Watch Paparazzi

Model Elsa Hosk spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Elsa Hosk was recently spotted wearing a Jacob & Co Brilliant Flying Tourbillon in 18KT white gold, reference BT543.30.CB.CB.B — a timepiece that stops conversation not because it is subtle, but because it is the precise opposite. The sighting adds Hosk to a short list of figures willing to wear something this architecturally aggressive on the wrist in public.

The Jacob & Co Brilliant collection is built around a spherical case construction that departs entirely from conventional watchcase geometry. Reference BT543.30.CB.CB.B features an 18KT white gold case pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds across virtually every external surface, including the integrated bracelet. At its heart sits a hand-wound flying tourbillon movement — a complication in which the tourbillon carriage rotates without an upper bridge, creating the illusion that it floats freely within the dial. The movement beats at 21,600 vph and delivers approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Dial visibility is necessarily secondary to spectacle here, which is precisely the point.

From a collector standpoint, the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon occupies an interesting position. It is not a piece that serious tool-watch collectors chase, nor one that appears in mainstream complication discussions. Its significance lies elsewhere: it represents Jacob & Co's core thesis — that watchmaking craft and jewelry-house excess can occupy the same object without compromise. The gem-setting alone on a piece like this requires hundreds of hours of skilled labor, and the flying tourbillon adds genuine horological substance beneath the diamonds.

Hosk, a Stockholm-born model who spent years as a Victoria's Secret Angel, has developed a public persona that balances Scandinavian minimalism with a clear appetite for high-impact fashion. Wearing a piece at this price tier — UK list £420,000 — signals genuine engagement with the high-jewelry watch category rather than a borrowed press placement.

On the secondary market, heavily gem-set tourbillons from Jacob & Co trade inconsistently, largely dependent on condition and provenance. The BT543.30.CB.CB.B is not a frequent grey-market listing, which makes precise valuation difficult. Buyers in this segment typically transact through auction or authorized dealer relationships rather than open resale platforms.