Watch Paparazzi

Writer Giorgia Mondani spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Giorgia Mondani, the Milan-based author behind some of the most authoritative Rolex and vintage watch reference books ever published, was recently spotted wearing a watch that stops conversation cold: the Jacob & Co Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon 'Yellow Sapphire' Piece Unique, reference BU210.80.AF.UA.B, valued at $1.8 million USD. For someone whose career is built on understanding horological significance, the choice is a pointed statement.

The Jacob & Co Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon is no ordinary complication showpiece. First unveiled as part of the broader Bugatti collaboration that Jacob Arabo's brand has cultivated since 2016, this specific Piece Unique pushes the concept to its absolute limit. The 44mm case is constructed from 18-carat rose gold and sapphire crystal — not merely as a viewing window, but as a structural element, allowing 360-degree visibility of the movement within. The dial, if one can call it that, is entirely transparent, engineered to replicate the visual drama of a Bugatti Chiron's quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine in miniature form.

The caliber inside — Jacob & Co's JCAM37 — is hand-wound and features a flying tourbillon alongside a functional miniature W16 engine with 16 pistons that animate in sequence, driven by the going train. The movement comprises over 578 components and delivers approximately 60 hours of power reserve. It runs at 21,600 vph. This is not a movement that borrows automotive aesthetics superficially; the kinetic sculpture is the dial, the engine is the complication.

As a Piece Unique, reference BU210.80.AF.UA.B exists as a single object. The yellow sapphire designation refers to the warm chromatic treatment applied to specific movement components and case elements, distinguishing it within the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon family which has spawned numerous limited and unique variants. Collector appetite for these pieces is narrow but fierce — they appeal to a crossover audience of hypercar collectors and serious horology buyers.

Mondani's credibility in the watch space lends weight to the sighting. As a digital entrepreneur and founder of Mondani Web, she has spent decades cataloguing and contextualizing collectible timepieces. Wearing a $1.8 million Piece Unique is, for her, as much research as it is personal expression.