The analogue dials in the Bugatti Tourbillon are a masterpiece of design
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Digital displays have become the norm in mainstream cars. And so when you get to the upper echelons of the car world, a simple screen just doesn’t cut it anymore. We miss the tacho in the 911, replaced by a screen in the new 992.2 gen, while Aston Martin charges you $1million for the new Vanquish and yet its dash is devoid of dials.
And so the Bugatti Tourbillon takes a different approach. The ultra luxury firm says its analogue instrument cluster is ‘a technical and artistic achievement born from the convergence of watchmaking precision and automotive engineering at their highest levels’. Nothing like laying on the hyperbole, but then they are talking about a hypercar.
Bugatti tells us that the name Tourbillon reflects its philosophy of ‘mechanical timelessness’. While previous models honored racing drivers, the marque’s latest takes its name from a watchmaking invention created in 1801 that counteracts gravity’s effects to ensure precise timekeeping. Who knew?
And so… this demanded ‘timeless components that would never age’. Bugatti’s solution is an entirely analog instrument cluster assembled by hand at Concepto, a Swiss manufacturer specializing in ‘haute horlogerie’. The dials feature more than 650 individual components crafted using traditional watchmaking techniques. They are quite something, and all the details are laid bare in the video.
