Jacob & Co. relaunches the Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater in a run of 12

Jacob & Co. has brought back the Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater, the watch that introduced sound to its repertoire in 2014. Marking the brand's 40th anniversary in 2026, the modernised version arrives in a limited edition of 12 pieces, the same number offered a dozen years ago.

The original Palatial was where the maison's chiming watches began, and it now returns in a relatively restrained round case in 18k rose gold. It measures 43mm across with sculpted lugs, and its red transparent mineral crystal dial exposes the workings of the repeater beneath.

When the chiming mechanism fires, the dial turns into a visible machine: cams, racks, levers and other interacting parts move in plain sight. Faceted hour markers are alongside the brand's logo in this 2026 rendition, while a musical key still signals the acoustic dimension of the watch.

The updates centre on the hand-wound JCCM04 calibre, derived from the original engine but rebuilt in several places. Cathedral gongs that extend longer around the movement for a richer sound have been slightly reworked, as have the hammers that strike them.

The headline change is acoustic. A modern silent centrifugal governor now almost removes background noise entirely, so the chime comes through clear and harmonious. Jacob & Co. says the result is remarkably loud for a case water-resistant to 30 metres.

The JCCM04 is manufactured in Geneva with Régence, and its lineage is surprisingly long. It began at BNB Concept before passing to Pierre Favre's MHC, which then joined Timeless within the Régence Group, giving the movement a history that predates the original Palatial.

Composed of 308 components, the calibre is regulated by a one-minute flying tourbillon whose balance runs at 3Hz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour. Power reserve is around 90 hours. Through the caseback the movement shows a grey-toned finish and bridges decorated with Geneva stripes.

Sound has become a signature of Jacob & Co. since this watch first struck. The Opera and Opera Godfather lines arrived from 2017, with the Godfather II of 2026 combining a flying tourbillon with a mechanism that plays two melodies. The Opera Godfather Minute Repeater added a repeater in 2020.

The Twin Turbo Furious of 2018 pairs twin triple-axis tourbillons with a monopusher chronograph and a decimal minute repeater fitted with cathedral gongs for deeper resonance. Within the Astronomia range, the Maestro introduced a carillon minute repeater with three gongs and three hammers.

The 2014 Rasputin Tourbillon Minute Repeater took a different turn entirely: a high-jewellery piece whose chiming mechanism revealed a concealed erotic automaton as it struck. The Palatial, by contrast, was the brand's take on the classic minute repeater, restrained in form.

How the movement was reworked

The gongs and hammers were not the only parts touched. Beyond the new centrifugal governor, the construction of the JCCM04 received numerous upgrades, though Jacob & Co. has not detailed every change. The visible result is a chime the brand calls pleasant, clear and louder than the case suggests.

The watch sits on a red alligator leather strap closed by a gold pin buckle, matching the red dial face.

Twelve pieces is a deliberately circular number, echoing the model's 2014 debut as the brand turns 40. The Palatial is a relatively conservative object by Jacob & Co.'s standards, given the spectacle of the Astronomias and the Bugatti collaborations that surround it.

We cover the maison as part of our watches and jewellery writing, and the Palatial returns to a category where grand complications remain the measuring stick. When we reported on RGM's Model 501-PC perpetual calendar at $39,900, the entry price of mechanical high watchmaking sat far below this piece.

That gap says something about the space Jacob & Co. has. At $390,000 for a flying tourbillon and a minute repeater in rose gold, the Palatial is aimed at collectors who want the mechanism visible and audible, not merely present on a spec sheet.

The watch is listed now on jacobandco.com with a price of $390,000.