Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Double Tourbillon

Quick specs Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Double Tourbillon
Price: $ 99,000 | approx. € 90.700 | approx. £ 68,800
Size: 44.8 mm
Reference: RLR0220714

Like other models from the Automotive collection of Ralph Lauren this Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Double Tourbillon is inspired by a car. Not just a car but probably one of the most beautiful and expensive cars ever. The Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe.

Only four of these were made, two still exist. A 1936 model and a 1938 model. The 1936 model was sold for at least $ 30 million (some say $ 40 million) at an auction in May 2010 and now belongs to the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. Ralph Lauren owns the other one.

We all know Ralph Lauren for his fashion designs but he is also a dedicated and fanatic car collector. He had a part of his 80-plus collection 3D scanned to create replicas of the most impressive cars in a 1:8 scale. Which are for sale by the way.

The Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Double Tourbillon is an unmistakable automotive watch

Back to the watch. Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co. has a joint venture with the Richemont Group, so yes, there is enough knowledge to make high-end watches. The inspiration by the Bugatti can be found in the dial (matt black) but especially in the bezel. It’s made from amboyna burl wood which is often used in luxury cars (although we are not sure whether it’s in the Bugatti as well). Together with the black leather strap and the typeface for the numbers on the dial the Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Double Tourbillon breaths the atmosphere of the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe.

The movement is produced by the Swiss company Le Cercle des Horlogers. Their double tourbillon is another reflection of the Bugatti’s dashboard. Sure, a double tourbillon doesn’t make the watch more accurate, but it looks fantastic. Esthetics, it’s what made Ralph Lauren one of the biggest fashion designers in the world.