, Mido recognized in Bugatti a shared dedication to performance and design. In honor of Ettore Bugatti’s wishes, Mido released a collection of watches that beautifully reflected Bugatti’s elegant aesthetic.
The feeling that inspired these remarkable timepieces was evident. A fusion of heritage, elegance, and sophistication, the Swiss watches were aligned with Bugatti’s forward-thinking design philosophy, which established the French marque as a leader in automotive innovation and development. Often gifted to Ettore’s best drivers, mechanics, and family, the Mido Bugatti creations were exclusive, with fewer than 100 hand-crafted pieces. Each featured a gold case shaped like Bugatti’s iconic horseshoe grille, complete with the renowned red ‘EB’ logo. These elegant watches were designed with robust movements, allowing drivers to rely on them even in challenging circumstances, making it easy to read the time while keeping their hands on the steering wheel.
Bugatti’s unique collaborations with Mido illustrated how watchmaking and driving could intersect in an extraordinary way. This beautiful synergy frequently bridged the worlds of automobiles and horology. While Mido crafted wristwatches for Ettore, he also commissioned a series of clocks for the iconic Type 41 Royale in 1932, the most luxurious car ever built. Defined by its scale and elegance, the Type 41 Royale required a timepiece that matched its grandeur. For Ettore, no other brand than Breguet would suit this honor. Breguet was tasked with creating a range of chronographs, featuring a tachometer function to measure speed over time, which would be proudly displayed in the center of the steering wheel of the Royale automobiles. Breguet incorporated all the expertise it had developed since its founding in 1775, delivering a series of nine on-board chronographs to Bugatti.
To enhance the individual feel of these timepieces, the watch’s cream dial bore the words ‘Spécial pour Bugatti’ alongside Breguet’s famous pomme hands. Crafted from chrome-plated brass, the dashboard clock featured a mechanical movement with a power reserve lasting eight days, all operating with metronomic precision. This spirit of excellence, intertwined with the sands of time, carried through Bugatti’s dedication to innovation up to 2016, when Breguet acquired an original copy of the dashboard chronograph numbered ‘2023’. This emotional acquisition reintegrated one of the most emblematic timepieces in its history into its heritage.
More than just a historical artifact, this unique chronograph represented the shared commitment to ingenuity, precision, and refinement between Bugatti and Breguet, symbolizing Ettore’s avant-garde vision. As the decades progressed into a renaissance period for Bugatti in the early 2000s, the influence of this unwavering passion continued to grow. The marque sought artisans who shared their desire to craft a timepiece as revolutionary as the Veyron hyper sports car, a creation that would reflect its pioneering spirit. Bugatti found such a collective of craftspeople at Michel Parmigiani’s workshops, where he had launched his watchmaking company in 1996.
This collaboration resulted in the groundbreaking Bugatti Type 370 timepiece. With its dial positioned on the side and a captivating design, the Bugatti Type 370 proved just as revolutionary as the W16-powered Bugatti that inspired it. It was a true ‘Driver’s Watch’, featuring a manually wound movement with a 10-day power reserve, arranged along a single axis inspired by the Veyron’s gearbox. Initially questioned, it ultimately won the prestigious ‘Watch of the Year’ award in 2006. This collaboration was a resounding success and emblematic of Bugatti’s triumphant return to prominence.
The shared creation between Bugatti and Parmigiani Fleurier spanned a decade, with unique editions celebrating the engineering brilliance of the Veyron 16.4 and Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, cementing its status as a highly coveted horological treasure. Fast forward to the present day, and Bugatti’s connection to horology is stronger than ever. In 2019, Bugatti and pioneering watchmaker Jacob & Co. began a journey that continues to celebrate the concept of time. This collaboration has produced timepieces that push the boundaries of both form and function, each forging its own path in redefining what is mechanically achievable, allowing hundreds of bespoke components to work together in mesmerizing harmony.
Now, with this figurative and literal rich history lesson, your challenge today is finding a way to use the word ‘horology’ in a sentence without sounding forced.
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