Jay Z’s Bugatti Tourbillon Is a Full-Circle Moment for Hip Hop Horology
Jay Z's expanding watch collection is surely making its way into G.O.A.T. territory. If you've been watching HOV as of late, you've probably seen the Brooklyn MC popping out in some of the best of the best watches, like that Rolex Daytona 6263 that is currently saved on my watch mood board.
So, seeing Jay Z wearing Jacob & Co.'s insane newly released Bugatti Tourbillon timepiece at Fanatics Fest in NYC wasn't too out of the ordinary (but still very much head-turning).
As mentioned in our previous coverage, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon is a timepiece that was created in partnership with Bugatti for the release of its Tourbillon hypercar. The watch answers the question, "What would a Bugatti look like on my wrist?" — putting a functional V16 Engine Block Automaton in Transparent Sapphire in a 52mm Black PVD Titanium case.
Being one of the first to wear the watch, Jay Z's wrist piece includes a 30-second flying tourbillon and a twin power reserve, with retrograde hours and minutes that reset to zero like an RPM counter—the first of its kind.
Now, the cynic in me believes that Jay Z's increase in wristwear is partly due to his recent investments into the flourishing watch world via Wristcheck. And that is probably partly the case.
But, anyone (me = anyone) who's paid attention to Jay Z's discography and career knows Jay has always had a foothold in the watch space, especially through one of his longest relationships in the realms of watches, Jacob & Co.
Aside from his references to APs and Rolex Sky-Dwellers, a staple in Jay-Z's lyrics about watches and jewelry has been Jacob the Jeweler, with the jeweler being referenced countless times throughout hip-hop as a whole.
Even more so, one of my favorite hip-hop watch moments of all time is Jay Z posing with the iconic Jacob & Co. Five Time Zones with Mr. Jacob Arabo himself, solidifying the watch's status in the early 2000s.
Arabo is THE jeweler for hip-hop royalty (think Pharrell's iconic chains)and newbies, and, as of late, has been adding fuel to the world of watches with Jacob & Co. continuing to create beautifully and increasingly complicated timepieces.
So, is this a full-circle moment? Yes, Jay Z consigning the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon has the potential of creating another must-have from the jeweler and watchmaker for the next-gen of collectors.
But I am going to take it one step further. Being that Arubo and Jay have such a long-standing history, I wouldn't be surprised to see these two collaborate sometime in the future on a watch. And there are a few rumors out there that have insinuated that this could be true in 2025.
Regardless, no matter what happens, "...wearing a Tourbillion on my wrist" could be a solid throwaway line (and double entendre) over a Just Blaze-produced beat.
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