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Royal Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the ruling Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi, was recently spotted on the wrist with one of Jacob & Co's most theatrically constructed pieces — the Epic X Chrono in 18K rose gold with a factory baguette diamond bezel, reference EX100.40.LD.OW.A. The sighting underlines the model's enduring resonance among Middle Eastern royalty and high-net-worth collectors who prize technical showmanship alongside decorative ambition.

The Epic X Chrono is built around one of Jacob & Co's most recognisable design signatures: an open-worked X-shaped movement architecture that doubles as the dial itself. The 44mm rose gold case houses the in-house manual-winding JCAM37 calibre, a column-wheel chronograph movement with approximately 72 hours of power reserve. The movement's bridges and plates are deliberately shaped into the X framework, giving the wearer a direct sightline through the case to the components doing the work. Water resistance is rated to 30 metres — respectable for a complication of this visual complexity.

What distinguishes this particular reference is the factory-set bezel: 26 baguette-cut white diamonds set in a channel running the full circumference of the case. Baguette setting at this scale demands exceptional lapidary precision — each rectangular stone must be individually calibrated to maintain geometric continuity. Jacob & Co handles this work in-house, and the result carries a very different weight than aftermarket diamond work. The combination of the open industrial dial architecture and the formally set diamond bezel creates a deliberate tension that defines Jacob & Co's aesthetic position.

Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan's choice of this reference speaks to a collector sensibility that is well established across Gulf royalty — where Jacob & Co competes directly with Richard Mille and Hublot for wrist time at formal and social occasions. The brand has cultivated deep relationships in the region, and pieces like the Epic X Chrono diamond variants occupy a specific niche: serious horology dressed for maximum visual impact.

The Epic X Chrono EX100.40.LD.OW.A carries a UK list price of £112,000, positioning it firmly in the upper tier of the Jacob & Co catalogue. On the secondary market, diamond-set Epic X references have shown stable demand among Gulf and Asian buyers, with grey-market pricing broadly tracking close to retail given the personalised nature of the diamond configuration.