Watch Paparazzi

Musician DJ Khaled spotted wearing Jacob & Co

At the NBA All-Star Game weekend, DJ Khaled arrived wearing what is, by most objective measures, one of the most expensive and diamond-heavy wristwatches available to private buyers: the Jacob & Co Billionaire III. The piece immediately drew attention, its bracelet catching arena lighting in a way few manufactured objects can. The sighting was documented at close range, confirming the watch's identity beyond doubt.

The Billionaire III is built around a rectangular case constructed entirely in 18k white gold, then subjected to what Jacob & Co describes as an 'invisible setting' technique — 604 emerald-cut white diamonds, totaling approximately 260 carats, are set so tightly that no metal is visible between stones on the case, bezel, lugs, and integrated bracelet. The result is a continuous surface of faceted stone. The movement powering this spectacle is the proprietary JCAM09 calibre: a manually-wound, skeletonized tourbillon beating at 21,600 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. The openworked dial structure is deliberately angular, its star-pattern bridges echoing the baguette geometry of the exterior setting. Blue-treated steel hands provide the only chromatic contrast visible through the diamond latticework.

From a collector standpoint, the Billionaire series occupies an unusual position. It is not a complication watch in the traditional haute horology sense — its appeal is unapologetically lapidary. Jacob & Co produces these in extremely limited numbers, with each example requiring months of stone-setting labor. The Billionaire III represents the brand's most ambitious iteration of the concept, pushing diamond weight beyond what earlier versions achieved.

DJ Khaled has built one of the most documented watch collections in contemporary hip-hop, with a consistent preference for Jacob & Co's most extreme offerings. His wearing of the Billionaire III at one of American sports culture's highest-visibility events is entirely consistent with his public persona and his long-standing relationship with the brand.

At a listed retail price of approximately $3 million USD, the Billionaire III is not a grey-market watch in any conventional sense — secondary market transactions are private, bespoke, and rare. Comparable pieces have traded above retail when diamonds of this quality and total weight are independently assessed. Provenance and celebrity ownership add a further premium that is difficult to quantify but historically significant at auction.