Jacob & Co. Brilliant Pavé

With 761 diamonds adorning the case and dial, the Jacob & Co 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 Jacob & Co 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.