Key Highlights
- The Billionaire II is crafted in white gold, serving as the structural canvas for an extensive diamond setting across the case and bracelet.
- An emerald-cut diamond constellation wraps continuously around both the case and the bracelet, creating an uninterrupted field of brilliance.
- A skeletonized tourbillon sits at the mechanical core of the piece, with the tourbillon itself set with baguette-cut diamonds.
- The Billionaire II is a one-of-one creation — a singular timepiece produced in a single example.
- JACOB & CO positions this watch under its “Inspired by the Impossible” design philosophy.
An Icon Carved in Light
JACOB & CO has long occupied a singular position at the intersection of jewellery and mechanical watchmaking. Founded by Jacob Arabo and headquartered in New York, the brand has built its reputation on timepieces that refuse to treat gemstones and horology as separate disciplines. The Billionaire II is perhaps the clearest expression of that philosophy — a watch where the jewellery is not decorative trim but the very architecture of the object itself.
White gold forms the structural foundation of the Billionaire II, but its presence is almost entirely consumed by stone. Emerald-cut diamonds are arranged in what the brand describes as a constellation, wrapping across the case and extending across the bracelet in a continuous, unbroken formation. The result is a piece that reads less like a wristwatch with diamonds and more like a wearable jewel with a mechanical movement concealed within it. For collectors in the GCC who prize both technical credibility and aesthetic opulence in equal measure, this duality is precisely the point.
The Billionaire lineage has always attracted significant attention from high-end collectors across the Gulf — a region where the appetite for one-of-one commissions and extraordinary jewellery watches is among the most sophisticated in the world. The Billionaire II continues that conversation, raising the standard for what a jewellery timepiece is expected to achieve both visually and mechanically. Explore more about the Billionaire II on the official JACOB & CO website.
The Emerald-Cut Constellation
The decision to build the Billionaire II’s stone architecture around emerald-cut diamonds is a deliberate and consequential one. Emerald cuts, with their long, rectangular facets and open tables, demand exceptional clarity in the stones selected — there is nowhere for inclusions or colour inconsistencies to hide. Applied across an entire case and bracelet at this scale, the setting requires not only extraordinary stones but extraordinary precision in the mounting itself, since each cut must align seamlessly with its neighbour to sustain the visual continuity of the constellation effect.
Where many high jewellery watches restrict diamond setting to the bezel, dial chapter ring, or crown, the Billionaire II distributes stones across every visible surface of the case and bracelet. This all-encompassing approach transforms the wrist presence of the piece entirely — at any angle, in any light, the watch returns brilliance rather than metal. Houses such as VAN CLEEF & ARPELS have long demonstrated the potential of this philosophy in jewellery watchmaking, and the Billionaire II extends that ambition into outright maximalism.
The Skeletonized Baguette-Diamond Tourbillon
Beneath the surface spectacle of the Billionaire II lies a movement of equal intent. The skeletonized tourbillon — a complication that mechanically compensates for the effects of gravity on the escapement — is itself set with baguette-cut diamonds. This is an unusual and technically demanding decision. Baguette-cut stones, rectangular and step-faceted, must be individually fitted to the bridges, cages, and components of the tourbillon without impeding its function or adding problematic weight to the rotating assembly.
Skeletonization removes material from the movement plates and bridges to expose the inner workings of the calibre, creating a visual dialogue between the mechanical architecture and the observer. In the Billionaire II, that openwork canvas becomes a further field for stone-setting, so that the tourbillon cage — itself in constant rotation — carries diamonds through its cycle. The mechanical heart of the watch is built, in the brand’s own framing, to match the spectacle of the exterior. This is high watchmaking as performance, where the movement is as much on display as the jewellery surrounding it.
Why It Matters
The JACOB & CO Billionaire II represents a category of timepiece that exists almost exclusively for the world’s most discerning private collectors — those for whom one-of-one status and the union of flawless jewellery with certified mechanical complexity are non-negotiable. For GCC collectors and enthusiasts across Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha, where bespoke and ultra-limited horology commands consistent demand, the Billionaire II stands as a reference point for how far the discipline can be pushed. It is a watch that makes no concessions, and in that refusal, finds its own particular authority.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the JACOB & CO Billionaire II a one-of-one piece?
The Billionaire II was created as a single, unique timepiece — meaning only one example exists. This exclusivity is central to its positioning as an uncompromising expression of high jewellery watchmaking.
What type of movement is inside the JACOB & CO Billionaire II?
The Billionaire II houses a skeletonized tourbillon movement, with the tourbillon itself set with baguette-cut diamonds, merging mechanical haute horlogerie with high jewellery craftsmanship.
How are the diamonds arranged on the JACOB & CO Billionaire II?
The watch features an emerald-cut diamond constellation that wraps across both the case and the bracelet, encasing the entire piece in continuous brilliance rather than limiting stone-setting to the dial or bezel alone.
