The start of Watches and Wonders 2023 is marked by the release of a new exceptional piece by Jacob and Co: the Billionaire Timeless Treasure.
Founded in 1986 by Jacob Arabov, Jacob and Co specializes in the creation of innovative, spectacular and exceptional watches and jewelry.
The success of the company is closely linked to the passion and creative strength of its founder, who respects traditional craftsmanship and is able to imagine and make the impossible possible.
Partnerships with celebrities such as Rihanna, Ronaldo, and many others have allowed to show everyone the magnificence and complexity of the watch pieces.
Launched in 2015, the custom-created Billionaire I model had already taken several years of work with its 239 emerald-cut diamonds. The Billionaire was a huge international success, prompting Jacob & Co to create a new unique piece.
2023, Jacob and Co unveils its new iteration of the Billionaire, worthy of a museum, just like its stratospheric price of $20,000,000.00.
Never before has a timepiece been set with so many stones in the history of fine jewelry watchmaking.
The realization of the Billionaire Timeless Treasure will have required ten people for the research, the sorting and the cutting of the stones, fifteen others for the structure in yellow gold, the setting and the emboitage.
"Everything seemed impossible. First, to get our hands on so many stones of such rare color and size. Second, to have all the stones meet our requirements in the rough, before cutting. Third, to maintain color consistency after cutting. And fourth, to cut each stone so that it fits perfectly in its own little bed of yellow gold. Jacob& Co has never taken on such a challenge.
After a quest for three and a half years around the world, Jacob & Co. have virtually exhausted the market for exceptional yellow diamonds, searching for size and quality to create the new version of the Billionaire, a watch of eternal beauty.
The difficulty was also in the choice of stones for their colors, Fancy Yellow and Fancy Intense Yellow, to be in perfect harmony with each other. Moreover, yellow diamonds are much rarer than white diamonds, there is 1 yellow diamond for every 10,000 white diamonds on earth.
Originally, 880 carats of rough yellow diamonds have been cut for thousands of hours (Asscher cut) to reach 216.89 carats. They were arranged in a mosaic. Another challenge was the Asscher cutting process. The square shape with slanted corners requires 57 facets and much larger blanks than the typical brilliant cut. The yellow stones are highlighted with green tsavorites.
The tourbillon skeleton movement is decorated with 57 yellow baguette diamonds.
"We have traveled the world for three and a half years in search of an unprecedented number of perfect gems. We gathered them here in our Geneva headquarters, where each one was examined in its raw state, during the cutting process, before and after setting. The incredible work done by our setters took place entirely here in Geneva. We combined our expertise in fine jewelry with our skills in fine watchmaking and used our dynamism to achieve what has never been done before. We have created a unique piece that surpasses all other fine jewelry timepieces in terms of opulence, exclusivity and diamond quality.
This exceptional piece, reserved for a privileged few, is remarkable for its conception and design. One can only be subjugated by the quality of this timepiece, the stones, the reflections in the light. The movement is a masterpiece, skeletonized with taste, highlighting the beautifully decorated components. It will not please everyone, with its stones a little too showy, but it is the DNA of the piece, we adhere or not. It is necessary to underline the work of the manufacture, to always want to push back the possibilities, with a requirement of high standing.
Why are Jacob & Co watches so expensive?
Jacob & Co. watches are considered fine timepieces and are made with high quality materials such as gold, diamonds and other precious stones, which contributes to their high price. The design and production of these watches is complex and requires advanced watchmaking skills, which also adds to their cost.
When was Jacob & founded?
Jacob & Co was founded in 1986 by Jacob Arabo, also known as Jacob the Jeweler. Based in New York, the company is renowned for its luxurious and extravagant jewelry and watch designs.
What are Jacob & Co's greatest achievements?
Jacob & Co is known for its exceptional creations and innovative designs. The Astronomia, the Billionaire, the Twin Turbo Furious, are some of their most beautiful creations.
What is the most expensive watch ever made?
The most expensive watch ever made is the Graff Diamonds Hallucination. This exceptional watch is valued at approximately $55 million. Other houses like Jacob and Co have produced some of the most expensive models ever made like the "Billionaire Timeless Treasure".
About the author
Mathieu CeliPassionate about timepieces, and everything that revolves around them for many years, my ambition is to share my watchmaking adventure, and help you to enlighten yourself on this world that seems so inaccessible, and yet, is not. Every watchmaking story is initiated by encounters, and continues with an endless curiosity, a real addiction to the very embodiment of time.
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