This past week Bentley simultaneously debuted their new SUV – the Bentayga – at the Frankfurt Motor Show and on the streets of New York City. The US launch took place in Midtown on 57th Street in front of the flagship boutique of long-term partner Breitling.
The Bentayga is currently the most expensive production SUV on the market, with a starting price of $229,100. And the most powerful, with a W12 engine that produces 600hp and 664 lb.ft of torque @1250-4500 rpm. And the fastest with a top speed of 187 mph and 0-60 time of 4.0 seconds.
But wait, there’s more.
In addition to coming with Breitling dashboard clock as standard, there is also an optional Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon dashboard clock that CNBC says is expected to cost $234,000 – making it the most expensive dash clock ever.
It literally costs more than the base price of the SUV itself.
The Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon dash clock is based on a 4Hz self-winding mechanical movement with a one-minute flying tourbillon and 50-hour power reserve with dual mainspring power barrels and a gold oscillating weight. It is cased in either 18K white or rose gold, with a black or white mother-of-pearl dial with diamond indices.
If you are wondering how the oscillating weight rotates in order to wind the clock, Bentley developed a special mechanism that will spin the clock around three times every 15-minutes to ensure it is always properly wound. And to impress your passengers, and let’s be honest, yourself, there is a button you can press to manually spin the watch around once on command. There is also a mode that spins the clock around, exposing the crown so you can set the clock when needed. After all, this is a mechanical clock.
Interestingly, there is a window on the top of the dash clock housing that allows a view of the finely finished Swiss movement, including the rose gold axe-shaped rotor.
There is absolutely no need for a mechanical clock in a car dashboard in 2015, but considering it has a built-in winder, visible movement and even illumination that matches the lighting of the car – makes it clear that it was not just some frivolous afterthought added on by a luxury watch company – but a well thought out accoutrement.
