Jacob & Co. Launches A Revamped Epic X Collection

While the Astronomia and Bugatti models are surely the most striking watches produced by Jacob & Co. (and keep in mind, there’s some serious watchmaking behind them), there’s another collection that is deeply connected to the brand, yet with a bit less effusiveness… so to speak! Presented on the occasion of the 2022 edition of Geneva Watch Days, the brand’s more classic watch, the Epic X, has been revamped with new design cues, a new full-steel look and a new shape. But still with that emblematic and bold X design that has made this watch so striking. 

Compared to the previous generation of this watch, which we’ve seen in this article, there’s been some work done on most elements of the case. A watch that has been instrumental in building the brand’s collection, it was first launched in 2015 and introduced a uniquely shaped case with its lugs forming an X. Not the most common watch, but oozing with personality.

This year, the Epic X gets a slightly sleeker look and a full-steel treatment. Its 44mm case has been revamped with smooth lugs and a new caseband that extends far outside the case’s circle to create a set of crown guards. In between them, a redesigned crown exhibits a two-level, notched steel tip. It also features a coloured aluminium element, available in vivid blue, energetic green, and for the black DLC steel Epic X, black. The most distinctive element, the X figure that gave the collection its name, consists of a pair of lugs interconnected through the vertical bridges of the skeleton movement, creating a continuous shape throughout the entire piece. All of these distinctive features are preserved and enhanced in the new series. The once-stepped bezel is now smooth and polished, with a steeper angle.

The highlight of this collection is the steel model, which is available on a honeycomb rubber strap but also on an entirely new bracelet, derived from the case’s unique angles and curves. Each link in the 5-link rows is a polished and chamfered three-dimensional sculpture with a half-octagon profile and a curved base. The dial of this new Epic X Collection also comes with more textures, with a Clou de Paris (or Parisian hobnail) guilloché pattern on the vertical bridges.

The sapphire crystal on top reveals most of the movement inside the Epic X, with its original vertically aligned construction. Being openworked, it allows a view of the balance wheel at 6 o’clock and the open barrel at 12 o’clock. Most of the elements of the dial match the case – whether in steel, gold or DLC steel – and create continuity between the habillage and the mechanics.

Inside the new Epic X is a slightly reworked version of the hand-wound calibre JCAM45. It is regulated by a balance wheel with regulating screws, beating at 4Hz. The power reserve is 48 hours. Most of the technical elements are black plated and finished with perlage or stripes, creating contrast with the rest of the movement.

The new Jacob & Co. Epic X will be available in a variety of editions, with a wide range of materials, colours and gem-setting interpretations. For now, the brand presents a steel case with blue aluminium parts on a steel bracelet or black rubber strap, a rose gold case with green aluminium parts on a rose gold bracelet or black rubber strap, and a black DLC case with black details on a rubber strap. The price will start at USD 26,000. For more details, please visit jacobandco.com.