Jacob & Co.’s foray into watchmaking has unfolded in a really interesting way. It was in 2002 when the company, founded by Jacob Arabo, expanded its business into watchmaking. Its diamond-studded, quartz-driven timepieces soon became a staple on the wrists of stars from Jay-Z and Kanye to David Beckham and Leonardo DiCaprio. But over the last decade, its approach to watchmaking has evolved in a dramatically different light, culminating in madly magnificent mechanical contraptions that, incidentally, also tell time on the wrist. While they continue to garner pop culture acclaim, Jacob & Co.’s over-the-top timepieces have become a curio among watch nuts for their imposing, celebratory mechanics that push complication design in exciting new directions.
The Astronomia Tourbillon and Twin Turbo Furious are classic examples of its horological and aesthetic extravagance. In contrast and in a marked departure, this year’s creation, the Jean Bugatti Tourbillon Chronograph, looks incredibly subdued, while nonetheless harboring some serious technical firepower under the hood. The fruit of its longstanding partnership with Bugatti, the timepiece was created to honor Ettore Bugatti’s eldest son, Jean Bugatti, who was a gifted designer and creator of the unforgettable Type 57SC Atlantic and Type 41 Royale.
Limited to 57 pieces for
