While waiting for Benjamin Arabov, CEO of million-dollar brand Jacob and Co., I didn’t think we’d end up talking about tractor-trailers. “It’s funny, people look at us and say How can you go from hip hop jewellery to high watch complications?” says Arabov. “Well, how can Lamborghini go from tractor trailers to one of the nicest cars in the world?
“Ferruccio Lamborghini started out creating tractor trailers. He bought a few Ferrari’s, went to [Enzo] Ferrari and complained about the clutch. The result? Ferrari told him to go back to his tractor trailers, and the next year, he came up with the first Lamborghini car, and the rest is history.
Since the 31-year-old took the helm of his father Jacob’s company in 2021, he’s placed an emphasis on the brand’s digital transformation. It’s not your average father-son dynamic, and yet it works. So much so that this year, the pair paid homage to Jacob and Co’s inception with the launch of ‘The World is Yours,’ a timepiece that pays tribute to the two-dial Wakkman watch Arabo received at the age of 13.
With Cristiano Ronaldo, Rihanna and Drake regularly in his DMs, Arabov’s aim is simple – start a conversation.
How do you feel about being coined as a ‘disruptive’ brand?
I love it. I’m here to rock the boat.
Like when you created a custom Jacob and Co. Flying Tourbillon watch for Rihanna’s SuperBowl show?
Yeah, we had 200 million people see that in 24 hours. The first day was insane.
How did that come about?
We knew she’s down for different things, like wearing an engagement ring on her toe. I was inspired by that. We discussed the watch choker with her and agreed we could do it – then it was a case of working out which watch to pick, what material to use for the strap, and how to attach it to the neck, as we’d never made a watch strap before.
Jacob and Co. is likened more to a culture than a commodity. Why?
A lot of our clients are entrepreneurs, and to be an entrepreneur, you have to think differently. That’s the DNA we’ve created: difference. The main concept behind Jacob’s designs is that when you look at the watch, he wants you to have a different view of the watch every time you look at it.
If you only had one watch you could wear for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
[Laughs] It changes every week. I don’t wear rose gold, so I’m making myself a black DLC version of the new ‘The World is Yours’ watch. Why? Because of the story behind it and the emotional aspect.
Is this the first time you’ve established more of a sentiment with a watch you’ve put out?
Absolutely. The watch is designed based on a timepiece Jacob got many years ago. It felt like the time was right to share the backstory of the inception. Everyone loves to know where the brand started. Everyone knows the Five Time Zone and the Hip Hop jewellery and all that, but where did that initial spark come from for Jacob to enter the industry and say ‘I’m going to create my own watches?’ I did feel a little bit bad using my 96-year-old grandfather as part of the marketing campaign, but we’re not in this life forever. I’m very happy we were able to execute this memory.
As CEO, are there any watches in the archive that you’re not in love with?
[Laughs] Yes.
You’re not going to tell me are you?
Well… they’ve discontinued now. For a creative genius like Jacob, or any creative genius for that matter, they can’t only have good ideas. It just doesn’t work that way.
Are you ever able to switch off and just be father and son?
Not as much as I want. Outside of work, we play tennis, basketball and backgammon together and go and grab a drink and…
…end up talking about work?
[Laughs] Yeah.
What’s challenged you the most becoming CEO?
In the beginning, I didn't grasp the complexity of it. Because I was in the service business before and this product business, it's like two different beasts.
What keeps you grounded in all of this?
These are some therapeutic questions. [Laughs] I appreciate it. Pops, like many creative people, is never happy. Even with the crazy stuff we create, and the business growing. It’s not healthy to always have that mindset of resting on this success. We can always do better and push forward.
Considering how expensive your watches are, how are you still engaging with younger generations?
It’s a funny story. I started in October 2020, and in January 2021, I initiated the launch of our TikTok channel. A few days ago, we crossed one million views on our channel. Every week, I hear stories from salespeople all around the world about kids that are 12 and upwards, dragging their parents to our stores and the parents buying a watch because of the kids' influence. The audience we know on that platform is young, and with the content we create, it’s making them feel something. It’s setting them up for when they’re ready to buy something.
Big hitters like Cristiano Ronaldo have collabed with you on watches. How intrinsic to the brand is celebrity outreach?
There’s interest to continue working with celebrities and artists. There's another category that unfortunately I'm not ready to share yet because I feel like it's untapped. But I feel like the celebrity athlete side is a little bit oversaturated.
What separates you from the oversaturation?
We put a watch on the neck instead of the wrist [laughs]. When you see somebody wearing a particular Rolex it’s kind of like, OK cool. But with Jacob, it’s always a conversation. Our watches are conversations.
