Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player Danny Green spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Danny Green, three-time NBA champion and veteran shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, was photographed walking in light rain wearing what is one of the most technically complex wristwatches in contemporary horology: the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon in black DLC-treated titanium. The sighting, casual in setting but extraordinary in horological terms, underscores a growing trend among professional athletes gravitating toward avant-garde complications far beyond conventional luxury dress pieces.

The Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon is built around the Calibre JCAM37, a hand-wound movement containing a fully animated replica of the Chiron's 16-cylinder W-configuration engine. The miniature motor features actual reciprocating pistons — visible through the skeletonized, aerodynamically sculpted titanium case — as well as a spinning crankshaft and differential, all driven by the watch's mainspring. A triple-axis tourbillon sits atop the engine architecture, combining mechanical theatre with legitimate escapement engineering. Power reserve stands at approximately 60 hours. The case measures a substantial 54mm × 44mm, shaped to echo the Chiron's silhouette, and the crown system is replaced by three Bugatti-badged pusher-style crowns on the lower case flank.

The production run of exactly 126 pieces is a deliberate numeric reference to the Chiron's 1,600 horsepower — 16 cylinders, 100 horsepower each — cementing the collaboration's conceptual coherence. Jacob & Co. and Bugatti announced the partnership in 2019, and the watch debuted to significant media coverage at Baselworld. The black DLC titanium version with blue accents and blue rubber strap is one of several variants, with blue detailing mirroring the classic Bugatti Racing Blue color code.

Green has long been noted as one of the more watch-literate players in the NBA, occasionally sharing timepiece interests on social media. Pairing a $312,000 horological sculpture with an embroidered denim shirt and a tactical face mask speaks to the relaxed confidence of a collector who wears serious pieces without ceremony.

On the secondary market, the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon commands significant premiums given its 126-piece ceiling and the dissolution of the original Bugatti-Jacob & Co. partnership's promotional window. Retail was set at approximately £220,000 / $312,000, and grey-market examples in desirable configurations have traded at or above that figure, with black DLC blue variants among the most sought-after references.