Singer Rihanna spotted wearing a Jacob & Co

When Rihanna stepped forward to confirm her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance in late 2022, the world focused on the cultural weight of the announcement. Watch observers, however, zeroed in on her left wrist: a Jacob & Co high jewellery bracelet watch combining 13.67 carats of white diamonds with 13.05 carats of what appear to be calibrated square-cut rubies, worn over a pink 'God Is A Woman'-era-style stage ensemble — a deliberate contrast of playful streetwear and serious fine jewellery.

The watch itself is a bespoke or very limited boutique commission from Jacob & Co's high jewellery atelier, a division the New York-founded brand has developed since Jacob Arabo established the house in 1986. The case is square, framed by rows of baguette-cut diamonds, with the bracelet constructed from alternating columns of round brilliant diamonds flanking a central channel of square-step-cut rubies. The dial is set entirely in rubies using a mystery-set technique, meaning no metal prongs or settings are visible — just an uninterrupted field of red stone through which the blued steel hands move. Casing is almost certainly 18k white gold. No hour indices are present; legibility is clearly not the priority.

From a collector standpoint, Jacob & Co high jewellery watches of this specification exist in a market segment that overlaps fine jewellery auction houses rather than conventional watch retail. Pieces with comparable ruby and diamond weights — particularly those using calibrated natural rubies of vivid saturation — routinely achieve six-figure valuations, with exceptional examples crossing $500,000 at Christie's and Sotheby's. The mystery dial construction alone adds significant labour cost.

Rihanna's relationship with Jacob & Co is well-documented; the brand has supplied statement jewellery and watches to hip-hop and R&B royalty since the 1990s, counting Jay-Z, Diddy and Drake among its clientele. Wearing a piece of this magnitude to a press announcement — rather than a red carpet — reflects both her personal style philosophy and the brand's positioning as everyday luxury for those to whom such a concept is literal.

No official retail price has been published for this specific configuration, which is consistent with Jacob & Co's bespoke atelier model. Comparable ruby-and-diamond high jewellery bracelet watches from the house have been privately placed in the $300,000–$600,000 range depending on stone provenance and certification. This is not a grey-market watch; resale would occur exclusively through private treaty or major auction.