18 karat Rose Gold Diamond CocktaiRing By Jacob and Co, from Abanico collection

Jacob Co. is among the most prestigious traditional creators of timepieces in New York City. The company's watches are indeed popular with collectors — Jacob Co. is noted for multicolored-gemstone designs, oversized complications, and its unusual take on forms and features, such as watch faces with complex, asymmetrical shapes and bezels accented with bold color schemes.

Jacob Co. was founded by designer Jacob Arabo. Arabo immigrated to the United States from Soviet Uzbekistan as a teenager. He later graduated from a New York jewelry design school in 1981. 

In 1986, he opened Jacob Co. on the one-block stretch of 47th Street in Manhattan known as the Diamond District. From the beginning, he focused on opulent jewelry instead of more conventional items, like rings and simple necklaces. Arabo’s risk paid off, and demand for his products grew, including among pop and hip-hop artists like Jay-Z and 50 Cent.

In 2004, Jacob Co. moved its operations to 57th Street, joining such renowned neighbors as Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet and Italian jewelry house Bulgari. The company soon shifted its focus to high-end watches and opened a facility in Switzerland dedicated to watchmaking. Arabo applied the same visionary sensibilities to timepieces that he had brought to his jewelry, with each creation merging function with sculptural form.

Over the next two decades, Jacob Co. engaged in several major collaborations, including with Paramount Studios in 2019 and NBCUniversal in 2020. In 2021, Jacob Co. became the first top-tier watchmaking brand to accept cryptocurrency and to offer NFTs. 

Jacob Co. continues to produce lavish, elite timepieces. Its clients include Naomi Campbell and David Beckham, who have acted as brand ambassadors.

On 1stDibs, explore the selection of dynamic Jacob Co. watches, earrings, pendant necklaces and more.