Meet man who owns company which makes Ram Janmabhoomi watch, he is not a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, his religion is…, he is from…, not India
Several celebrities have been making headlines owing to their extravagant collection of watches. Anant Ambani, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ram Charan are few names who often showcase their luxury collection serving watch- full (pun intended) looks one timepiece at a time. Recently, the vermilion coloured ‘Ram Janmabhoomi’ watch has become the talk of the town. This is a limited edition watch with Indian cultural motifs on the structure. It was sported by Sikander actor Salman Khan very recently.
Did you know the owner of the watch’s manufacturer, Jacob Arabo, holds a special relation with the actor and even the Ambanis!
Viral Ram Janmabhoomi Watch Details
A special Jacob & Co watch, the watch has the motif of the temple and silhouettes of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman. There are inscriptions of Hindu Gods on the dial and the bezel that further highlight the connection to this landmark, blending historical reverence with the modern appeal.
Ram Janmabhoomi Watch (PC: Official Website of Ethos Watches)
The watch was reported by a horology page on Instagram by the name ‘The Indian Horology’. It’s caption reads, “The temple motif is shown at 9 o’clock and on the opposite at 3 is the silhouette of Lord Ram with Lord Hanuman. Below the tourbillon at 6 o’clock are featured the letters “JAI SHRI RAM”. The minutes ring at the periphery of the dial and the tip of the baton hands are coloured in saffron, along with motifs of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman.”
The watch is a collaboration between the luxury brand Jacob & CO and Ethos ‘Epic’ collection. On the official website of Ethos Watches the timepiece is priced at Rs 34,00,000. It is a limited edition watch with 49 pieces made.
Before Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan was spotted wearing this special edition piece during Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) match.
Who is Jacob Arabo?
Jacob Arabo is the man behind luxury watch brand Jacob & Company. It was established in 1986. He is a jeweler and horologist who was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan as the youngest of five children to a Jewish family.
As a teenager, Arabo had an affinity towards watches, its small gears and parts. Due to poor financial status of the family he reportedly, quit studies, enrolled for a jewellery making course and started out working as one. Eventually he founded a retail jewelry company Diamond Quasar. It was not long when his work and finesses caught the eyes of the people.
Arabo used to create jewellery from leftovers and made new pieces of gold. “[My boss’s brand] became very well-known and they started taking a lot of orders on this jewellery [that I had made] because they were selling to department stores in good quantities. It was nothing expensive back then, but still made of gold and diamonds. I [had] started making real money, like [up to] US$2,000 a week within nine months [of starting]. After that, I went to my boss, and I said, “Thank you very much for the opportunity. I [have] got to leave because I want to do my own business,” Arabo shared in an interview with Tatler.
After establishing his first store, his exquisite and unique approach to design became a selling point. Soon, several famous names walked in and no time he became an established international brand.
Today, almost every superstar in India supports at least one Jacob & co watch. He was even invited at the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.
Salman Khan has tied up with several launches for Jacob &Co. The two have had close bond right from the time Arabo decided to establish a significant presence of the brand in India.