Geneva Watch Days 2022: Jacob & Co: Epic X
6 min read
An upgrade to the brand’s sleeker offerings, here’s everything you need to know about the all new Jacob & Co Epic X.
The redesigned Epic X is a sleeker and streamlined take on the seminal timepiece. Details abound where Jacob & Co has subtly altered the shape, surface, and lines, to make the Epic X entirely up to date. It's also one of the very few Jacob & Co timepieces to be manufactured in steel.
The first series of the new Epic X flaunts their bold 44-mm steel case, their 5-link, all-new steel bracelet, their X-shaped lugs and their vertically aligned skeleton movement with Clou de Paris-adorned bridges. A full rose gold version is also in tow. They exhibit a new set of crown guards, a new lug design and introduce green, blue or black aluminium components that will lead to infinite possibilities.
When launched back in 2015, the original Epic X collection was instrumental in making Jacob & Co the full-fledged watchmaking brand it is today. Years after the iconic and celebrated Five Time Zone Watch, which had left a mark on an entire era and was worn by countless celebrities, Jacob & Co had moved to a more horology-oriented timepiece.
A complete work of watchmaking, the Epic X was ahead of the trends that went on to define the sporty, high watchmaking, skeleton watch as a hero of the 2020s. It later became the blueprint for the Epic X Chrono and Epix X Tourbillon.
Infinite chapters
The case measures 44 mm in diameter and 13.05 mm in thickness. The bracelet is an entirely new design, derived from the case's unique angles and curves. Each in the 5-link rows is a polished and chamfered three-dimensional sculpture, with a half-octagonal profile and a curved base. This and a careful study in articulation create an ideal fit on the wrist. Moreover, the Epic X remains available with its signature honeycomb rubber strap.
Jacob & Co is releasing three versions that testify to that versatility: steel case with blue aluminium parts on steel bracelet or black rubber strap, rose gold case with green aluminium parts on rose gold bracelet or black rubber strap, and a black DLC case with black details on rubber strap.
The Epic X is one of the rare instances where the inside and outside of a watch were in actual symbiosis. The X figure that gave the collection its name is to be found on its pairs of lugs. They're interconnected through the vertical bridges of the skeleton movement, creating a continuous shape throughout the entire piece.
Design language
The second most recognizable alteration is the caseband, extending 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. Its basis introduces a new design principle: the Epic X now features several colorful components, crafted out of aluminum. Jacob & Co has opted for vivid blue, energetic green, and for the black DLC steel Epic X, black.
These colors are applied to the flange, which also bears a redesigned typeface. To the satin-finished edges on the two vertical bridges, the body of the watch and more discreetly, to their underside, visible only through the sapphire caseback, beyond the maze of components of caliber JCAM45.
Ornate phrasing
Caliber JCAM45 is an integral part of the Epic X identity. It cannot properly be called a skeletonized movement, as it was not derived from an existing caliber only to be openworked. It was designed as such. It therefore benefits from a free, graphic structure. The wide barrel at 12 o'clock and balance wheel at 6 o'clock define the caliber's vertical essence. It is further enhanced by the vertical bridges that run along them. They used to bear the printed brand signature, which is henceforth moved to 12 o'clock.
They also were openworked, and they still might be in the future. But so far, they're using one of the Epic X signature finishings—The Clou de Paris (or Parisian hobnail) guilloché. The engraved pattern is made of square-base pyramids with polished faces. A classic motif in watchmaking, it brings texture and unique light reflection to the equation. Half-dial, half-movement, these structures are true to the Epic X's original calling to blur the lines between the inside and outside.
Mechanical grammar
Caliber JCAM45 is not just a work of symmetrical and vertical design. It's also a highly crafted piece of horology. The 5.9 mm-thick movement is openworked to the extreme, a feature that is being masked by the full vertical bridges. It features a high-end balance wheel with regulating screws, almost flush with the dial.
The remaining, black-plated surfaces of the openworked mainplate are finished with perlage (circular graining), sandblasting and vertical-graining. A look at the movement's back reveals the characteristic “Octopus” spring, a refined component with three extremely thin and elegantly curved blades. It acts as a pawl-spring and a setting-lever spring. The level of care put into its design and finishings are a testament to the Epic X Haute Horlogerie nature.
Simple yet complex, this functional creation by Jacob & Co is sure to reign over a plethora of enthusiasts for its sleeker look, admirable artistry and front row view to what’s on the inside.
