Since its introduction in 2015, the Jacob & Co. Billionaire has reached fame as the watch coveted by all with a price tag surpassing $18 million. With only one in existence worldwide, the Billionaire is a unique piece adorned with Emerald-Cut Diamonds with an approximate carat weight of 260 carats.
Now, Jacob & Co. is using the ASHOKA® diamond for the very first time in a diamond-encrusted tourbillon timepiece.
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THE TOURBILLON MOVEMENT
The one-minute tourbillon of the Billionaire Ashoka is haute horlogerie’s response to the high jewelry tour de force that surrounds it. With its black mirror polished upper cage – a finishing technique that requires immense patience and dexterity – hand-beveled and hand-polished edges and calculated operation, the tourbillon is the only complication to live up to the breathtaking visual experience of the diamond-set exterior.
The tourbillon encapsulates the balance wheel, hairspring, escape wheel and a number of other crucially important, superbly finished components. Its most careful assembly is followed by a painstaking fine-tuning process, allowing the Billionaire to keep accurate time throughout its extended, 72-hour power reserve.
EXCLUSIVE JACOB & CO JCAM09 SKELETONIZED CALIBER
The white gold case of the Billionaire ASHOKA® measures 54x40mm and houses a skeletonized tourbillon movement, exclusive to Jacob & Co. Artistry in and of itself, skeletonizing this tourbillon movement removes every bit of extraneous material, leaving only what is necessary to ensure precise and robust operation. Every surface is chamfered, polished and finished to perfection. This manual-wind, almost see-through timepiece has an impressive power reserve of 72 hours.
Jacob & Co.’s watchmakers have been skeletonizing movements for decades, so they understand exactly where and how much to remove, and the result is a nearly see-through movement, configured vertically to maximize the beauty of this tourbillon-powered engine on the wrist.
The result is a “jewel” of a movement, putting all the gears, wheels, and parts on linear display.
THE DIAMOND SETTING
The Billionaire ASHOKA® from Jacob & Co. is a pièce unique, and only one will ever be made.
The ASHOKA® diamonds are all set by hand, placed to accentuate the light and the reflection. This work is accomplished by one gem setter over the course of many man-hours, and he doesn’t move on until the watch and bracelet are completely finished.
THE ASHOKA® DIAMOND
The Billionaire ASHOKA® from Jacob & Co. is a pièce unique, and only one will ever be made.
The entirety of the watch, outside of the movement, is covered in ASHOKA® diamonds, including the case, lugs, bezel, bracelet and clasp, with the exception of the rose-cut white diamond on the crown. The total carat weight of this unique piece is over 189 carats.
The ASHOKA® is the spectacular, proprietary diamond cut created by William Goldberg, named after a legendary third-century warrior, one of India’s greatest emperors, King Ashoka Maurya. With a rectangular shape, rounded corners, and 62 precisely-cut facets (more than the 57 facets of a round diamond), the ASHOKA® is quite rare. Less than 1% of all rough diamonds even possess the potential to become an ASHOKA® – making the Billionaire ASHOKA® an extraordinarily special piece.
A BRACELET LIKE NO OTHER
The stunning 316L bracelet is completely hand-set with 252 Ashoka-cut white diamonds. A work of art by itself, it perfectly complements and continues the setting on the case.
AN ASTONISHING HAUTE JOILLERIE CREATION
Jacob & Co. is one of the few brands that has the legitimacy to create high and fine jewelry, as well as high-end watches.
The diamond and gemstones industry is a closed society, and it is really a relationship business. Sourcing the very best diamonds and gemstones depends on reputation and personal connections, and thankfully Jacob & Co. has solid, decades-long relationships.
As a result, Jacob & Co. has access to the very best sources of diamonds and gemstones from all over the world. Many of the gem-set timepieces, like the Billionaire Ashoka, require meticulous care in the choosing of stones for quality, cut, clarity, and matching color. This can take many months or years, depending on the exact colors needed.
Jacob & Co. is also an expert in the setting of these stones, working with the very best gem setters in the industry.
CASE AND CRYSTAL
The 316L case of the Billionaire ASHOKA® measures 54x40mm and is set with 38 Ashoka Cut White Diamonds, while the crown is set with 1 Rose Cut White CZ Diamond. Both the front and the back are protected and covered by sapphire crystals with anti-reflective treatment.
DIAL AND HANDS
The beauty of skeletonized watches is that there are no dials – instead the highest quality sapphire crystals expose the details of the movement, including the wheels, gears, balance, bridges, and mainspring barrel. The skeletonized hands in the center, hand-finished and rhodium-plated, indicating the hours and minutes, float over the mechanical splendor. The indices of the Billionaire Ashoka are set with 11 baguette white diamonds
AT A GLANCE
The perfect combination of high jewelry and high-watchmaking
The entirety of the watch, outside of the movement, is covered in Ashoka white diamonds, including the case, lugs, bezel, bracelet, and clasp, with the exception of the rose-cut white diamond on the crown.
The diamonds in the Billionaire ASHOKA® are set using the difficult and sophisticated “invisible setting” (meaning none of the supporting metal is visible)
Expertly skeletonized 60-second, high-watchmaking tourbillon
Skeletonized hands stand out over the nearly transparent tourbillon movement
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