Taking the amalgamation of high jewellery and advanced horological technology a step forward, American wristwatch house Jacob & Co. has unveiled its latest creation which costs USD 20 million. Studded with the finest yellow diamonds and featuring some of the most unimaginable time-keeping features, this timepiece aptly suits its name — Billionaire Timeless Treasure.
Jacob & Co. launched the Billionaire line in 2015, and since then has worked on it continuously to push the boundaries of creating statement luxury timepieces, each with its own set of rare diamonds, rubies and precious gems. The Billionaire Timeless Treasure is the latest drop and was introduced to the world at the annual Watches & Wonders exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland on 27 March 2023.
All about Jacob & Co.’s Billionaire Timeless Treasure wristwatch
Gems and precious stones
For this luxury asset, the brand wanted the finest yellow diamonds of the same colour and quality. It took nearly three and a half years to look for the perfect gemstones across the world and cut them to adorn the gold bracelet, bezel, dial and crown of the watch.
The Jacob & Co. website says, “Billionaire Timeless Treasure is made of 425 Asscher-cut yellow diamonds, 76 emerald-cut and kite-cut tsavorite and 57 baguette-cut yellow diamonds set on its skeleton tourbillon movement. The total of 482 yellow diamonds weighs an incredible 216.9ct., creating a divine glow for an eternal timepiece.” The diamonds are cut with meticulous precision to provide a kaleidoscope effect while the yellow gold case is made to “measure, link by link, prong by prong and fine-tuned for each of the gems it’s destined to receive.”
The diamonds are either 100 per cent natural fancy yellow or fancy intense yellow stones. Such diamonds are incredibly rare — “10,000 to 1 occurrence ratio compared to white diamonds,” as shared by the brand in an Instagram post. On the other hand, the tsavorites form an ornate frame around the JCAM39 calibre creating a vivid contrast of colours in the watch.
It took 25 highly-skilled craftsmen to make the Billionaire Timeless Treasure watch, including 10 specialist individuals trained in diamonds and 15 craftsmen who intricately designed the yellow gold frame.
Seraina Wicht, the head of gemology watch production at Jacob & Co., who supervised the entire process said, “It is a kind of project that comes once in a lifetime, we will not be able to make a second one.”
Horological features of the Billionaire Timeless Treasure
The luxury watch accounts for the house’s finesse and mastery of horological treasures. The JCAM39 calibre has a power backup of 72 hours and offers utmost accuracy by a rotating regulating organ.
The website also mentions, “The skeleton tourbillon movement Jacob & Co. uses in all its Billionaires is so thin, so fine it might go unnoticed at first sight.” It further adds, “The extremely fine skeleton inside Billionaire Timeless Treasure is enhanced with 57 baguette-cut yellow diamonds. Each gem has been invisibly set on a bridge thinner than 0.2 mm. And to match the colour scheme of this extraordinary timepiece, it’s been yellow-gold plated, while its hands receive green tips.”
On the other side of this stunning piece, where one can see the movements through the sapphire case back, the word ‘billionaire’ is engraved along with a smiley face in an ‘o’. All for some added fun.
(Main and Featured image credit: Jacob & Co.)
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