GEM-SETTING
Case : Set with 76 Emerald-cut, Natural, No-heat Emeralds and 1 White Rose-cut Ruby
Inner Ring : Set with 76 Emerald-cut, Natural, No-heat Emeralds
Movement Bridges : Set with 57 White Baguette-cut Natural, No-heat Emeralds
Bracelet : Set with 504 Emerald-cut, Natural, No-heat Emeralds
Total Carat Weight : 714 Natural, No-heat Emeralds (147.65 ct.)
DESIGN INSPIRATION
Billionaire is born from the profound love Jacob Arabo has for diamonds. Of all gems, it holds a special place in his creative heart and mind. Since his earliest days as a jeweler, he has developed a passion for perfection, for the most lavish, large, white and pure of diamonds. Since the early days of Jacob & Co., Jacob Arabo has dreamt about a culminating creation where diamonds and watchmaking would both peak together. In 2016, that intimate calling came to fruition with the release of a skeleton, tourbillon, one-of-one timepiece entirely set with very large diamonds : Billionaire. With a price tag, number of diamonds and design that had never been seen before, the first Billionaire shattered all records, and was followed by several variations. Billionaire III is a true heir to the original Billionaire. The bar for the 656 emerald-cut diamonds is set extremely high. Their intense whiteness, their cream-of-the-crop purity, their individual size, especially the ones on the case, and the fact that the 129-carat Billionaire III is being edited in 18 pieces is all a testament to the level of expertise, dedication and exclusivity Jacob & Co. has achieved.
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Billionaire III is first and foremost a piece of high jewelry watchmaking. Its movement has been developed to serve the needs of extensive gem-setting. It therefore stands out by its structure. Rarely has a skeleton movement been supported by bridges so thin. They're laid out in a geometric fashion, mimicking the facets of a diamond.
What's more, the bridges of caliber JCAM39 are made of white gold, allowing them to receive the 57 baguette-cut white diamonds that unite it with the case. Using any material traditional to watchmaking would have been impossible: they're too hard for the setting process, which would have bent the bridges out of shape.
Despite its extremely thin bones, caliber JCAM39 is fitted with a high-end tourbillon, vertically aligned with a large barrel. The energy it stores allows this hand-wound movement to beat for 72 hours, a record for a timepiece of this magnitude.
THE COMPLICATIONS AND FEATURES
Caliber JCAM39 is as thin and discrete as possible. It leaves diamonds front and center. In order to blend in the dense array of emerald-cut gems, its delicate bridges are made of white gold and set with 57 baguette-cut diamonds.
THE SKELETON MOVEMENT
Caliber JCAM39 was specifically developed for the Billionaire collection. It offers maximum transparency thanks to its skeletonized form. All the components that should be full are hollowed out. The structure becomes the shape...and then disappears under the sheer light of diamonds.
THE TOURBILLON
The tourbillon's original purpose is to counterbalance the negative effects gravity has on a movement's accuracy. By putting its escapement into a constant spin, it counteracts this natural defect. In the process, it becomes a rotating, fascinating and prestigious creation. A manifestation of expertise and craft, designed for a spectacular type of chronometry.
THE LIFESTYLE
Large, assertive, brilliant and gleaming with the light of hundreds of large diamonds, Billionaire III is the ultimate statement of wealth. Its unique allure is fit for kings, whatever their own particular kind of castle may be.
