JACOB & CO. — THE FIRST DIAMOND-SET BALANCE WHEEL IN MODERN WATCHMAKING, ENGINEERED FOR PRECISION: BRILLIANT FLYING TOURBILLON BAGUETTE PASTEL ARLEQUINO

A TRUE MAGICAL MOMENT

The First Diamond-Set Balance Wheel In Modern Watchmaking Engineered For Precision

Jacob & Co. marks a new chapter in mechanical watchmaking with the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino. For the first time in modern watchmaking, the balance wheel is set with 54 brilliant-cut white diamonds, bringing light to one of the movement's most demanding components without compromising its chronometric performance. Together, the oscillation of the diamond-set balance wheel and the rotation of the flying tourbillon create the appearance of a perpetual halo around the regulating organ.

The balance wheel is one of the most critical components of a mechanical movement. Together with the hairspring, it forms the regulating organ, controlling the release of energy through the escapement and determining the movement's rate. Its mass, moment of inertia and poise are calculated to microscopic tolerances. Even the slightest alteration can influence chronometric performance.

Swiss and French watchmakers experimented with setting diamonds directly onto balance wheels in the 1820s and 1830s. Those watches relied on cylinder escapements, when deviations of several minutes per day were considered acceptable. Any effect the added weight had on timekeeping was therefore of little consequence. As chronometric standards evolved, even the slightest change to the balance wheel became unacceptable. As a result, gem-setting flourished elsewhere, on bridges, plates, and rotors, while the regulating organ remained untouched.

At Jacob & Co., innovation begins with an idea that challenges convention. Guided by its philosophy, 'Inspired by the Impossible', the Maison pursues concepts that expand the possibilities of high watchmaking. With the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino, Jacob & Co. revives a forgotten chapter of horological history by introducing the first diamond-set balance wheel in modern history, without compromising chronometric performance.

A Halo in Motion

Setting 54 brilliant-cut white diamonds on the balance wheel creates a visual effect unique to the movement. The balance wheel oscillates at 3 Hz, while the flying tourbillon completes one full revolution every sixty seconds. The interaction of these two independent motions continuously changes the orientation of each diamond relative to the light, creating a luminous halo around the balance wheel. The uninterrupted interplay of oscillation, rotation and light creates the illusion of a continuously moving ring, revealing a new expression of the regulation organ with every passing seconds.

Unlike a case, dial, or bridge, the balance wheel is not simply a surface for decoration. Every addition to it affects its mass and weight distribution, both of which are fundamental to its performance as the regulating organ. Any alteration has the potential to influence the movement's chronometric performance. The balance wheel, therefore, had to be meticulously designed to accommodate the diamonds while preserving the precise characteristics required for accurate timekeeping. Achieving this demanded the precision of both high watchmaking and high jewelry craftsmanship, working to the same exacting tolerances.

Composing in Pastel

A deep stone conceals its flaws. A pale one reveals them. High jewelry has long celebrated the world's most vivid gemstones. The deepest sapphire blues, the richest emerald greens, and the most vivid ruby reds have become the benchmarks by which exceptional gemstones are judged.

The Brilliant Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino looks elsewhere. Its character is in pastel, where every shade is softer, every transition more delicate, and every imperfection impossible to hide.

The Brilliant Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino is composed of 366 sapphires that extend across the case, dial, crown, and buckle. The stones are invisibly set, each one held from beneath, with no prong or bead of metal anywhere on the surface.

The arrangement is built on contrast rather than blending. Neighboring stones are deliberately unlike, with green beside blue and lavender beside pink. Instead of flowing from one color into the next, the hues recur in a carefully composed sequence. What unites them is tone. Each of the 366 sapphires was matched to the same delicate lightness, allowing a composition built on contrast to read as a single, harmonious surface rather than a scatter of competing stones.

Jacob & Co. refers to this composition as Arlequino, a nod to Arlecchino from the Italian commedia dell'arte, whose iconic costume features an orderly arrangement of colored lozenges. The reference is literal: nothing here blends into anything else. It is a pattern, and the discipline is in the ordering.

The Perfect Proportion

Presented in a 42mm case, the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino introduces a more compact expression of the Brilliant Collection. Crafted in 18K white gold, the case is invisibly set with 194 baguette-cut sapphires and 32 baguette-cut white diamonds, while the crown is finished with 12 baguette-cut sapphires and a single white diamond. Measuring 11.61mm in height, its proportions offer a new expression of the Brilliant collection without compromising its presence.

The Movement

The Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino is powered by the new Jacob & Co. caliber JCFA02. The self-winding movement combines a flying tourbillon with a micro-rotor, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), and delivers a 72-hour power reserve. Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the bridges are set with 234 brilliant-cut white diamonds, complementing the 54 brilliant-cut white diamonds on the balance wheel.

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