I had the pleasure of attending the unveiling of Parmigiani's new Bugatti watch last night here in Monterey (to coincide with the official release of the Super Sport). Really a great brand with great people. I was also able to speak with the driver of the record breaking speed run, Pierre Henri Raphanel, truly a great guy.

Steve, I got a chance to see the HM3 up close on Ariel's wrist as well, exquisite, and drew a lot of attention.

Here is the watch they unveiled:





Read a little more here.

 

In 2010, Parmigiani flips all the mechanical components of the new calibre Bugatti PF 372 onto a vertical axis, retaining the lateral time display so appreciated by car drivers. - In a world premiere, Parmigiani has successfully developed a 90° time setting system – the dial is positioned perpendicular to the axis – by integrating a system of double pinions with bevel gearing.

- The manually-wound Calibre Parmigiani 372 (power reserve of 10 days) was designed in two planes in order to match the contours of the new Bugatti watch.

- The complete PF 372 movement was designed and produced by the Parmigiani manufacture.

- Six sapphire crystals reveal the 337 impressive components of the new Bugatti Super Sport.

- The highly tapered profile of the Bugatti Super Sport recalls the iconic form of the lugs on a Parmigiani watch case.

- The openworked oval dial, inclined on a 60-degree axis and made from carbon fibre in honour of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, shows the hours and minutes.

- The "gold black", côtes de Genève and satin finishes on the bridges, and the 3-dimensional turn-in angles on the train wheel bridge reflect Parmigiani's exacting standards.

- The dynamometric crown, perfectly integrated just above the profile, allows settings to be made with a slight pressure.

 

oops nevermind...

One of the things Jean-Marc made a note to mention was that other car/watch partnerships have failed in the past because it usually just involves putting the car logo on the face of an existing watch, but Parmigiani set out to make a specific Bugatti watch, a true creation inspired by the car, not merely as an afterthought. He cited Ferrari as a recent example...

 

Seems very over designed to me. Personally don't see what's nice about it at all.
How much do they want for it?

 

I like the watch. It's very modern and has a cool design, I would buy it.

 

Not for everyone that's for sure. They are making 30 of them and they will cost $259,000
Compared to other watches in this category, it wears rather conservatively. Seeing someone walk around with it on just works, it doesn't call out. Pictures make it look more outlandish than it really is.

 

Such mad money. Makes the car look good value!
God knows how they get to that price and why anyone would want it. Still takes all types.

 

This was on the last episode of Top Gear