Introducing Jacob & Co. The God of Time, the World’s Fastest Tourbillon

Jacob & Co. has never behaved like a conventional watch brand, and that is precisely why collectors pay attention whenever it releases something new. The New York–based maison has built its reputation on turning movements into stages and cases into architectural frames, creating watches that feel closer to kinetic art than to classical timekeepers. These are not pieces designed to disappear beneath a cuff. They are designed to be looked at, discussed, and remembered.

We have witnessed the brand’s steady rise in creativity and boldness across many of its recent releases, from the World Is Yours to the Astronomia and the Bugatti Tourbillon, each offering its own striking and unconventional creativity. In its first releases of this year, Jacob & Co. celebrates founder Jacob Arabo’s 60th birthday by introducing the God of Time, a watch that pushes this philosophy to its furthest edge yet. Rather than refining the tourbillon into a discreet regulating organ, the brand thrusts it into the spotlight and accelerates it to a speed never before seen in a wristwatch.

The case draws inspiration from classical column architecture and is designed to frame the movement as a three-dimensional display. It measures 44.5 mm in diameter and 18.25 mm in thickness and is crafted entirely from 18K rose gold, fitted with a sapphire crystal. An exhibition caseback reveals the movement and bears a commemorative engraving dedicated to Jacob Arabo. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters.

The dial is finished in deep blue aventurine, creating a star-like backdrop. Polished rose gold hands indicate the hours and minutes. At the centre of the dial sits a hand-engraved rose gold figure of the Greek mythological god Chronos, while the four-second tourbillon occupies the lower portion of the display.

But how did the calibre achieve this? In simple terms, Jacob & Co. engineered the four-second tourbillon by redesigning almost every part of the regulating system around speed. First, the tourbillon cage was made extremely light. Built largely from titanium, it weighs only about 0.27 grams. Reducing mass is crucial, as a lighter cage requires far less energy to accelerate at such high rotational speeds.

Second, the movement was given far more power than a conventional calibre. The JCAM60 uses four mainspring barrels arranged in pairs to generate the torque needed to keep the tourbillon rotating once every four seconds while still delivering a 60-hour power reserve. That raw power would normally risk damaging the escapement. To prevent this, the brand integrated a constant-force mechanism that buffers and regulates the energy before it reaches the escapement, ensuring stable impulses and protecting the delicate regulating organ.

Finally, the gear ratios were specifically engineered so the tourbillon cage rotates much faster than the balance itself, which continues to oscillate at a conventional 21,600 vph (3 Hz). Observations of the visible gearing suggest that, unlike traditional tourbillons, the escape wheel in the JCAM60 appears to rotate more slowly than the cage itself. This inverted relationship points to an unconventional gear architecture designed to allow the cage to complete one full rotation every four seconds while maintaining mechanical stability.

The watch is fitted with a blue alligator leather strap secured by an 18K rose gold folding clasp. It is limited to 60 pieces and is priced at USD 360,000, approximately AED 1,323,000.

For more information, visit Jacob & Co.’s official website.