Rihanna and her long-time friend Jacob Arabo created the Jacob & Co. Watch Choker. To mark the occasion of Pharrell William’s first Louis Vuitton Fashion Show, she wore the 30-ct Brilliant Flying Tourbillon around her neck, and nearly stole the show.
She’s a pop icon, a style icon, a billionaire business owner, the new face of Louis Vuitton’s ad campaign and a friend of Jacob & Co. since her early stardom days. What Rihanna wears is systematically awaited, watched, analyzed… and imitated, because she always defies expectations. Sitting front row at the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show in Paris on June 20th, she once again pushed the boundaries.
Around her neck, a Jacob & Co. Brilliant Flying Tourbillon set with 338 baguette-cut white diamonds. This unique take on the way to wear a timepiece may well be a world first. Seeing how Jacob & Co. has long been known to set the tone for what jewelry to wear, Rihanna’s latest creativity begs the question: will the Watch Choker gain traction? Will it become a new trend?
The new ambassador of Louis Vuitton, whose pregnant belly is now all over the world’s magazines, is a long-standing friend of Jacob & Co. Her presence at the Fashion Show was a tribute to her friend Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton’s new Creative Director, who presented his inaugural collection. Pharrell is also a friend of Jacob Arabo since before he was a world-class celebrity.
Rihanna’s vision
It was obvious from the outset that Rihanna and her outfit would generate surprise. But in preparation for the fashion event, Rihanna decided she would wear a timepiece in a completely different way. She came to Jacob & Co. with the concept, like she had many times before.
Jacob Arabo presented her with options that would make the statement she was looking for. Her eyes fell on the USD 670’000, 47-mm, white gold Brilliant Flying Tourbillon, fully set with 30 carats of baguette-cut white diamonds (plus another 338 brilliant-cut ones set onto the movement).
The strap for this timepiece is custom-made out of white calfskin with a stamped alligator pattern, which is flexible, comfortable and skin-compatible.
Backstory
Rihanna’s relationship with Jacob & Co. goes back over a decade. She and Jacob Arabo would often discuss the jewellery she would wear. This is the kind of conversations Jacob Arabo has been having with the entertainment elite for twenty-five years. He is both creator and advisor, his vision serving his patrons and friends. Jacob Arabo is famous for this kind of trustful rapport, built on personal connection and intuitive understanding, as is the case with Rihanna.
She wears her Jacob & Co. timepieces and jewelry because she chooses to. Which is what happened when @badgirlriri sported her own diamond-set, red Brilliant Northern Lights for her Superbowl LVII performance. Demand for the piece instantly soared, remaining at unexpected highs ever since. Will that be the case with the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Watch Choker?
Jacob & Co. Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Watch Choker Technical Specifications
Price USD 670,000 – Limited edition 18 pieces
Movement
- Calibre: Hand-Wound Jacob&Co.
- Calibre JCAM43
- Components: 206
- Functions: Hours, Minutes
- Power Reserve: 42-Hours
- Frequency: 28’800 vib/h (4 Hz)
- Bridges: set with 338 Brilliant-cut diamonds (~ 1.32 ct.)
Case
- Diameter: 47 mm
- Height: 14.65 mm
- Material: 18K White Gold; Invisibly set with 170 Baguette-cut White Diamonds (~ 16.82 ct.);
- Crown Set with 14 Baguette-cut White Diamonds and One Cabochon-cut Diamond (~ 1.04 ct.);
- Case Back: Sapphire Glass
- Crystal: Sapphire with Anti-Reflective Treatment Water resistance: 30m (3atm)
Dial & Hands
- Dial: Invisibly set with 136 Baguette-cut White Diamonds (~ 10.43 ct.)
- Hands: Blued Leaf hands
Strap
- Bespoke White Calfskin with an Alligator pattern
Total Carat Weight
- 338 Baguette White Diamonds and One Cabochon Cut Diamond (~ 30.04 ct.)
- 338 Brilliant-cut Diamonds (? 1.32 ct.)
