Crossing paths with the dual figureheads of Jacob & Co. is always somewhat nerve-wracking, whether it’s the original ‘Jacob the Jeweller’ Arabo himself, or his deceivingly baby-faced son Benjamin Arabov who took the helm as CEO of Jacob & Co. at the age of 28 in 2021. Both are surprisingly tall, imposing figures while simultaneously being unfailingly gracious and charming hosts. But it’s the undeniable aura of celebrity that they project — comfortable, confident and unflappable — that is so disarming. They’re so used to fame and notoriety that they aren’t just at home with it: they embody it.
The ‘rags-to-riches’ cliché of Jacob & Co.’s beginnings — immigrant teen in the USA makes good on the back of true grit, good old-fashioned hard work and becoming the Hip Hop set’s bling-tastic darling — has certainly been told a few times. But by now the Maison, and it really has earned that title, has become so much more than an American Dream success story. And its most recent successes have been thanks to the foresightedness of its youthful CEO, who has more than proved himself a visionary and has successfully squished any suggestion of undeserving nepo-baby advancement.
Under Benjamin’s leadership, revenues skyrocketed from US$81 million in 2020 to US$188 million in 2022, a staggering increase of 132 per cent over two years — one heck of an opening gambit for the young pretender, especially at a time when the watch industry was struggling to stay upright thanks to the global pandemic. That explosive growth has been bolstered by a focus on jaw-dropping watches that fuse haute horology with high glam. For instance, the launch of a whole host of ultra-complicated horological firsts, the release of more wearable, attainable timepieces and the incorporation of new tech — from NFTs to micro-engraving. Expansion of worldwide points of sale, especially throughout the Middle East and Asia, has also reinforced the brand’s global presence, while a move into lifestyle integration — most notably with the announcement of the Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co. Residences in Dubai — has taken the brand off the wrist and right into immortality. With the project breaking ground in October 2023 and finally showing a few floors of progress when Jacob recently visited the site in June 2025, the Business Bay tower is pegged for completion in 2027 and, at 104 floors and seven basement levels, is set to become the world’s tallest residential building.
Then — as always — the celebrity connections continue. Rihanna and Cristiano Ronaldo’s custom Jacob & Co. pieces set fan discussions alight over the past year, while Maluma’s US$5 million Emerald Billionaire III and Jeff Goldblum’s US$1.2 million Slender Ashoka Boutique Watch stole the Met Gala limelight in May. Tom Brady’s Super Bowl LIX commentary debut featured a Yellow Sapphire Caviar Tourbillon, somewhat overshadowed by the debate surrounding his reported (not confirmed!) gifting of a US$3 million Billionaire Mini Ashoka to his son on the same weekend. Cheers, dad!
Amid all the hubbub, some things have always remained consistent at Jacob & Co.: a deep sense of creativity, and a striving for the highest quality and craftsmanship. So when it comes to continuing to build the future of his father’s brand, what’s behind Benjamin’s philosophy? GMT GCC talked fun, family and the sheen of celebrity with this rule-breaking and ruthlessly inventive CEO.
GMT GCC: For a lot of watch and jewellery aficionados, Jacob & Co. is a Maison with a hint of stardust. Would you say that’s a fair assessment? Where does that sense of glamour come from?
Benjamin Arabov: It’s more than a hint. We are completely imbued with this sense of brilliance, of exuberance. That stardust is collected from many sources, from the diamonds and other gemstones we work with, from the celebrities we’ve been working closely with for over two decades. But mostly Id say it comes from our chairman’s personality. Jacob is an icon, personable and charismatic, and he belongs with the stars he works with.
Something I love about Jacob & Co. is that it’s truly a family business — you can feel that the warmth and affection between you and your father is totally genuine and part of the Maison’s charm. It was demonstrated brilliantly with the The World is Yours watch and its sentimental story. But can it be challenging to work with your dad day in, day out? What makes the father-son partnership work?
Ah, it’s a two-way street. On the one hand, there is an incredible vision and drive, a sense of product, a sense of what actual exclusivity and uniqueness are about. That’s Jacob Arabo for you. On the other hand, theres a need to structure operations, and to give every idea the right operational framework. Delivering on the vision is one aspect of my job, as is aligning the forces within the company, feeling opportunities, keeping my finger on the pulse of global digital forces.
How aware were you of the world of horology in your childhood and teen years? How did you feel about your father’s calling at that point? And when did jewellery and watchmaking begin to call to you?
Growing up, jewellery and watches were everywhere around me. They were part of the obvious, of conversations, also because my mother is a major part of the company, especially the jewellery part of the business. My sensibility to watches and jewellery developed without my even noticing. But at the same time I entered college, I created my own business, a digital agency, which I kept managing until I joined Jacob & Co. I struck out on my own, succeeded and put that experience to good use as CEO.
Despite being a relatively ‘young’ brand — when we put things into context with the Swiss granddaddies celebrating their 200-and-something birthdays — I think there are few Maisons that can boast a more fascinating and dynamic history. What keeps that classic and seemingly effortless Jacob & Co. coolness going strong? And how does your brand story feed into today’s creations?
Being unafraid to create and be different has always been the core of our DNA. It puts you in motion, all the time. That’s what we do at Jacob & Co.: we look ahead, and in a direction that other brands do not even consider. We also have a unique energy — despite the price point and lifestyle, we keep it real with everyone, we don’t make customers jump through hoops and we’re the farthest thing from corporate. It’s palpable by our clients, by the people who wish to become our clients, and also by the celebrities and brands we partner with. I guess that realness is contagious.
The horological achievements for Jacob & Co. over the past few years have been coming in thick and fast, and it’s hard to define just one as ‘the most important’. But the launch of the spectacular Astronomia Régulateur at the 2024 edition of Watches and Wonders was a real landmark moment, and one that you’ve kept moving with this year’s Astronomia Revolution Fourth Dimension. What was behind the creation of this marvel of engineering?
It’s been a huge success as enthusiasts have come to appreciate the technical achievement of the piece. The idea of the Astronomia Régulateur is to take a classic of watchmaking, the regulator, and to create a Jacob & Co., 21st century version of it. That means fast, exhilarating, spectacular and three-dimensional. It’s a combination of what the Astronomia stands for, a vertical and rotating movement, with the latest technical advancements in our watchmaking. The entire movement completes a full rotation in just 60 seconds, applied to a separate indication of hours, minutes and seconds, with of course a double-axis tourbillon — one of the signature complications of Jacob & Co. watchmaking.
Since the launch of the Astronomia Regulator, we’ve increased the complexity, creativity and pace of our releases. We’ve got our foot on the accelerator, and this resulted in the announcement of our partnership with Manchester City, with FC Barcelona, with Jared Leto, with Lana Del Rey, the consolidation of our partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo… And in terms of products, we’ve been very busy showcasing the Bugatti Tourbillon, the latest timepiece we’ve developed in our Bugatti collection. And it‘’s proving to be extremely successful, once again. Working hand in hand with Bugatti is an amazing experience.
Does it feel like a big responsibility to be playing such a key role in ensuring your father’s legend and legacy is secure? Or are you too busy having fun with it to feel such a pressure?
What’s at stake is even larger than that: what we’re working towards is making Jacob & Co. a global reference point in luxury and lifestyle, one associated with the most exclusive, cool and exhilarating moments of life. And getting there is indeed a lot of fun.
We’ve seen a strong push toward complexity and watchmaking advancements in recent Jacob & Co. creations — what’s behind the desire to take your timepieces ever further? Which have been the most challenging and rewarding horological achievements since you took over as CEO?
This has been at work since the launch of the first Astronomia in 2016. Inventive, groundbreaking complications are one of our strongest watchmaking signatures. We’ve been delivering a constant flow of innovations, watches that have no equivalent, and we’re not about to stop. If you want one name, right now it would be the Bugatti Tourbillon. It’s been an incredible journey making that watch come to life, working closely with Bugatti. And there are more, many more incredible timepieces coming…
Of course, we can’t talk about Jacob & Co. without asking about its celebrity connections. What have been the most spectacular celeb moments of the past year? Who has been your most loyal famous client?
Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter recently wore the new Bugatti Tourbillon to Fanatics Fest in New York City, which we were very excited to see. Mr Carter is an exceptional collector and happens to be one of our oldest clients.
Jacob & Co. has always appealed to a young crowd — and your incredible success on TikTok is testament to that. Do you think that TikTok views translate into clients? Is it an area that’s important for the brand?
In the digital world, we are a major brand. We have the fifth largest Instagram account in watchmaking and high jewellery and have had it for two years now. That gives you an idea of our focus on social media, and how we have identified it as a major, critical channel. We are recruiting the clients of today, tomorrow and the day after that on social.
Is there anything exciting coming up from Jacob & Co. that you’d like to let us in on?
There are a lot of exciting things I’d like to let you in on. But I just can’t. The one thing I can give you is the assurance you will not be disappointed.
