Jacob & Co. launched the original Billionaire in 2015 as a declaration, not a quiet one. A 54 mm case set with emerald-cut diamonds, a skeletonised double flying tourbillon inside, and a price that made even seasoned collectors blink. A decade later, for the brand’s 40th anniversary, Jacob Arabo raises the ante: this time not with carats alone, but with a patented diamond cut developed entirely in-house over two years of work.
The Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut is the first timepiece ever to feature the Angel Cut, a proprietary geometry named after Angela, Arabo’s wife. Its 37 facets encode 37 years of marriage, and I find that genuinely moving. Beyond the sentiment, what Jacob & Co. has built here is technically compelling and it deserves a precise examination.
Optical Architecture
The 18K white gold dial functions as much as an optical instrument as a time display. Jacob & Co. covers it with 88 Angel Cut white diamonds totalling approximately 11 carats, then surrounds the twin tourbillon apertures at 12 and 6 o’clock with 80 baguette-cut white diamonds adding a further 1.14 carats. The invisible setting technique secures every stone to an underlying gold lattice without visible prongs or claws, so the surface reads as one continuous field of light rather than a constellation of individual gems.
The craftsmen fit each stone with extraordinary precision; the slightest misalignment fractures the uniformity, and Jacob & Co. tolerates neither. The rhodium-plated skeleton hands carry white SuperLumiNova tips, a sensible concession to legibility on a dial this visually dense.
The Angel Cut earns its own explanation here. At its centre sits a lozenge-shaped table within a stepped rectangular outline with trimmed corners. Its 37 facets, far fewer than a round brilliant, each occupy a calculated position to direct, modulate, and return light with exceptional control.
Traditional emerald cuts preserve rough weight but sacrifice fire; round brilliants maximise brilliance but waste material. The Angel Cut reconciles both demands, adapting efficiently to rectangular rough and delivering strong upward light return even inside gem-set cases where ambient light is limited. Jacob & Co. spent two full years refining this geometry before securing the patent.
The JCAM50: Every Surface Exposed
Beneath the diamond surface, the in-house JCAM50 calibre operates with 460 individual components in a fully skeletonised architecture. Its dimensions of 40.15 x 31.45 x 8.24 mm fill the 54 x 41 mm case with considerable mechanical presence. The two flying one-minute tourbillons at 12 and 6 o’clock create a mechanical axis of symmetry that mirrors the optical symmetry of the gem-set dial above: light above, motion below, both following the same vertical order. Each cage completes one full rotation per minute, continuously repositioning the escapement to average out positional errors across the vertical positions. The calibre beats at 21,600 vph (3 Hz) and delivers a 72-hour power reserve, sound for a hand-wound movement of this structural complexity.
The finishing is what truly demands attention. Jacob & Co. hand-finishes every single component before assembly, exposing every bridge, every wheel, and every anglage through the open structure. The sapphire caseback extends this transparency to the reverse side, offering a second view of the same skeletonised architecture. That kind of exposure requires genuine confidence in the execution because there is nowhere to hide a poorly bevelled surface.
51 Carats on White Gold
The 18K white gold case measures 54 x 41 mm with a height of 13.2 mm. Across its surfaces, 98 Angel Cut diamonds totalling 51.13 carats, the single largest allocation on the watch, create an unbroken field of light. A single 1-carat rose-cut diamond crowns the winding crown. A sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment protects the dial side, and the sapphire caseback opens the movement to direct view.
Water resistance extends to 30 metres. The blue alligator leather strap closes with an 18K white gold deployment buckle, itself invisibly set with 30 further Angel Cut diamonds totalling approximately 15.72 carats. Altogether, 297 white diamonds account for roughly 79 carats across the entire piece.
The 3.4 Million USD Question
The Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut carries a $3.4 million USD price and justifies it on two distinct fronts. First, the Angel Cut is a genuine gemological invention: patented, two years in development, engineered to outperform existing diamond geometries in the specific constraints of gem-set haute horlogerie.
Second, the JCAM50 delivers 460 hand-finished components, a fully skeletonised architecture, and two flying tourbillons visible from both faces of the case. Jacob Arabo built this for his wife, named it after her, and encoded their marriage into its facet count. That is the soul behind the spectacle. At 18 pieces total, the question is not whether $3.4 million is expensive; it clearly is. The question is whether the engineering earns the emotion. I think it does.
Jacob & Co. Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel Cut Technical Specifications
Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel – 3.4M USD, Limited Edition of 18 pieces
Functions
- Hours and minutes
Gem-setting:
- 98 Angel-cut white diamonds (~ 51,13 ct.),
- crown set with one rose-cut diamond (1 ct.)
Movement
- Caliber: Exclusive Jacob&Co. manual winding JCAM50
- Dimensions: 40.15 x 31.45 x 8,24 mm
- Components: 460
- Power Reserve: 72 hours
- Frequency: 21’600 vib/h (3 Hz)
- Functions: Hours and minutes
- Two flying one-minute tourbillons
- Case:
- Dimensions: 54 x 41 mm
- Height: 13,2 mm
- Material: 18K white gold
- Caseback: sapphire crystal
- Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 30 m (3 bar – 3atm)
Dial & Hands:
- Dial: 18K white gold
- Hands: rhodium-plated, skeleton with white SuperLumiNova tips
- Gem-setting : Invisibly-set with 88 Angel-cut white diamonds (~ 11 ct.) & 80 baguette-cut white diamonds (~ 1.14 ct.)
- Gem-setting : Invisibly-set with 30 Angel-cut white diamonds (~ 15,72 ct.)
- Total Carat Weight: 297 white diamonds (~ 79 ct.)
Strap & Clasp
- Blue alligator leather
- Clasp: 18K white gold deployment buckle
