The watches of Jacob & Co are, by and large, not subtle. There’s a opulence to the jeweller-cum-watchmaker’s horological creations, an extravagance that encompasses not just the visuals, but also the mechanisms. From the music of the Godfather series of watches to the miniature sculpture of the Astronomia, Jacob & Co has clearly mastered the art of excess. This makes the Palatial Flying Minute Repeater a somewhat surprising release for the brand. Because while this watch is hardly a shrinking violet on the wrist — it’s 43mm of gold with a red translucent dial after all, but within the broader context of the brand, this is practically under the radar.

Jacob & Co Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater

The story of the Palatial Flying Minute Repeater is one that begins quite some time ago, in 2014. It was in 2014 that Jacob & Co’s watches first stopped merely telling the time and began chiming it, with the introduction of the first Palatial Flying Minute Repeater, a watch that began the brand’s long and storied journey into the rarefied world of sound. We say sound very specifically, because while some of the brand’s watches are chiming watches, like the pair it released in 2018, the Twin Turbo Furious, with twin triple-axis tourbillons and an uncommon decimal minute repeater (which struck hours, ten-minute intervals and minutes, a more intuitive method than the traditional hours, quarters and minutes), and the Astronomia Maestro, which saw a carillon minute repeater equipped with three gongs and three hammers rather than the more usual two. These watches are an example of Jacob & Co’s chiming expertise, but its only half the story.

Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious

Astronomia Maestro Worldtime Tourbillon Repeater Carillon

Jacob & Co is also famous for its musical watches, which operate like miniature music boxes. This journey began in 2017, with the Opera, an industry first that paired a triple tourbillon calibre with a two comb, twin cylinder music box, capable of playing a 120-note tine on demand. The technology of the Opera really came into its own in 2019, with the Opera Godfather. Playing “The Godfather Love Theme” from Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal film on its music box, this dramatic tribute to cinema and watchmaking was followed up in 2026 by the Godfather II, which managed to fit two melodies in one watch case, another watchmaking first.

Opera Godfather Musical Watch in rose gold

Jacob & Co. The Godfather II

The latest Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater sees Jacob & Co return to the origins of its love affair with sound. This new edition keeps the same formula of a minute repeater and an exposed single tourbillon, while adding some on-brand flair, not to mention a brand new calibre. JCCM04 replaces the original JCBM03, with the updates primarily in the quality of manufacturing and assembly.

The 60-second flying tourbillon with a redesigned cage

On the tourbillon side of things, it’s a 60-second flying tourbillon, with a redesigned cage, hand-polished angles and fine edges, making the overall assembly one that looks as impressive as the watch sounds. This new watch also allows a peek behind the curtain, so to speak — thanks to a translucent red mineral dial giving the wearer a view of the dial-side mechanism. This vivid red is accented by red gold dial hardware. The hands are a particularly on-brand touch, taking their shape from a metronome. As for the sound of the watch, it is produced by activating the slide at nine, which in turn causes the two hammers to strike the twin gongs, which extend around the movement, allowing for a longer, richer and more resonant sound. The gongs are shaped, hardened, tuned and fitted by hand, with the final adjustments being made by that most specialised of watchmaking tools, the ear. Once the quality of sound is up to scratch, a centrifugal governor controls the cadence of the striking sequence, and in this new movement, the governor has been engineered to be more silent, reducing mechanical interference with the pure tones fo the gongs. All this can be observes through the sapphire case back, and care has been taken to finish the watch to a high degree.

View of the sapphire case back

All this is wrapped up in an imposing 43mm 18k rose gold case, with a broad polished bezel and lugs evoking a more elegant silhouette of the brand’s sporty Epic X collection. For all its width, the case is surprisingly svelte, measuring only 12.3mm tall. Though it is a minute repeater, water resistance is on the low side, at 30M. This watch is limited to 12 pieces, one for each year since the original model was released. It’s certainly a dramatic and fitting tribute to a brand which has (not so quietly) been making waves in the world of sound-based horology.

Jacob & Co Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater

Tech Specs: Jacob & Co. Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater

Movement Manually wound Jacob & Co Caliber JCCM04, 90 hours of power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, minute repeater
Case Rose gold, 43 x 12.3mm, water-resistant to 30M
Dial Red mineral with rose gold details
Strap Red alligator with rose gold pin buckle
Price USD 390,000
Availability Limited to 12 pieces