The Architect of Time

Time, paradoxically, is both humanity's most democratic resource and its most jealously guarded luxury — each person receives the same hours, yet only a few know how to transform them into legacy. This conversation with Jacob Arabo, founder and creative visionary of Jacob & Co., explores the journey from immigrant jeweller to horological pioneer whose Astronomia collections have redefined the boundaries of mechanical artistry. From the factory floors of New York to the pinnacle of haute horlogerie, his story is one of relentless invention, cultural intuition, and the belief that true luxury begins where impossibility ends.

Early Years & The Making of Jacob Arabo

L.P.: You arrived in the United States as a young immigrant with very limited resources. What internal belief or driving force carried you through moments when success felt uncertain?

J.A.: Family was always the foundation. When you come to a new country with nothing, you don't have capital, you have responsibility. We were united, and we carried a shared belief that we would build something meaningful together. From the beginning, I never thought small. Even when resources were limited, the vision was not. I believed that if you commit fully, with discipline, creativity, and persistence, you can create your own destiny. Today, I'm blessed to be working with my wife Angela, my son Benjamin, our CEO, my son David, our CCO, and my third son is learning the business. What started as ambition has become legacy. Family keeps you steady during difficult moments and reminds you why you build in the first place.

L.P.: Before jewellery, you were passionate about photography. How did the photographer's eye influence the way you approach composition, light, proportion, and ultimately luxury design?

J.A.: Diamonds are light. Gems are colour. It's there and you have to capture it, frame it, reveal it like a photograph. Photography is also about stories, and all our pieces tell a story, especially our timepieces. Bugatti, The Godfather, Casino, Billionaire — all the Jacob & Co. collections are a narrative. It's what they're based on. Storytelling for us is not a marketing layer placed on top of a product. It is the foundation. If the story is not authentic, the piece has no soul. And in this business, you cannot fake having soul.

Time Zone Tourbillon

L.P.: You began by working with leftover materials from the factory floor. Do you still carry that early discipline and resourcefulness into the way you build extraordinary, complex creations today?

J.A.: In the jewellery trade, nothing goes to waste. Diamonds are reused and recut, gold is reshaped and recycled. It's all very flexible. Watchmaking is different. The way we make watches, we always innovate and create something new. We may carry certain signatures from one creation to another, but the foundation must always be original. Resourcefulness today is not about using what is left over. It is about pushing creativity further than anyone expects. That is how we approach every watch we build.

L.P.: Was there a pivotal moment — perhaps a quiet or unexpected one — that fundamentally changed the trajectory of your career?

J.A.: There was a time when I travelled extensively to remote and sometimes dangerous regions as part of the gem trade. It was exciting and full of adrenaline, but it was also risky. At a certain point, I realised I did not want to build my future chasing stones around the world. I wanted to build something lasting. I made the decision to stop being an adventurer abroad and focus on becoming a creator in New York City. That shift changed everything. The second defining moment was entering watchmaking. The Five Time Zone was a concept I had envisioned for many years. When we finally brought it to life, it became a major success and gave Jacob & Co. an entirely new direction. Then in 2014, with the introduction of the Astronomia Tourbillon, we committed fully to high watchmaking. We combined complex mechanical engineering with high jewellery in a way that had not been done before. That was not just a product launch. It was a transformation for the brand and for me personally.

L.P.: In the early days, when you were building relationships with artists and cultural icons, did you already sense you were shaping a new language of luxury?

J.A.: At the beginning, I was not trying to shape a new language of luxury. I was making friends. I was meeting artists, producers, entertainers — people with incredible energy and vision. Faith, Biggie, Pharrell, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes. We connected naturally. At that time, many people were not paying them attention. But I believed in their talent, and they believed in my creativity. We were building trust before we were building brands. The style we created together came from real relationships, not strategy. Looking back, those friendships helped shape culture. Twenty years later, they stand at the centre of American culture. What began as mutual respect became something much bigger. But it started simply. I was making friends with people who were destined to change the world.

Building Jacob & Co.: Vision, Risk & Innovation

L.P.: Jacob & Co. evolved from bold diamond jewellery to some of the most mechanically ambitious timepieces in modern horology. How do you personally define the line between art and engineering?

J.A.: Engineering is a means to an end. When we create a new timepiece, the complication is not there just to demonstrate technical ability. It must serve a purpose. A tourbillon, a minute repeater, a multi-axis movement — each element has to be positioned in a way that strengthens the story and the architecture of the piece. For me, art is the final result. It is how the watch feels on the wrist, how it captures light, how it commands attention and connects with people. Engineering gives it precision. Design gives it emotion. When both are aligned, that is where Jacob & Co. exists.

L.P.: Your Astronomia watches feel almost cosmic — miniature universes on the wrist. What philosophical idea about time or existence inspires these creations?

J.A.: It is actually more personal than philosophical. I have always been fascinated by space, rockets, exploration, the stars and the planets. That fascination began in childhood. Astronomia comes from that sense of wonder. As you grow older, it is easy to become practical and forget what first inspired you. I believe it is important to protect that imagination. The curiosity you have as a child is a gift. If you keep it alive, it continues to guide you. Astronomia is not only about the cosmos. It is about movement, perspective, and the idea that time is larger than us. It is my way of translating that childhood wonder into something you can wear on your wrist.

L.P.: Your brand became deeply intertwined with hip-hop culture and global pop icons. Did you see this as strategic alignment, organic connection, or something more instinctive?

J.A.: It was never a strategy. You cannot plan for culture to walk through your door. People came to my store because they were looking for creativity, for something different. They wanted my perspective. They wanted my input. You cannot force that with strategy. You earn it. You build trust. You prove yourself through your work and through your relationships. What happened between Jacob & Co. and hip-hop was organic. It was based on mutual respect and shared ambition. It was always genuine. That is why it lasted.

L.P.: Many heritage watchmakers rely on tradition. You chose spectacle, audacity, and theatricality. Did you ever worry about challenging the conservative norms of Swiss watchmaking?

J.A.: Those norms actually give us an advantage because we operate outside them. Many brands are defined by tradition. Jacob & Co. is defined by invention. We are not here to reinterpret the past. We are here to create what has never existed before. Our motto, Inspired by the Impossible, is not a slogan. It is a standard. It is how we approached the Bugatti Tourbillon, Billionaire, Caviar, Epic X. Each of those creations challenged conventional ideas of what a watch could be. In the world of luxury watchmaking, true originality is rare. I never worried about challenging conservative norms. If anything, that challenge is what pushes us forward.

L.P.: What is the most "impossible" idea you are still determined to bring to life?

J.A.: I cannot speak about specific projects, but there are always ideas that feel impossible at first. That is part of the process. Sometimes the vision comes before the solution exists. When we introduced Astronomia Tourbillon, I wanted the movement to rotate much faster than what was technically possible at the time. We began with one full rotation every twenty minutes. Then we pushed it to ten. Then five. Eventually, with Astronomia Revolution, we achieved one full rotation in sixty seconds. What seemed unrealistic became reality through persistence and engineering. That is how we work. We do not abandon ideas because they are difficult. We continue developing them until the technology catches up with the vision.

L.P.: Luxury today is shifting — younger collectors value story and innovation over legacy alone. How do you keep Jacob & Co. relevant without losing its DNA?

J.A.: Jacob & Co. has always been about innovation and storytelling. We do not rely on legacy alone. Many of our timepieces have no equivalent in terms of mechanical function, architecture, or gem-setting. We create pieces that did not exist before. Storytelling is not something we add afterward. It is the foundation of every creation. Each watch begins with a narrative, and the engineering and design are built around that idea. Relevance comes from originality. If you continue to invent, if you continue to surprise, you remain relevant without having to compromise your DNA. Our identity is innovation. That has not changed since the beginning.

Philosophy, Time & Personal Reflection

L.P.: You build objects that measure time, yet time itself is something none of us can control. Has your relationship with time changed as you've grown older?

J.A.: I have always felt a sense of urgency. I am naturally impatient when it comes to ideas. When you are constantly inventing and pushing limits, you always want things to happen faster. Over time, I have learned that innovation has its own rhythm. You can have the vision immediately, but execution takes discipline and patience. Timing matters. The right idea introduced at the wrong moment will not succeed. So my relationship with time has evolved. I still move with urgency, but I also understand that certain things cannot be rushed. In watchmaking, precision is everything. In life, timing is everything.

L.P.: Do you believe success is something one conquers or something one grows into?

J.A.: Nothing comes easy. You have to fight for it. You have to keep moving, keep finding new directions, keep evolving. In that sense, success is something you conquer through effort and resilience. But once you build something meaningful, the challenge changes. Then you have to grow into it. You have to learn how to manage it, protect it, and scale it. That requires a different kind of discipline. Part of growing into success is knowing whom to trust and with whom to build. For me, that is where family comes in. Building something is one stage. Sustaining it across generations is another.