If you’re an avid follower of modern day show biz, you’ve surely seen celebrities around the globe wearing Jacob & Co.’s sparkling creations. Singer Alicia Keys wore the brand’s jewelry on her wedding day; rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West vastly praise the diamonds in their music; football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo recently became an ambassador of the brand…and the list goes on.
When it comes to both jewelry and watchmaking, it is precisely mastering how to make its prestigious clientele shine that won Jacob & Co. its reputation. For over a quarter of a century, the brand has proven that it can be both a jeweler and a watchmaker by revolutionizing time zone watches—such as its Five Time Zone and H24 collections—and by merging the world of precious stones with traditional horology.
Jacob & Co.’s Brilliant Skeleton Baguette is a perfect example of the brand’s mastery in both gem-setting and watchmaking. Just as much attention to detail was given to the inside of this timepiece as to its gem-set exterior. Visible through a sapphire glass, the entirely skeletonized Concepto mechanical caliber 3036 seems to be floating through all the sparkle, its balance bridge hanging at six o’ clock. Equipped with a 46-hour power reserve, the manual-winding movement’s polished and beveled plates and bridges take center stage on the openwork dial.
To bring out the beauty of the skeletonized movement, Jacob & Co. has chosen to set the 44mm white-gold case with 357 baguette cut gems—either rubies or diamonds. Even the crown shines, as it is adorned with 12 matching precious stones, in addition to one single rose cut sitting at its summit.
Creating the flawless appearance of the case is far from easy, given that gem-setting is extremely demanding and requires years of expertise to master. Each precious stone needs to match in clarity, color and shape to fit the circular geometry of the case. Due to their rectangular shape, baguette cuts are the easiest to set side by side and also the best to feature the clarity and whiteness of a diamond, thus giving the Brilliant Skeleton Baguette’s case the effect of a shimmering light display.
However, the process becomes increasingly difficult with the ruby-set version of the timepiece. In fact, colored precious stones must not only meet the requirements for cut and clarity, but also must match in both color and color saturation. A ruby only reveals its true colors once cut, so only a very experienced gem-setter has a good enough eye to judge the gem’s color while the stone is still rough.
Dripping in diamonds or encrusted with rubies, nothing but the Brilliant Skeleton Baguette’s hour-and-minute hands remind you to keep track of time. Look out for it in 2014; you’re bound to see it on celebrities walking down glitzy red carpets.
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