zelin0802 / December 8, 2022

Jacob Arabo’s eponymous label is forging a clear path to horological legitimacy.

I’ve struggled to put into words the impact fake Jacob & Co. has had on the haute horlogerie world. Because there really is no one in the industry quite like Jacob Arabo. Arabo came to New York from Russia at the age of 14. At 16, he began apprenticeship as a jeweler to help support his family. While making jewelry for other brands, he sold his creations as a sideline, then in New York, 1986.

His designs quickly caught the attention of singer Faith Evans, who turned her husband Notorious BIG on to Arabo’s work. Soon, he was known as “Jacob the Jeweler” in hip-hop lyrics. But it wasn’t just celebrities who attracted Jacob & Co.—collectors also took notice of his luxury timepieces, as Arabo specializes in highly complex timepieces with unconventional designs made from precious materials such as rare gemstones.

Arabo is a self-made man who approaches watchmaking the same way he picks out the best gems: with great technical dexterity and a certain respect for decadence. Some might say it’s overdone, but at the same time, there’s something dazzling about Jacob & Co.’s work. The following five timepieces perfectly embody this unconventional manufacturing method.

Jacob & Co 3-D Astronomia Minute Repeater Watch
Truly an otherworldly watch. 3-D Astronomia debuted at Baselworld in 2014 and has grown more brilliant and complex every year. This year, Jacob & Co. launched a minute repeater watch to raise funds for this extremely rare watch.

It features a carillon minute repeater with three gongs and hammers (instead of the usual two). The gongs are stacked vertically so that you can better see them in action through the side of the sapphire case. The chime chimes in the familiar Doh Re Mi tone to mark the hours, minutes and 15-minute intervals, and an innovative safety feature protects the mechanism by preventing the wearer from winding the watch when it strikes the time. Four arms radiating from the center support a three-axis tourbillon.

On ice, the 3-D Astronomia features 15.44-carat sapphires in two shades of blue, with baguette diamonds on the plate and case. The display also features a one-carat spherical diamond and a painted dial rotating globe. The coolest part? A flying astronaut spinning around the axis of the 3D Earth! replica tourbillon watches