Parmigiani and Bugatti at Pebble Beach 2013

ED209 · 2013-08-20T00:31:12Z

Explore the exclusive Parmigiani and Bugatti event at Pebble Beach 2013, featuring rare vintage Bugattis like the 57S Torpedo and Type 46, alongside Parmigiani's Bugatti-inspired watches.

ED209

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

25 replies13354 views0 photos

ED209's report from the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance offers a captivating glimpse into the exclusive Parmigiani and Bugatti event. This article highlights the synergy between high horology and automotive excellence, showcasing rare vintage Bugattis alongside Parmigiani's Bugatti-inspired timepieces. It provides valuable context for understanding the enduring partnership between these two luxury brands.

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The PuristSPro Team recently made a roadtrip up to the famed Pebble Beach area in Northern California to take part in the festivities for the Concours d'Elegance, The Quail Motorsports Gathering, and Legends of the Autobahn events. The entire week was filled with viewing and driving some of the most exotic automobiles in the world. There were many rare classic cars, prototypes, race cars, along with modern high-tech newly introduce cars that makes this annual event a special place for car enthusiasts.

We arrived in the Monterey Peninsula area in the early afternoon last Thursday and began our test and evaluation of several sports cars (more on this in an upcoming report in our Automotive Forum). After a few moments back at our hotel to refresh ourselves we drove down to the scenic 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach to the beautiful private estate for a special event hosted by Parmigiani and Bugatti. The 17-Mile Drive is a gated community with several golf courses (including the highly regarded Pebble Beach Golf Links golf course) and mansions that line the picturesque area along the Pacific coast.

During the cocktail hour we enjoyed tasty hors d'oeuvres and champagne while hovering over two vintage Bugatti's. The first (and my personal favorite) is a Bugatti 57S Torpedo Competition model with an Elektron magnesium body. Brushed finished surfaces on the exterior body panels with the signature seams and rivets were beautifully done.

The riveted body panels extends to the interior of the Bugatti and looking closer at the cockpit you can see instrument panel with the same brushed finish. If you look closely, you can see the Jaeger gauges.

The proud owner, Mr. Jim Hull poses for a few pictures with his Bugatti.

The Bugatti Type 57S Torpedo Competition is an extremely rare car. I had an opportunity to speak to Mr. Hull and he mentioned that this car was shown only once in 1935 at the Paris Auto Salon as Bugatti's sports racing car. The car did not sell at the show in 1935 so it was taken back to the factory and was dismantled for unknown reasons. The chassis itself was preserved and made a brief appearance around 1960 when the Bugatti factory was closing and was eventually sold. After much research using period photos and factory drawings Mr. Hull and his team spent 8 years on recreating the body and then attaching it to the chassis.

Underneath the hood is a total work of automotive engineering art.

I was also impressed to hear that the Bugatti Type 57S was entered in the weekend at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Race Laguna Seca.

Coming up in part 2 are more pics and video of the Parmigiani watch collection and another special vintage Bugatti. Please stayed tuned!

Regards,
ED-209
This message has been edited by ED209 on 2013-08-20 11:46:48

Key Points from the Discussion

Parmigiani and Bugatti's collaboration began in 2001, leading to the 2004 Bugatti Type 370 with its transversal engine-inspired movement and the 2010 Super Sport, which integrates dynamic Veyron styling.
The event showcased two historically significant Bugattis, an open-top sports version and an elegant saloon, alongside unique Parmigiani Fleurier timepieces that mirrored their distinctiveness.
The Bugatti Type 46, built in 1930 and owned by collector Mr. Rick Adams, was also on display, having previously won the Art Center Car Classic Designer's award.
The Parmigiani Bugatti concept, with its unique movement arrangements, has been admired for nearly a decade, with the Super Sport model being particularly well-received for its design.
The integration of high-tech materials in the Parmigiani Bugatti watches effectively conveys a sense of speed, aligning with the automotive theme.
A contributor expressed a preference for the EB logo on Bugatti watches but noted its absence on the Super Sports model, highlighting a design dilemma for collectors.

The Discussion

KIH

Aug 20, 2013

Can't wait for the Part 2! Nice car - I only know Bugatti of this period.... (I am not THAT old, though)... :-) Lucky (and most likely wealthy) owner! Ken

ocwatching

Aug 20, 2013

looks like it was another great weekend in Monterey Bay.. a few of my friends were up there... Looking forward to Part 2!

ED209

Aug 20, 2013

Hi Ken, Thanks for reading the post, those vintage Bugatti's were really cool with all the details and finishing. More coming up soon. Regards, ED-209

ED209

Aug 20, 2013

Hi ocwatching, Hope all is well. Wish you could have joined us, it was fun. Will post up part 2 soon. Enjoy the pics! Regards, ED-209

patrick_y

Aug 20, 2013

Thank you Ed! The Parmigiani and Bugatti Private Event at Pebble Beach was an evening of elegance and class. Held at a beautiful private home within Pebble Beach. The evening not only show-cased two very important and historically significant Bugattis, one an open top sports-version, the other an enclosed elegant saloon, but also showcased Parmigiani Fleurier timepieces that were unique watches that were so unique, it took two Bugattis to parallel them. Here are some pictures of the Bugatti in E

timerider

Aug 20, 2013

watch from the opening picture? Best, Tim

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