Watch Paparazzi

Watchmaker Jacob Arabo spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Jacob Arabo, the founder and creative force behind Jacob & Co, was recently spotted wearing one of the most technically ambitious pieces his own manufacture produces — the Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette, reference 750.800.40.BD.BD.1BD. For a watchmaker to choose his own work over the broader canon of haute horlogerie speaks clearly to the confidence he places in what his Geneva atelier has built.

The Jacob & Co Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette ref. 750.800.40.BD.BD.1BD is constructed around the in-house JCAM09 hand-wound movement, which drives the watch's signature four-arm rotating carousel. The central structure revolves once per minute and carries four distinct indications: a triple-axis tourbillon that rotates on its outermost axis every 10 minutes, a 288-facet Jacob-cut diamond functioning as a seconds indicator, a miniature Earth globe rotating once every 24 hours, and the time display itself presented on a bi-axial rotating sphere. The 47mm case in 18-carat white gold is set throughout with baguette-cut diamonds — on the case, lugs, crown, and the skeletonised dial surround — making the movement the only relief from stone.

The Astronomia collection launched in 2014 and immediately repositioned Jacob & Co in collector conversations beyond the brand's jewellery-watch reputation. The Astronomia Solar, Gravitational, and Tourbillon variants demonstrated genuine in-house manufacture credibility, earning coverage from serious horological press alongside the inevitable celebrity clientele. The Baguette variant represents the zenith of that line — the full technical specification married to the maximum jewellery statement.

Arabo built Jacob & Co in New York from the early 1990s, becoming the jeweller of choice for figures including Jay-Z, Diddy, and Michael Jordan before expanding into watchmaking proper. His personal choice to wear ref. 750.800.40.BD.BD.1BD rather than any third-party marque underlines the brand's maturation from celebrity accessory supplier to serious manufacture.

At a UK RRP of £710,000, the Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette occupies ultra-high jewellery-complications territory. Grey market movement on pieces at this price point is limited and highly discreet, with values tracking closely to retail given the bespoke diamond-setting component.