On July 30, watchmaker Jacob & Co. donated a one-of-a-kind watch to the annual Luisaviaroma x UNICEF charity gala in Capri, Italy. After fierce bidding, the watch sold for €450, 000 percent more than the regular version.
Charity auctions may be about charity, but buyers often keep their cool during the event itself, no matter how worthy the cause. The annual gala, organized by digital retailer Luisaviaroma, is truly one of the most popular. Each year, all proceeds are donated to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. Held on July 30th at La Certosa di San Giacomo in Capri, celebrities included Spike Lee, Jamie Foxx, Jared Leto, Ansel Elgort, and entertainer J.Lo. Many lots were donated by prestigious brands and artists. But Jacob & Co. upped the ante with a unique timepiece from its flagship Opera Godfather collection.
The context
Jacob & Co. has been deeply involved in philanthropy for over 15 years. The New York-born and based brand has a history of donating complicated and high-end watches to various charities around the world. This is the result of the very New York mentality and mindset, as well as the personal inclination of founder Jacob Arabo, the brand's president and creative director, who considers giving back to the community a pillar of his personal ethos. This is one of the reasons why Jacob & Co. is once again a major player in Luisaviaroma's Annual Gala.
The cult movie
Jacob & Co. chose one of the Opera Goodfather watches as a gift for the charity gala, and for good reason. This timepiece holds a special place in Jacob & Co.'s collections. In 2019, the brand entered into an agreement with Paramount Pictures and acquired the rights to use and deploy "The Godfather" franchise in its own collections. The first result of this inspiring and unique partnership is the Opera Godfather, a highly complex musical watch with a stunning design. It plays the main theme from The Godfather on a music box integrated into a rotating three-axis tourbillon movement. Furthermore, the piece is intended as a reference, a tribute, and a commemorative capsule dedicated to the cult film, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.e birthday.
The iconic watch
Elements of theatrical posters, sets, costumes and general narrative from the film were incorporated into the design of the timepiece, such as the rose Don Corleone wore at his daughter's wedding, the puppeteer's strings depicting the film's mood of manipulation and betrayal, and a violin used as a crown. The ambition and scope of the collection are unmatched in a market flooded with generic, vintage-inspired designs. This Opera Godfather 1/1 is housed in a rose gold case surrounded by a fully transparent sapphire crystal. It differs from the base model in the collection, currently carrying an MSRP of €300, in that it features a large red rose set on a piano that is part of the movement.
The fire of action
Speaker, master of ceremonies, star auctioneer and art collector Sir Simon de Pury held a gavel at the auction.
When he presented this unique Opera Goodfather piece, he placed it on the wrist of supermodel Sophia Riesing and activated its music box complication. He pressed the microphone against the sapphire crystal so that the main melody of "The Godfather" could be heard in the audience. A few minutes later, the piece finally sold for €450. The 000% premium on this unique piece demonstrates the extent to which an exclusive Jacob & Co. creation is recognized and considered a safe bet.
The Opera Goodfather Watch
The Opera Godfather Musical Watch combines the world of ultra-high-end watchmaking with the breathtaking complexity of a mechanical music box, playing the moving musical theme from The Godfather. The Opera Godfather is powered by its exclusive 04-part JCFM658 movement, a caliber of absolutely unparalleled construction and an incomparable ability to amaze and entertain.
Created in official partnership with Paramount Consumer Products, the Opera Godfather uses its custom complication of two rotating cylinders with a total of 36 teeth rotating against two combs to play a 120-note melody from The Godfather theme music.
But it's not all about the music: the Opera Godfather relies on a spectacular three-axis gravitational tourbillon to ensure precise timekeeping and represent Jacob & Co.'s cutting-edge watchmaking expertise. A combination of steel, brass, platinum and titanium components in the JCFM04 caliber, along with their hand-finished decorations, connect the artistic and techniques from the Opera Godfather.
André Tirlet
