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Brilliant Tourbillon Baguette Rubies

Case : 18k 5N rose gold ; polished and invisibly set with 205 baguette rubies (approx. 20.11cts) ; crown set with one rose cut ruby and 14 baguette rubies (approx. 1.45cts) ; sapphire glass on caseback Diameter : 47mm

Movement : exclusive manually wound Jacob&Co. caliber JCBM01b Functions : hours, minutes ; power reserve indication on caseback Dial : invisibly set with 160 baguette rubies (approx. 12.34cts) Water-resistance : 30meters Band : alligator ; 18K 5N rose gold tang buckle set with 24 baguette rubies (approx. 1.80cts) Limited edition : 18 pieces

 

Palatial Tourbillon Minute Repeater

Case : grade 5 titanium ; 5N 18K rose gold crown and lever ; sapphire glass on caseback Diameter : 43 mm Movement : exclusive manually wound, minute repeating Jacob&Co. caliber JCBM03a ; 308 components ; one minute flying tourbillon ; frequency 21,600vph (3Hz) ; titanium balance with gold timing screw ; 100-hour power reserve ; bridges with Côtes de Genève, hand-polished angles & draw-finished flanks finishes Functions : hours, minutes; minute repeat Dial : exclusive blue sapphire crystal dial, applied brushed treble clef and Jacob&Co. logo Water-resistance : 30 meters Strap : alligator ; grade 5 titanium tang buckle Limited edition : 18 pieces

Not without reason is the name of Jacob & Co. synonymous with diamonds, and with diamond set timepieces that almost defy description in their beauty and complexity. With 761 diamonds adorning the case and dial, the Grand Baguette Timepiece is one of the most astonishing examples of the diamond cutter and diamond setter’s art. This astonishing horological and gemological masterpiece presented an enormous challenge to realize. Horological gem setting is one of the most, if not the most, demanding branch of sertissage (the art of gem setting). Indeed the geometry of the case and dial place severe constraints on the geometry of each stone, and in a fully decorated timepiece like the Grand Baguette, there are many stones which must be cut and polished to extremely close tolerances in order to produce the unbroken, scintillating surface which is the gem-setter’s goal. Moreover, because each stone is in close proximity to its neighbors, each must be as perfectly matched as possible in terms of color, fire, and clarity in order for the timepiece to present a harmonious overall appearance – especially as each stone is in an invisible setting, which would make even the slightest error in shape or mismatch in color and clarity apparent. The baguette cut also emphasizes the clarity, luster, and whiteness of a diamond but this same property can reveal even the slightest flaw, making the selection, cut, and matching of each stone even more crucial. The process of creating the Grand Baguette was made even more difficult due to the unusual geometry of the case – the pentagonal configuration overall, as well as the different shapes and sizes of the surrounds enclosing the sub-dials, meant that an enormous range of shapes had to be cut and polished (the work is done by hand) and for each stone, a blueprint akin to an architect’s plan has to be created to ensure proper geometry and size.

 

 

Another tour-de force example of the gem-setter’s art, the Brilliant Skeleton Baguette watch combines the fine technique of openworking and horological gem setting. It is thanks to the movement’s unusual design, which incorporates a balance bridge which seems to hold the balance suspended in space, that this amazing timepiece is such a successful example of the art of openworking. In most skeletonized watches the basic design of the movement tends to make for a somewhat unharmonious result, but with the caliber JCAM01a the symmetry and graceful curves of the movement’s plates and bridges, as well as the use of the distinctive balance bridge at 6:00, make it a dramatically successful example of the art of openworking, in which both maximum transparency and a sensitivity to the fundamental architecture of the movement are essential. Surrounding and in dramatic contrast to the hand finished movement, with its meticulously polished and beveled plates and bridges, is a generous white gold case set with 357 baguette cut rubies. Even the crown is decorated with 12 baguette rubies as well as a single rose cut (a traditional, antique cut first used in the 16th century) ruby in the center of the crown.

Inside the Palatial Tourbillon Collection featuring three astonishingly beautiful and hypnotically fascinating tourbillons, the Palatial Tourbillon Minute Repeater adds to the visual dazzle of the tourbillon the musical function of a minute repeater mechanism through the translucent blued sapphire crystal The entire device, which is usually hidden away from view under the dial, is visible here – press the slide which arms and activates the repeater, and you’ll not only hear the hours, quarter hours, and minutes rung on two cathedral gongs, with all the charm of an haute horlogerie timepiece and a musical instrument combined – you’ll also see the incomparable mechanical dance of the complex system of racks, snails, and levers that bring to life the song of time.

 

 

With his usual spirit of committing craftsmanship to the service of beauty, Jacob & Co offers his new seductively feminine Brilliant Steel Collection : consisting of a range of timepieces of unsurpassed elegance, this family features a stainless steel case (32, 38 or 44 mm) adorned with round, brilliant cut diamonds, in full pavé or half-pavé versions, offered with either one or two rows of diamonds set into the case as well as a cornucopia of selections in dial executions. Mother-of-pearl is the basis for all the Brilliant Steel Collection dials, also combined with a rich variety of precious gem dial markers : yellow sapphire, orange sapphire, tsavorite and ruby. For lovers of the fire of brilliant cut diamonds in all their unadulterated glory, there is a full pavé diamond dial offering as well – the largest of the full pavé models, in 44 mm, is resplendent with 497 brilliant cut diamonds.

One of the most iconic of all watches for Jacob & Co. is the famous Five Time Zones watch, which now comes with the Ghost version, using the latest innovations in electronics to create a dramatic and fascinating display of time around the world in a variety of colors. Twenty cities can be chosen for four of the five windows, while the fifth can be set to a local time of the user’s choosing. Most fitting for a world traveler’s watch, it has an internal GPS receiver which will, on demand, lock onto the global GPS satellite network and synchronize itself to the atomic clock controlled GPS network.

 

Brilliant Ruby Skeleton

Case : 18K white gold polished and set with 357 baguette rubies (20.49 cts), crown with 12 baguette rubies (0.54 ct) and one rose cut ruby (0.34 cs), engraved case back edge Diameter : 44mm Movement : exclusive manually wound Jacob&Co. caliber JCAM01a Functions : hours and minutes Water-resistance : 30m Strap : satin, 18K white gold tang buckle set with 21 baguette rubies (1.48 cts)

 

Grand Baguette Diamonds

Case : polished 18K white gold invisibly set with 298 baguette diamonds (approx. 14.36 carats), 5 crowns invisibly set with 70 baguette diamonds (approx. 3.51 cts), circular satin-finished with hand engraved case back Size : 47mm Movement : Swiss made quartz movement Functions : hours, minutes, five time zones, local time and time in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Paris Dial : invisibly set with 120 baguette diamonds (approx. 4.7 cts) and one central diamond (approx. 1.3 carats cts), 4 bezels invisibly set with 280 baguette diamonds (approx. 9.49 carats) ; 18K white gold hand-shaped and polished with blue nickel finish Water-resistance : 30m  Strap : blue alligator strap, 18K white gold tang buckle set with 44 baguette diamonds (approx. 2.60 cts)

 

Brilliant Steel Collection

Case : Polished stainless steel ; crown set with round diamonds ; circular satin-finished and engraved case back, set with 85 to 497 diamonds (0.8 to 6.7 cts) Diameter : 32, 38 or 44mm Movement : Swiss quartz movement Functions :hours, minutes Dial : variations of diamonds, mother-of-pearl, gear design, with multicolored sapphire and ruby hour markers, with or without center pavé set with round diamonds Strap and Clasp : satin strap ; stainless steel polished tang buckle

 

The Ghost

Case : pentagon-shaped, black PVD stainless steel, top micro-blasted bezel  Diameter : 47mm Movement: exclusive Jacob&Co. digital  JCDQ01a caliber; highly precise quartz (32,768Hz; 20ppm); battery Lithium-Polymere 3.7V 80mAh; LCD FFSTN negative Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, month and battery power, multiple time zone, GPS  Dial : LCD screen, digital multiple time zone display, 20 pre-set cities displayed on the first 4 screens, local time on the 5th screen, display colors in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white water-resistance : 30m Strap and Clasp : Vulcanized rubber ; black PVD stainless steel deployment buckle  Variations :  interchangeable bezels:  rubber carbon fiber; black PVD set with diamonds; rose gold set with diamonds


Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

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