Why Are Sapphire Cases So Expensive? Find out with the Jacob & Co Bugatti Chiron

After a small but refreshing break here we are with finally a new video marking the opening of a new season of fascinating watch stories!
And to mark the occasion, we had the chance of visiting a supplier specialized in making sapphire components, whether simple glasses or more complex glass boxes. But we were there to see what it takes to manufacture probably the most complex sapphire case we have ever seen with the Bugatti Chiron from Jacob & Co. and we were not disappointed.
I hope you will enjoy this behind the scene video as much as we enjoyed making it!

[Chief]

Sapphire scratches at a level 8 with deeper grooves at a level 9.

[gkelly]

Thanks for giving this look behind the curtain! Shaped sapphire like this has always been so fascinating to me, very rewarding to see how it's done.

[vasyapupken]

being a product designer/engineer myself it s such a fun to watch consumer videos like this ) with all this "specialty" and awesome "uniqueness" leading to higher retail price.
"wow its a special aluminium powder" - nope. its a regular aluminium powder. produced in large quantity and dirt cheap.
"wow this material is so hard that only diamond will cut it" - just like other shit ton of hard materials. that's why diamond tooling are mass produced and dirt cheap.
"wow we develop a special polishing technique" - you mean that good old technique of polishing optical pieces? guess the cost of it )))
and yes, the sapphire crystal itself - blank of appropriate size will cost around 100$

[Intredo]

The watch may not be my cup of tea, but I really appreciate this insight view of the manufacturing. Thank you for this in-depth video!

[frankcohen]

Congratulations WATCHES TV on 10 years! -Frank

[JamesAlexander]

What a fantastic insightful video Marc. Even I didn’t realise what craftsmanship went into creating such an interesting part of the watch. What is really interesting is that the manufacture isn’t just about machining and that it requires a dedicated human touch to attempt perfection. Thank you Marc. Once again a great video. Bravo and Viva La Watchmaking❤️🙏

[hoffmancapote]

Thanks Marc

Great video again Marc. It is the first all Saphire case I have seen. I can well imagine it is a case that needs time to appreciate this watch with this material because of its unusual appearance.

[SinnerAndSaint]

I don't get the hate about the brand many have... Jacob & Co. is very open and transparent about what and how they do things. I think you can't deny that they produce some really amazing timepieces that are truly incredible horological engineering! Thanks so much for showing, MAD!

[marcusp]

I have had the pleasure off seeing this watch in person, I can hand on heart say it's an amazing work of art

[davidrees]

Thank you, this was fascinating! I would have liked to see a completed watch on someone's wrist.

[GGMattt]

Stunning work as always from Jacob&Co

[lawrencelibby]

Thank you for this, Marc-Andre. As a machinist with a some familiarity with hard substances, I've been wondering how they can make watch cases so cheaply, if at all! 80 to 120 hours just for one case part.

[standias]

Nice video! Was always curious about the sapphire cases.

[frankcohen]

Wow! What a wonderful way to greet the new day. Thank you for this video. I had no idea of how crazy sapphire cases were to make. -Frank

[GoFastJames]

Thanks for sharing a well-done video. From the very few that have seen the finished product in person say the Jacob / Bugatti Chiron sapphire is one the clearest and best examples of doing a Sapphire case watch. With more videos coming out showing close up can see the case is on another level. Will be interesting to see what's next to push the limits.

[robertnorth]

Very instructive and amazing design. Can't imagine wearing this on my wrist, but the craftmanship is undeniable.

[VLXVNDR]

Great video. But when will everyone stop acting like diamonds are rare??… Diamonds used within tools is incredibly common. It’s the diamond companies hoarding them and telling us they’re valuable which continues the facade.
Looks cool, would rather a Casio G-Shock tbh 👌🏼

[lew]

Thank you for showing the insight of a sapphire case, people tend to underrate sapphire because it looks less flashy for some people.

[zimbakin]

Thanks for explaining and showing the process. The detail and craftsmanship is incredible. I was always quick to dismiss the hype around sapphire glass. Not any more, cheers.

[vtsaxproduction]

J'attendais avec impatience cette vidéo, vraiment superbe de voir le processus de fabrication de cette boite. Au plaisir de vous revoir. 
Vincent