Here’s Why Floyd Mayweather’s Billionaire Watch Costs $18 Million

It’s not that the things he buys, be they cars or jewelry pieces, are not stunning works of art on their own, but rather that he has so many of them that it’s hard picturing him really appreciating the beauty of each individual piece. So, when he purchased the Billionaire Watch in June 2018, the news was met with an indifferent shrug, more or less.

Considering that this watch is a one-of-a-kind timepiece that costs an eye-watering $18 million (it’s not the most expensive wrist watch in the world, far from it), indifference is perhaps the last reaction Mayweather was counting on. That high price tag is justified, in case you were wondering.

Some will argue that diamond watches are not so much timepieces but jewelry pieces, and this definitely applies to this Jacob & Co. creation. However, the Billionaire Watch, for all the inherent tackiness in its name, combines gemsetting with superb horology, in a timepiece that is both memorable and perfectly executed. So no, you can’t say about it, “oh look, there’s a watch on my diamonds!”

Introduced at the 2015 edition of Baselworld, and created by Jacob Arabo in affiliation with Flavio Briatore and his Billionaire Lifestyle SARL company, the Billionaire Watch is meant to be “a dazzling representation of the courageous and rebellious Jacob & Co. spirit.” And dazzling, it is! It includes 239 emerald-cut baguette diamonds set in 18-carat white gold. They total 260 carats and are placed in an inverted pyramid style, while the bold cut enhances their brilliance.

The dial comes with a rectangular case, also made of 18-carat white gold, and a skeletonized movement with tourbillon escapement. The tourbillon is constantly in motion on the wrist and helps to compensate for errors in timekeeping. The JCAM09 caliber comes with 72 hours of power reserve.

The Billionaire Watch is a stunning piece of jewelry, but is just as viable a luxury timepiece. There is only one of it in the world and, for the time being, it can be found in the personal collection of Floyd Mayweather.

However, if you’re looking for a similar but cheaper version, this could be your lucky day… if you have about $6 million to spare. In 2018, also at Baselworld, Jacob & Co. unveiled the Millionnaire Watch (spelled with double “n” for reasons yet unknown), which is just like its older brother, but cheaper. However, while it comes with a smaller price tag, it’s still as exquisite.

Instead of white diamonds, it’s made with 276 certified Intense yellow diamonds totaling 127.45 carats. The rose-cut diamond set on the crown alone weighs 31.74 carats. This watch took years to put together because Jacob & Co. had trouble finding diamonds with the same color and quality, on which they then used the same emerald cut. The diamonds are set in 18-carat yellow gold and the watch includes an exclusive Jacob & Co. skeletonized manual wind caliber with tourbillon escapement.

As with the previous piece, Jacob & Co. made sure that whoever purchased the timepiece would get both an elegant, reliable and accurate wrist watch, and a perfectly crafted piece of jewelry.

“In my mind, the buyer of the Millionnaire is someone who can buy almost any watch or piece of jewelry they want, but are looking for a piece that is daring and unique – yet still timeless,” Arabo said at the time. “It's not the type of watch that someone wears everyday, so I imagine the buyer as a collector, who appreciates the artistry and attention of detail put into the piece.”

As of the time of writing, the Millionnaire Yellow Diamond watch is still available for purchase at Jacob & Co., so this is your chance to be that daring buyer with a taste for timeless luxury pieces. Or to emulate the flashiest athletes to have ever walked the earth, Mr. Mayweather himself.