A one-of-one masterpiece that goes beyond excess and spectacle. The Jacob & Co. Opera Vantara Green Camo shows how bespoke watchmaking can be driven by purpose, storytelling, and genuine personal meaning.
I recently did an article where it was a deep dive into the world of watch customisation, and how some brands offer ‘bespoke creations’ as part of their service to clientele that want something a little extra, a timepiece that not only stands out but suits their own personal tastes. Well, Jacob & Co may well have just taken this personalisation game to the next level with the release of their latest timepiece.
Anant Ambani is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, India’s most influential business family. Unlike his siblings, who have been in the public eye for their business leadership, Anant Ambani has always been more committed to animal welfare, conservation, and sustainability. Vantara functions not as a zoo, with it being closed off to the public, but rather as a high-end conservation and veterinary facility in a 3000-acre space.
Anant Ambani is the driving force behind this ‘Vantara’ project, which is a large-scale wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation initiative located in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He created Vantara with one of the purposes being rescuing animals from illegal trafficking, abuse, neglect, and unsafe captivity. Such animals include the likes of elephants, lions, Bengal tigers, leopards, reptiles, and exotic species.
Outside of his animal philanthropy work, Anant Ambani is an avid watch collector. To say that he has arguably one of the greatest watch collections in the world would be an understatement. A few years ago, we did a Celebrity Watch Spotting article on the eve of Ambani’s high-profile wedding, showcasing his collection, what he gifted his groomsmen (custom 18K Rose Gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ‘Premiere’ Edition watches!), and what he also wore to his pre-wedding celebrations.
As you would expect from the son of a wealthy billionaire, the watches ranged from custom Patek Phillipe’s, Audemars Piguet, and Rolexes to high-end sapphire Richard Mille’s. Many of these timepieces are further elevated with gemstone settings, adding an extra layer of sparkle and luxury to watches that are already visually beautiful.
Now, Ambani can add another high jewellery masterpiece to his creation, this time, however, with more sentimental value and purpose. Jacob & Co have worked alongside Anant Ambani to create the ‘Vantara Watch’, officially named the “Opera Vantara Green Camo”, which features a stunning 397 gemstones, which include white diamonds, demantoid garnets, tsavorites, and green sapphires.
This bespoke one-of-one creation has been done to not only reflect Ambani’s status, but also his passion for animal conservation. While the timepiece may be dazzling in all the various precious stones, the deeper story lies in its purpose: using high jewellery watchmaking as a platform to celebrate a cause that holds genuine personal significance.
Case Design
As it is a bespoke creation, there is little information given about the piece in terms of its technical specifications; however, we do know that it features the same base design as the Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather. The case measures approximately 49mm in size and is 20mm thick. As this is a ‘safari’ themed timepiece, the case appears to be in green camouflage, created with demantoid garnets, tsavorites, green sapphires, and white diamonds.
As the timepiece is a manual wound, it features a unique crank & crown operation, whereby the movement is wound by hand using the large crank at 3 o’clock. Jacob & Co. designed it like a violin, whose neck folds and spins. The pusher at 10 is for the “music box,” which activates a pair of cylinders tilted at a 20-degree angle to play a unique and beautiful melody. Jacob & Co. states that the melody lasts approximately 30 seconds.
Dial Design
The dial has been beautifully crafted to showcase Jacob & Co’s expert craftsmanship in high-jewellery and high-complication watchmaking, while also referencing Anant Ambani and his Vantara project. There are six seperate elements that make up this incredible dial. Firstly, we have a miniature hand-painted statue of Anant Ambani sitting in a chair in between the two musical box cylinders. These cylinders have also been fitted with diamonds.
Then we have the time sub-dial at 12 o’clock, which is created with a green background with a golden elephant motif at the centre. Underneath the motif is the words ‘Ventura’, also done in gold to contrast nicely against the green. On the left-hand side of this time dial is a piano, which appears to be directly connected to the music box cylinder below. The piano features a Bengal tiger appearing out of it to ‘claw’ at the cylinder, giving a cool three-dimensional appearance. The surrounding top surface is then fitted with gemstones to mimic the case design.
At 6 o’clock sits the triple-axis flying tourbillon, which Jacob & Co. states, “It’s held only by its lower end, with no upper bridge, making it a flying tourbillon. The carriage is shaped like a sphere, rotating along three axes.” On the right-hand side of the triple-axis flying tourbillon is another three-dimensional figure, this time a lion casually sitting and appearing to be listening to what Anant Ambani’s figurine has to say! Again, the surface on which the lion sits is covered in gemstones, in keeping with the green camouflage motif.
Movement
While there isn’t much on the movement specifications, it would be safe to assume that it uses the same base calibre as the Opera Godfather. The calibre used is Jacob & Co’s exceptional JCFM04 movement, which combines high watchmaking with actual music. The JCFM04 calibre is comprised of 658 components, with the highlight features being the triple-axis flying tourbillon, and the two sets of ‘combs’ or musical cylinders that “play the notes of that 30-second tune, which resonate far outside the case.”
However, what makes this movement truly special is its ability to rotate around the dial. When the pusher for the music cylinders is activated at 10 o’clock, the movement rotates in a clockwise fashion, a mesmerizing detail when considering the complications that are being housed. The triple-axis tourbillon is made even more special due to the movement rotation, as it also rotates with the rest of the movement when the on-demand melody is activated.
Initial Thoughts
The Jacob & Co. Opera Vantara is one of those rare timepieces that goes far beyond technical flexing or gemstone creation. It isn’t a watch for everyone, given the mixed opinions online, which is perfectly fine as it was created as one-of-bespoke project for Anant Ambani. This ties back in perfectly to the watch customisation article, where I said that customisation should only be done for you, as others will rarely agree with your tastes or how you want it designed specifically.
Yes, the Jacob & Co. Opera Vantara is complex, unapologetically bold, and unmistakably Jacob & Co., but what makes it truly unique is the intent behind it. This isn’t a one-of-one created purely for spectacle; it’s a deeply personal piece that reflects Anant Ambani’s passions, values, and long-term commitment to animal conservation through Vantara.
Reference: Jacob & Co. Opera Vantara
Specifications:
- Case Diameter: 49mm x 20mm thick
- Case Material: 18k white gold with demantoid garnets, tsavorites, green sapphires, and white diamonds.
- Dial: Triple-axis flying tourbillon with separate time sub-dial, music box mechanism, 3D motif of Bengal tiger and lion sitting atop of demantoid garnets, tsavorites, green sapphires, and white diamonds.
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Movement: JCFM04 manual wound movement
- Power Reserve: Approximately 50 hours
- Water Resistance: N/A
- Strap: Green alligator leather