Jacob & Co. Godfather 50 Years: the event, the watch, the memories – Part 1

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In a surreal location in Sicilia, with a selected crowd of journalists, friends of the brand and collectors, Jacob and Co. celebrated the 50th anniversary of the motion picture The Godfather and launched the Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather 50th Anniversary wristwatch. This is an event report from a very personal perspective with behind the scene pictures and stories.

When I received the invitation, back in August, it didn’t cross my mind the magnitude of this event or the impact it will have on me. The received schedule was quite packed with interesting activities but did not reveal the level of coolness that the event ended to be.

So Wednesday, the 26 of October 2022, I started my journey to Sicilia with unusual enthusiasm. Since I don’t own a Jacob & Co. piece, I had to resource to the next best thing, my trusted Ludwig Perpetual which proved to be a solid choice.

Mount Etna is always active (but with less or more activity, this time just steam…) so flying around it was an interesting (a bit frightening) experience. The locals are so used to it, that most of the time just joke about it.

Arriving at the Grand Hotel Timeo was the first hint of the real magnitude of the event. A 5 stars Belmond hotel, this heaven-on-Earth location leaves you breathless. I can only compare it with certain locations at lake Como. But the unique Sicilian light, the absolute of a blast weather and the magical surrounding make it unique. I mean, 24°C to 27°C at the end of October, colourful vegetation and the multitude of tourists make you think you are in full summer.

The first activity was an olive oil-tasting session with several local producers. At home, I cook most of the time (since Diana is too much time away – the perks of being a doctor include long hours at work) and I had the impression I know my olive oil. But oh boy I was so wrong. I have not expected so much subtility in smell and taste. My senses were spoiled by the richness of aromas. We received deep explanations about the origins, manufacturing and recommendations for various oil types. If you reach any region where olive oil is manufactured, don’t hesitate to organise a tasting, especially in such a traditional place as Mount Etna.

The oil-tasting session was just an introduction to the goodies of Sicily. With casual dressing, by request, I reached the first event related to the Jacob & Co. Godfather activities – the evening cocktail. A traditional music band, tasty cocktails and some finger food made a lovely start to the evening. Since almost everyone knew everyone, it was just a pleasure to enjoy a superb first part of the evening.

The big surprise of the evening was Gianni Russo, an American actor best known for his role as Carlo Rizzi in the 1972 film The Godfather. With amazing stories that made all of us gasp with emotions and laughter, Mr Russo entertained us beyond expectation. Such a lovely character, full of life…

The cocktail was just the introduction to the evening’s event. A huge table placed just at a lower terrasse was expecting the Jacob & Co. guests for dinner. After an introduction made by Jacob and Benjamin, we could enjoy some amazing Sicilian food, desserts and wine. Gianni Russo entertained the crowd further with a few stories and songs. 40 journalists and 30 collectors spent the rest of the evening in this lovely ambience. Of course, cigars couldn’t be missed from the event and the music kept the night young.

The evening ended past midnight.