Jacob & Co: the bling-bling watchmaker?
Is Jacob & Co the ultimate bling-bling watchmaker? “Fo Shizzle Dizzle,” Snoop Dogg would retort (pronounced Snoupe Di O dabeul ji).
Given the number of movie, sports and music stars, as well as jet-setters, sporting Jacob & Co watches—some models flirting with, or even crossing, the line into extravagance—the question is worth asking.
Jacob Arabo, also known as “Jacob the Jeweller,” is a famous jeweller who arrived in the United States in 1979. He is known for having “popularised” the use of platinum set with diamonds in show-business circles.
In 2002, Jacob & Co moved into watchmaking (Jacob & Company Watches), producing watches with prices reaching six figures in US dollars.
Two years later, his “tuning” activities on Cartier watches earned him a lawsuit from the company and an out-of-court settlement that was particularly heavy financially.
Worshipped by the hip-hop scene in the United States, artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Pharell Williams, P. Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, Usher and Mary J Blidge find in Jacob & Co products the essential accessories to enhance their videos and public appearances.
The sports world is not to be outdone, with the leading figures in each discipline (Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham, etc.), as is the case with cinema (Tom Cruise, Halle Berry or Brad Pitt).
Despite the undeniable bling-bling side of certain models and their oversized cases, one must acknowledge the high technical prowess of Jacob & Co watches, with a trophy list that includes mastery of fine complications: vertically oriented tourbillons, a quadruple tourbillon, the five time zones of the Five Time Zone collection, the Quenttin’s 31-day power reserve, and so on.
We will gloss over Jacob Arabo’s legal troubles (money laundering in particular) to shine a light on a few remarkable Jacob & Co watches.
The website: www.jacobandco.com
