Jacob & Co. has never been a shy brand. Their watches are mechanical spectacles combining extreme horological complications with high-jewellery opulence. The Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut is the latest example of a theatrical timepiece by the maison that excels in “The art of the impossible”.
The new watch introduces something genuinely new: the patented Angel Cut, a proprietary diamond cut developed in-house over two years and launched as part of the brand’s 40th anniversary. In addition, there is an element of romanticism: the name comes from Angela Arabov, Jacob Arabo’s wife and the cut has 37 facets marking the couple’s 37 years of marriage.
There is also a technical reason for Jacob & Co. to develop the Angel Cut. It addresses a familiar problem in rectangular stones: they preserve material well, but rarely deliver light with the same energy as round brilliant cuts. The answer here is a stepped rectangular outline with cut corners and, crucially, a lozenge-shaped table that modulates and returns light in a more controlled way. The brand talks about reduced extinction, softened contrast and a more continuous glow. Marketing language, perhaps, but in this case, based on a recognisable gemological challenge.
The patented 37-facet Angel Cut by Jacob & Co features a unique lozenge-shaped table and stepped, cut-corner geometry designed
to optimise light return within rectangular stones.
It definitely helps that Jacob & Co. chose the right watch to debut it. Since the original Billionaire arrived in 2015, the collection has served as the house’s most uninhibited expression of high jewellery watchmaking. The new model keeps that spirit intact: a 54 x 41 mm white-gold case set with 98 Angel Cut diamonds totalling 51.13 carats, with another 88 Angel Cut stones on the dial, joined by emerald-cut diamonds framing the twin flying tourbillons. In total, the watch carries 298 white diamonds weighing about 79 carats. The final touch is the blue alligator leather strap with a diamond-set clasp that ensures that the “Billionaire” experience extends all the way around the wrist.
Beneath all that sits the hand-wound JCAM50 calibre, made up of 460 components with a 72-hour power reserve. This high-complication, hand-wound skeleton movement is defined by its symmetrical architecture, featuring two flying tourbillons that serve as a mechanical anchor for the watch’s extreme gem-setting.
Left: the 18kt white gold case and dial are invisibly set with 298 diamonds creating a “brick-wall” field of light.
Middle: from the caseback, one can appreciate the complex differential system that unites the two flying tourbillons for ultimate accuracy.
Right: even the 18kt white gold deployment buckle is a work of art, invisibly set with 30 Angel Cut diamonds.
Benjamin Arabov, Jacob & Co.’s CEO, sums it up neatly: “The Billionaire has always been our most uncompromising expression of watchmaking and gem-setting. Launching the Angel Cut within this platform was a deliberate decision.” He is right. The Angel Cut needed a dramatic entrance, and Jacob & Co. does drama better than most. Limited to 18 pieces and priced at $3.4 million, this is the ultimate status symbol, on the wrist.
Author: Lina Ress
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