Jacob Arabo Quotes

I am very proud that I have been able to build a company with almost 35 years of history, with two headquarters, one in New York City and one in Geneva. I am proud that I have been able to assemble a team of the finest professionals in the watch industry.

Trucks would stand outside my building — like those buses that musicians travel in — they would stand there waiting for me to be available to see them to show them jewelry. A line of people waiting.

I really wanted to make statement pieces.

It is a very complicated new timepiece. Additionally, whereas in the previous Astronomia, there were three crystal windows, this watch is fitted with one entire piece of sapphire, allowing for views all the way around. It also features a three dimensional Earth globe in the center. It … is unbelievable.

What’s winning still today is design. It’s all about design. Stones are stones. You can buy them almost anywhere today. So it’s all about design, it’s how you wear them, how you place them. So that’s what we’re doing. I design jewelry for people…. My idea is to give the ‘wow’ effect. If a princess comes here and I can show her something and she goes, “Wow, I have never seen anything like this in my life.” If she’s been shopping for the last 25 years, she’ll have seen everything. That’s my success.

I think people are so amazed by our designs and our unique ideas that they don’t realize how advanced our watchmaking is. In the Astronomia, for example, we took what had been a flat tourbillon and made it vertical, and made it turn around the dial. Still, however, it is rooted in traditional watchmaking. We take traditional Swiss watchmaking and turn it on its head.

I am a huge fan of Khabib. I have been following his career for a long time, and when his team approached us about working together to create some limited-edition watches, I was very excited. For me, Khabib is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet and he fits the brand to a ‘T.’ In more ways than one, it’s Khabib’s time.

I’m investing my time and money to develop technology that’s never been done before. Basically, most of the watchmakers in Switzerland thought my ideas were impossible to do and I’m driven by impossible. I love the impossible. For me to make it in this business, if I don’t bring something new to the table, there are so many others that are offering the same thing. Why would anyone buy from me? I keep trying to develop new technology with my watchmakers. I design and I produce.

Our collaboration with Donnie Yen highlights the creative spirit that has become synonymous with Jacob & Co. Donnie Yen embodies the style and spirit of the Jacob & Co lifestyle.

Since he was 18 years old. He came to buy a piece of jewelry from me that cost $1,200 and he chiseled me down to $900. I always believed in Pharrell and I knew he was going to grow in the music industry, so I introduced him to the Japanese designer, Nigo. Then [they] became partners and that opened up many doors for Pharrell. Then he totally took off.

And before you know, you have Michael Jackson as a client, you have David Beckham, you have Madonna, you have all these celebrities.

I think I am fortunate that I approach watchmaking as a watch lover, not a watchmaker. I don’t worry about whether it can be done, I just imagine what my clients and I would be excited to own. Then, I approach the watchmakers and they tell me it is impossible. Then I tell them to try and try and keep trying, and we finally figure out how to do it.

Geneva is the heart of timepiece craftsmanship, where all our fine watches are made and the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues is my favorite hotel in Geneva. We have been exhibiting at the hotel for years, so it is the perfect place to begin our boutique expansion in Europe.

During a challenging time, I realized the full potential of my team, who stood up to the plate in an incredible fashion.