Entrepreneur Frank Solman spotted wearing a Jacob & Co

Frank Solman, entrepreneur and known connoisseur of high-complication horology, was photographed at the Jacob & Co boutique in the company of brand founder Jacob Arabo, wearing one of the manufacture's most conversation-stopping creations: the Oil Pump Tourbillon in 18K rose gold. The sighting, shared via @lux_adam, places Solman firmly among the collectors who gravitate toward Jacob & Co's most mechanically theatrical output.

The Jacob & Co Oil Pump Reference AT110.40.AA.AA.A measures 47mm in diameter and is crafted entirely in 18K rose gold. Its defining feature is a fully functional miniaturized oil derrick — a nodding donkey pump — positioned prominently across the upper register of the dial. Powered directly by the watch's mainspring energy, the pump head rises and falls in a continuous motion, referencing the petroleum industry with a mechanical literalness that is characteristically Jacob & Co. The dial architecture is industrial-skeletonized, with a honeycomb-patterned background, exposed pipe work rendered in rose gold, and a flying tourbillon beating at 6 o'clock, its cage framed by red jewel accents. A domed sapphire crystal and additional side sapphire panels offer full 360-degree visibility of the movement's action.

The movement — Calibre JCAM37 — is a manual-wind tourbillon with a 60-hour power reserve. It represents Jacob & Co's in-house engineering capabilities at full stretch: animating a secondary complication (the pump) while maintaining the precision demands of a tourbillon is no trivial exercise in energy management. The result is a piece that sits at the intersection of kinetic sculpture and traditional haute horlogerie.

Collector interest in the Oil Pump has been sustained since its introduction, particularly among buyers connected to the energy sector or those drawn to Jacob & Co's unambiguous design language. The piece is produced in very limited numbers, and rose gold examples with full tourbillon configuration represent the top of the Oil Pump hierarchy. Solman's choice to wear it at the brand's own boutique, alongside Arabo, signals genuine enthusiasm rather than a passive acquisition.

At retail, the Oil Pump Tourbillon in 18K rose gold is listed above $580,000 USD. On the secondary market, demand among niche collectors keeps prices firm, with limited downward pressure given the restricted production numbers and the growing global appetite for animated complications from independent manufactures.