Count on a good friend to always find the perfect gift for the perfect occasion and the perfect way of delivering it. And Jacob Arabo, founder and owner of Jacob & Co., is nothing if not that good friend to soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
On the last weekend of October, the "Battle of the Baddest" event took place in Saudi Arabia, with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury fighting UFC legend Francis Ngannou. It was then that former boxing champ Amir Khan surprised rapper Eminem with a very special, limited-edition WBC-themed watch and then posted the rather awkward video to social media, where he got universally skewered.
As it turns out, that wasn't the only watch-exchange moment to take place, though it was definitely the most unexpected and, because of it, awkward. Cristiano Ronaldo also added another piece to his collection on the occasion, and delivery was personalized – on par with the piece delivered.
Ronaldo and Jacob Arabo, the founder and owner of Jacob & Co., and the brains behind every piece that comes out under the name, go at least a couple of decades back. They're friends and collaborators, and Ronaldo is a loyal customer of Jacob & Co., so he gets first pick with limited-edition models. He also has his own line of watches with them, including the Flight of CR7 and the Heart of CR7 models.
Photo: Jacob & Co.
At the event, Arabo personally delivered a new Twin Turbo Furious Baguette watch to Ronaldo, which retails for about $1.3 million because of its highly unusual architecture, complex complications, and weight in diamonds. The fact that the model is limited to just 18 units helps with keeping the price high, too.
According to the Jacob & Co. boss, he was "in the neighborhood," so he stopped by to present Ronaldo with his new timepiece. He was the one who posted the video of the exchange to social media.
The Twin Turbo Furious watch is Jacob & Co.'s most complicated to date. It's the continuation of the 2016 Twin Turbo and was introduced in 2018 as the first watch in the world to combine two flying triple-axis tourbillons and a minute repeater, and to put a chronograph with two flying tourbillons.
The semi-skeletonized movement also features a monopusher chronograph with reference time, inspired by racing pit boards, and a domed sapphire crystal case inspired by hypercars. In keeping with the racing theme, even the 50-hour power reserve gauge resembles the dashboard fuel indicator, while the winding and setting mechanism brings to mind the cranks on vintage racing cars.
If you're thinking this would have been a missed opportunity without a Twin Turbo model dedicated to the Fast & Furious franchise, you're wrong. There is such a piece, and it's called Fast & Furious Twin Turbo.
As for the Twin Turbo Furious Ronaldo got, it's the Baguette iteration, so its 18k white gold bezel is set with 344 baguette diamonds totaling 16.7 carats. This is the iced-out version of the Twin Turbo Furious, and considering how much Ronaldo loves his wrists cold, it's a perfect match.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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