This $18 Million Watch With 239 Diamonds Is Art For Your Wrist (Photos)
Sure, your Apple Watch can count your steps and point you to the nearest gym at the push of a button. But, that doesn't mean you should forget what true watchmaking and fine craftsmanship actually look like.
Regardless of the technological advancements being made within the watch industry every day, no app will ever be able to amount to the true beauty that lies within the Swiss-made timepieces you'd find at BaselWorld.
A perfect, relevant example? The new Jacob & Co. Billionaire -- a stunning, limited edition timepiece featuring 260 karats of 239 emerald-cut, GIA-certified diamonds.
If you're a watch lover with a special appreciation for intricate movements, you'll love the Billionaire's hand-wound tourbillon caliber -- the JCAM09 -- which is housed in 18K white gold casing featuring a sapphire crystal and sapphire case-back and equipped with a 72-hour power reserve.
The watch's movement is comprised of 19 jewels and 167 additional components. Watchmaking is an art form and this is a masterpiece.
The brand reveals,
Beneath the colossal World Record luxury of 260 carats of precious diamonds, The Billionaire showcases a degree of meticulous ingenuity synonymous with the tradition of the Jacob & Co. brand.
This breathtaking timepiece is the product of a collaboration between jeweler Jacob Arabo and Italian businessman Flavio Briatore.
Briatore created the Billionaire Lifestyle, SARL brand back in 1998, which is where this piece of art inherits its name from.
Since then, Briatore has opened numerous nightclubs in Sardinia and Marbella, as well as a haute couture line, all under the Billionaire Lifestyle brand.
More recently, Briatore has joined forces with one of the most innovative jewelers in the game to reintroduce the true luxury of watchmaking.
The Billionaire Lifestyle logo is neatly engraved on the back of the timepiece. There's just so much detail to appreciate in the fine craftsmanship demonstrated through the Jacob & Co. Billionaire.
And let's face it, your touchscreen watch won't turn as many heads as this thing does!
But, what do you expect from a timepiece that features an exterior mounted upon a setting of 18K white gold beads, an intricately-designed skeletonized movement and the jewelry craftsmanship practices of the 1920s?
Well, there's an answer to that... Expect a lot of head-turning and expect each individual gem to weigh up to a breathtaking three karats. Yes, three karats, each.
At this point, you're guessing the price tag on the Billionaire is somewhere in the millions. Try $18 million.
We figured dousing your wrist in emerald-cut diamonds wouldn't come cheap by any means.
The brand says,
The Billionaire truly epitomizes the brand's passion for breaking boundaries. At its center, beneath gun-blue skeleton hands, the movement's skeletonized mechanical architecture is a fitting testament to a story of unabashed luxury, each precise component beautifully showcased.
Jacob & Co. is set to unveil the Billionaire at BaselWorld 2015. If you happen to be attending, you might want to stow a pair of good sunglasses away in your bag. That's a lot of diamonds.
Behold, the Jacob & Co. Billionaire. It's beautiful, isn't it?
It features a stunning 260 karats of 239 emerald-cut, GIA-certified diamonds.
The diamonds are amazing, but let's not forget the 18K white gold exterior and the intricately-designed skeletonized movement.
The watch's movement is comprised of 19 jewels and 167 additional components.
This breathtaking timepiece is the product of a collaboration between jeweler Jacob Arabo and Italian businessman Flavio Briatore.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, this will run you $18 million.
For an innovative jeweler known for setting trends and breaking boundaries within the industry, we're not surprised!
**Please note that David Arabov is related to the Jacob & Co family.**
Citations: Jacob & Co Unveils $18 Million Billionaire Watch at BaselWorld 2015 (Forbes)
