Created to mark the brand’s 40th anniversary, the Jacob & Co. Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut introduces the brand’s new proprietary diamond cut across a heavily gem-set watch
If you ever (for whatever reason) feel the inclination to draw people’s eyes to your wrist, you will find few watchmakers more suited to the task than Jacob & Co. With its ever-expressive and larger-than-life designs, the brand’s timepieces are so attention-grabbing, they may as well have their own gravitational pull. So when we heard that the brand was celebrating its 40th anniversary with a new timepiece bedizened with a new proprietary and patented diamond cut, we prepared ourselves for a doozy.
It’s no surprise then that the new Jacob & Co. Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut is yet another certified head-turner. Boasting an eye-catching 54 mm by 41 mm 18K white gold case that’s set with 98 Angel Cut diamonds, the watch introduces the brand’s newly developed proprietary diamond cut across its case, dial, and clasp, bringing the total diamond count to 298 stones.
Developed in-house over the course of two years, the cut is named after founder Jacob Arabo’s wife, Angela, and features 37 facets, a number chosen to mark their 37 years of marriage.
Beyond the personal significance, the cut was designed to address a familiar compromise in diamond cutting. Round brilliant cuts are typically optimised for maximum brilliance and light return, but this often comes at the expense of rough diamond yield. Step cuts such as emerald or Asscher cuts, on the other hand, preserve more of the original stone but produce broader flashes of light and a more restrained scintillation. The Angel Cut was developed to balance these two characteristics, combining efficient yield with strong light performance.
Geometrically, the Angel Cut diamond is defined by a lozenge-shaped table set within a stepped rectangular outline with cut corners. The facet arrangement is designed to control how light travels through the stone, promoting internal reflection and directing more light upward. The intended effect is a more even distribution of light across the surface of the diamond, producing a continuous glow rather than sharp flashes of contrast.
This visual effect is carried throughout the Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut. While the case alone accounts for 98 Angel Cut diamonds totalling just over 51 carats, the dial is set with a further 88 Angel Cut diamonds alongside 80 baguette-cut diamonds. Adding even more sparkle, the clasp is invisibly set with 30 Angel Cut diamonds, and the crown is topped with a rose-cut diamond.
While the extensive gem-setting is the headline act, the timepiece possesses horological rigour. Boasting two flying one-minute tourbillons positioned symmetrically at 12 and 6 o’clock, the timepiece is imbued with a visual and mechanical balance that remains visible both from the dial side and through the sapphire caseback.
Powered by the manually wound JCAM50 calibre, the timepiece boasts a 72-hour power reserve and is limited to 18 pieces.
