Jacob & Co. unveils the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino

With the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino, Jacob & Co. opens a new chapter in the history of fine watchmaking and high jewellery. The brand once again pushes the boundaries of mechanical ornamentation by setting gems directly on the balance wheel, one of the most sensitive components of any watch movement.

For the first time in contemporary watchmaking, the balance wheel is set with 54 brilliant-cut white diamonds. It is an aesthetic and technical feat that turns the regulating organ into a genuine source of light.

Combined with the rotation of the flying tourbillon, the motion of the gem-set balance creates a spectacular optical illusion: a halo of light in perpetual motion around the regulating organ.

With the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino, Jacob & Co. does more than simply add precious stones to a movement. The brand works directly on one of its most fundamental elements, taking on an exercise long considered incompatible with the demands of modern chronometry.

THE BALANCE WHEEL, HEART OF REGULATION

In a mechanical movement, the balance wheel plays an essential role. Paired with the hairspring, it forms the regulating organ that controls the release of energy at the escapement and determines the watch’s rate.

Its mass, moment of inertia and poise are calculated with extreme precision. The slightest change to its structure or to the distribution of its mass can potentially affect the chronometric performance of the movement.

This is precisely what makes the Jacob & Co. achievement so complex.

The idea of setting precious stones directly on a balance wheel is not new, however. As early as the 1820s and 1830s, Swiss and French watchmakers experimented with it.

At the time, these watches used cylinder escapements and chronometric expectations were still a long way from today’s standards. Deviations of several minutes a day could be considered acceptable, so any influence the weight of the stones might have on the rate remained fairly secondary.

As precision requirements evolved, the situation changed radically.

The balance gradually became an area that could no longer be altered without risking a change in its behaviour. Gem-setting therefore moved to other components, such as bridges, mainplates and rotors, while the regulating organ was left untouched.

Today, Jacob & Co. has chosen to reopen this page of watchmaking history.

True to its “Inspired by the Impossible” philosophy, the brand set out to bring the diamond back to the very heart of the regulating system, while preserving the characteristics needed for accurate timekeeping.

A HALO IN MOTION

Setting 54 brilliant-cut diamonds on the balance wheel is not merely a technical feat. It also becomes the starting point for a true play of light.

The balance oscillates at a frequency of 3 Hz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour, while the flying tourbillon completes a full rotation in 60 seconds.

These two independent motions overlap.

With each oscillation of the balance, the orientation of the diamonds shifts relative to the light. At the same time, the tourbillon turns on its own axis.

This constant interplay between oscillation, rotation and light creates the illusion of a luminous ring that is continuously renewed around the regulating organ.

The eye never sees exactly the same image twice.

The mechanism thus becomes a living spectacle in which the 54 diamonds are no longer mere decoration. They are an integral part of the movement’s visual identity.

Behind this spectacular animation, however, lies a fundamental constraint: the balance wheel cannot be treated as just another surface for gem-setting.

Each diamond can alter its mass and weight distribution. The balance therefore had to be designed from the ground up to accommodate the precious stones without compromising the properties required for the movement’s precision.

The result sits at the crossroads of two particularly demanding crafts: fine watchmaking and high jewellery.

A PASTEL COMPOSITION INSPIRED BY ARLECCHINO

Jacob & Co. does not stop at the spectacular gem-set balance.

The Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino also features a highly original jewellery composition, built on pastel shades rather than the deep colours traditionally associated with precious stones.

In high jewellery, the most intense hues are often regarded as the ultimate benchmarks: the deep blue of sapphire, the vivid green of emerald or the saturated red of ruby.

Here, Jacob & Co. takes a different path.

The brand works with the softness of pastel colours, their delicate nuances and subtle transitions. It is an approach that also makes every imperfection far harder to hide.

In total, the watch features 366 sapphires, distributed across the case, dial, crown and buckle.

Invisible setting further enhances the purity of the composition. The stones are held from beneath, with no prongs or metal beads visible on the surface.

The colour scheme follows a logic of contrast.

A green sapphire sits next to a blue one, while a lavender tone meets a pink. The colours are not meant to blend into one another. Instead, they answer each other in a carefully composed sequence.

The real common thread lies in their luminous intensity. All the stones are selected from the same pastel range so that the colour contrasts form a coherent whole.

Jacob & Co. has named this approach “Arlequino”.

The name refers directly to Arlecchino, the iconic character of Italian commedia dell’arte, recognisable by his costume of coloured diamonds arranged in a precise geometric pattern.

On the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino, each colour therefore keeps its own identity. Nothing truly blends. It is all about rhythm, repetition and balance.

42 MM FOR A NEW EXPRESSION OF THE BRILLIANT

The Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino comes in a 42 mm case, offering a more compact take on the Brilliant collection.

Crafted in 18-carat white gold, it is entirely invisible-set.

The case middle holds 194 baguette-cut sapphires and 32 baguette-cut white diamonds, while the crown is set with 12 baguette-cut sapphires and a white diamond.

The whole piece measures 11.61 mm thick.

These proportions allow Jacob & Co. to retain the distinctive visual presence of the Brilliant collection while offering a more restrained architecture.

The result is a case in which the precious metal seems to disappear behind the stones themselves.

THE JCFA02 CALIBRE, MECHANICS AT THE HEART OF THE SHOW

The Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino is powered by the new Jacob & Co. JCFA02 automatic calibre.

This movement combines a flying tourbillon with a micro-rotor and beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour, a frequency of 3 Hz.

It offers a 72-hour power reserve.

Measuring 30.40 mm in diameter and 6.90 mm thick, the calibre comprises 184 components and 27 jewels.

Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement reveals bridges set with 234 brilliant-cut white diamonds, weighing approximately 0.69 carat.

These stones echo the 54 diamonds set directly on the balance wheel.

The visual effect is truly spectacular: the light comes not only from the case and dial, but also from the very heart of the movement.

A UNIQUE PIECE AT 693,000 DOLLARS

The dial continues the jewellery composition with 139 baguette-cut sapphires, weighing approximately 6.05 carats, complemented by 23 white diamonds totalling approximately 0.81 carat.

The rhodium-plated hands take a leaf shape to preserve legibility amid this profusion of stones and light.

The watch is fitted on an alligator strap with an 18-carat white gold pin buckle, itself set with 21 baguette-cut sapphires weighing approximately 1.52 carats.

With this creation, Jacob & Co. once again takes the meeting of fine watchmaking and high jewellery into territory where mechanics become as much a precision instrument as a spectacle of light.

The Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Baguette Pastel Arlequino is offered as a unique piece.

It is priced at 693,000 US dollars.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference	BT560.30.AC.UA.ABALA
Movement
Jacob & Co. JCFA02 automatic calibre
Diameter	30.40 mm
Thickness	6.90 mm
Components	184
Functions	hours and minutes
Flying tourbillon
Micro-rotor
Power reserve	72 hours
Frequency	21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz)
Jewels	27
Bridges set with 234 brilliant-cut diamonds, approx. 0.69 carat
Balance wheel set with 54 brilliant-cut diamonds
Case
Diameter	42 mm
Thickness	11.61 mm
Material	18-carat white gold
Invisible setting of 194 baguette-cut sapphires, approx. 11.03 carats
32 baguette-cut white diamonds, approx. 1.67 carats
Crown set with 12 baguette-cut sapphires, approx. 1.08 carats, and a white diamond of approx. 0.04 carat
Crystal	sapphire crystal
Water resistance	30 metres
Dial	Invisible setting of 139 baguette-cut sapphires, approx. 6.05 carats 23 white diamonds, approx. 0.81 carat Rhodium-plated leaf-shaped hands
Strap and buckle	Alligator strap 18-carat white gold pin buckle set with 21 baguette-cut sapphires, approx. 1.52 carats
Edition	Unique piece
Price	693,000 US dollars

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