Comedian Chris Rock spotted wearing a Jacob & Co

Chris Rock was recently photographed on a casual street outing wearing a Jacob & Co Epic X in black DLC-coated titanium, the skeletonized dial and hexagonal rubber strap immediately distinguishing the piece from the crowd. Rock, known for his sharp aesthetic sensibility off-stage, appears drawn to the watch's dual personality — part motorsport engineering exercise, part haute horlogerie statement.

The Epic X is powered by the JCAM02, a column-wheel manual-winding skeleton movement developed entirely in-house by Jacob & Co. That distinction matters: for years the brand leaned on third-party ebauches, making the JCAM02 a genuine inflection point in the manufacture's horological credibility. The movement is visible through the fully skeletonized dial, exposing the column wheel, bridges, and balance assembly in a layout that draws clear visual inspiration from high-performance engine architecture. Power reserve stands at approximately 48 hours.

The case is constructed from Grade 5 titanium with a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating that delivers both a matte black aesthetic and meaningful scratch resistance — a practical consideration for a watch worn, as Rock demonstrates, in daily life rather than under glass. The hexagonal motif on the rubber strap echoes the case's angular geometry, creating a coherent visual system across the entire piece. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres.

Among collectors, the Epic X occupies an interesting niche. It lacks the stratospheric price points of Jacob & Co's Astronomia or Opera lines, yet it offers genuine in-house movement architecture and titanium construction — credentials that hold up under scrutiny at watch enthusiast gatherings. The all-black DLC execution is the most sought-after variant, consistently outperforming the steel references in collector preference surveys.

At $22,000 USD retail, the Epic X Black DLC Titanium competes directly with Swiss independents like MB&F and HYT entry-level offerings, as well as Hublot's skeleton range. Grey market availability keeps pricing close to retail, with pre-owned examples typically trading between $14,000 and $17,000 depending on condition and box-papers status.