If your Instagram handle is @richforever you’d better have the bank account balance to back and Rick Ross has left no questions about the depth of his pockets showing off his diamond-encrusted Jacob & Co. Billionaire III timepiece. It’s the same watch model that Floyd Mayweather made famous a few years back and a reminder that while Jacob “The Jeweller” Arabo cut his teeth in the New York Diamond District, his skills as a watchmaker aren’t to be ignored.
The Billionaire design grabbed the attention of the world as a $26 million unique example that Mayweather owned, but since 2018 then has entered the Jacob & Co. catalogue as a permanent collection with the latest example being the Billionaire III. Offered in a range of different sizes and configurations (including the $30 million yellow diamond “Billionaire Timeless Treasure” released last week), the Billionaire III features a white gold case and bracelet that are completely covered with more than 90 carats of diamonds.
In total, the timepiece is adorned with 504 emerald-cut white diamonds that are painstakingly set by hand in the Jacob & Co. workshop, with literally every surface diamond encrusted from the narrow bridges of the skeletonised movement to the conical stone set into the crown. Powered by the JCAM39 tourbillon calibre which is exclusive to the brand and offers 72 hours of power reserve, the skeletonisation offers a fantastic view of the mechanical movement, adding more visual intrigue to an already eye-catching watch.
Arriving with a price tag of US$3 million (AU$4.5 million), it’s a timepiece we hope to spot on the wrist of Rick Ross more in the future.
