In the world of horology, Jacob & Co. stands for one thing: extravagance is key. The same can be said for the Fast & Furious film franchise. Over twenty years, the blockbuster saga has transformed from a cult film about illegal street racing in the USA into one of the highest-grossing franchises in cinema history. Inspired by the nine movies of Fast & Furious, the Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo “Fast & Furious” is a stunning car-inspired watch.
For those unfamiliar with the saga, a little background is helpful. The first film, The Fast & The Furious, debuted in 2001, focusing on car culture in the USA. It particularly highlighted the tuning and modification of Japanese cars like the Nissan Skyline and Toyota Supra for illegal street races. The film followed an undercover cop infiltrating a group of street racers to identify who was responsible for several high-profile thefts. While the plot wasn't overly complex, its depiction of car culture was novel, catapulting the aftermarket tuning business to new heights. Unsurprisingly, this led to several sequels exploring various aspects of the underground street racing world and car culture.
Twenty years on, the franchise has moved beyond its street racing roots, now focusing on thrilling action, mainly involving the same group of characters from previous films. However, high-performance cars from around the world remain: supercars, tuned cars, muscle cars, SUVs. The franchise consists of nine films, a spin-off, an animated series, video games, and more. It shows no signs of slowing down, with a tenth film already confirmed. Over twenty years, it has become one of the highest-grossing film franchises with gross revenues exceeding 5.8 billion USD.
It's no surprise that the extravagant watchmaker Jacob & Co. has created a magnificent complex watch dedicated to the Fast & Furious franchise. The Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo “Fast & Furious” is based on the familiar Twin Turbo Furious model but has received a cosmetic overhaul. The smoked sapphire crystal dial features a stylized image inspired by the original 2001 Fast & Furious film. A starting girl with checkered flags is ready to signal two street racers in cars resembling a Dodge Charger and a Toyota Supra - a nod to one of the film's most famous scenes.
The automotive theme doesn't stop there. Two high-speed triple-axis tourbillon escapements offer an incredible visual spectacle, with a power reserve indicator styled like a fuel gauge between them. The complex in-house developed mechanism first combined two triple-axis tourbillons with a decimal minute repeater, a mono-pusher chronograph, and a mechanical time indicator. The latter can be set on the winding crown and displays the difference between the set time and the actual elapsed time during events like street races. Negative and positive deviations are shown on a pit board track.
All of this is housed in a rather large case made of titanium and forged carbon. The case consists of 88 individual components and measures 57 mm by 52 mm and 17 mm in height. On the right side of the case is a manual winding crown with an integrated chronograph button. This crown also allows setting the reference time indication depicted in a vintage racing pit board style. On the other side of the case is a slider for activating the decimal minute repeater, with two hammers striking a gong to indicate the time. Naturally, the entire mechanism is enclosed by a large curved sapphire crystal on top and a tinted flat sapphire crystal at the back. The crystal on the case back is adorned with a white Fast & Furious Twin Turbo print.
The limited edition by Jacob & Co. is a collaboration with Universal Studios, the production company behind the film series. In honor of the Fast & Furious saga, only nine pieces will be released. The watches will be launched alongside the ninth film, set to premiere on June 25, 2021. The watch comes with a black leather strap and a titanium folding clasp. The price is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be around 500,000 USD. The Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti “La Montre Noir” was a one-off deal at a million dollars, about double the price of the original Twin Turbo Furious introduced in 2018.
More detailed information - Jacob & Co.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – JACOB & CO. TWIN TURBO “FAST & FURIOUS”
Case: 57 mm x 52 mm, height 17 mm – titanium and forged carbon case, made of 88 components – sapphire crystal on top – tinted sapphire crystal case back with “Fast & Furious Twin Turbo” print – crown with rubber insert – integrated mono-pusher chronograph – minute repeater slider with red bell and hands – water resistance 30 meters
Complications: hours, minutes – small seconds hand – mono-pusher chronograph with minute counter and central seconds hand – “pit board” time indication – decimal minute repeater – double triple-axis high-speed tourbillon – power reserve indicator
Dial: Smoked sapphire crystal dial adorned with an image of a starting girl for two street racing cars in Fast & Furious style.
Movement: Jacob & Co. caliber JCFM05 – manual winding – 34 mm x 46 mm, height 13.7 mm – 832 components – 50-hour power reserve – double triple-axis high-speed tourbillon, inner cage rotation in 24 seconds, intermediate cage in 48 seconds, outer cage in 180 seconds – 21,600 vph – 75 jewels
Strap: Black leather strap with titanium folding clasp
Availability: Limited edition of 9 pieces. Launch concurrent with the premiere of the 9th film on June 25, 2021
Price: not yet known
