Inside The Vantara Watch: How Jacob & Co Turned the Ambani Legacy into a USD 1.5 Million Work of Horological Theatre

At the farthest edge of haute horlogerie - where craftsmanship meets power, and symbolism outweighs subtlety - Jacob & Co has unveiled one of its most audacious creations to date. A one-of-one masterpiece, reportedly valued at $1.5 million, this bespoke timepiece is not merely a watch. It is a narrative object - a wrist-borne monument to legacy, conservation, and modern Indian aristocracy.

Created as a tribute to Vantara, the private wildlife sanctuary founded by Anant Ambani, the watch compresses an entire worldview into 47 mm of sculptural excess. Gold, gemstones, wildlife iconography, and portraiture converge to form what can only be described as wearable influence.

A Timepiece Designed to Speak Before It Ticks

Jacob & Co has long operated beyond traditional definitions of watchmaking. Known for mechanical spectacle and unapologetic maximalism, the maison approached the Vantara watch as a three-dimensional canvas rather than a conventional dial.

The result is a high-jewellery complication featuring 397 gemstones, including diamonds, green sapphires, garnets, and tourmalines, arranged in a lush green-and-gold palette that evokes jungle opulence. Intricately sculpted Bengal tigers and Asiatic lions, cast in solid gold, guard the dial like mythic sentinels.

At the centre sits a hand-painted miniature of Anant Ambani himself, portrayed in regal repose amid this gemstone wilderness. Beneath him, an 18k gold elephant bears the inscription "Vantara", anchoring the piece firmly to its inspiration. The architecture is unmistakably Jacob & Co - layered, dimensional, and engineered to overwhelm in the most deliberate way, placing it among the most insane luxury watch brands in terms of artistic ambition.

This is not timekeeping as function. It is timekeeping as declaration.

Vantara - Conservation at a Scale Only Power Can Afford

Vantara exists in a category of its own. Spanning over 3,500 acres in Gujarat's Jamnagar district, near the world's largest oil refinery owned by Reliance Industries, the sanctuary houses more than 2,000 animals, including endangered species rescued from across the globe.

Officially positioned as a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation centre, Vantara represents a rare intersection of private wealth and public environmental ambition. While the project has faced scrutiny in the past, a Supreme Court-appointed committee in 2023 found no evidence of wrongdoing, reinforcing its legitimacy.

Its inauguration by Narendra Modi elevated Vantara from a private initiative to a symbol of national-scale conservation intent. The sanctuary later became the backdrop for the Ambani family's now-legendary pre-wedding celebrations, placing it firmly in the global luxury consciousness. This approach to conservation reflects a broader understanding of what sustainable luxury truly means in the contemporary era.

The Wedding That Rewrote the Rules of Influence

The 2024 pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant were less celebration and more geopolitical theatre. Across multiple venues, including Vantara, the guest list blurred the lines between entertainment, politics, and global capital.

Performances by Rihanna, appearances by Kim Kardashian, and the presence of figures such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg underscored a simple truth - the Ambani family operates on a global plane few others can access. The scale of celebration exemplified what many consider the pinnacle of big fat Indian weddings, with meticulous planning and execution at every level.

It is within this atmosphere that the Vantara watch feels most at home. Not as an accessory, but as a talisman of power and permanence.

Jacob & Co and the Rise of a New Luxury Geography

For Jacob & Co, the Vantara watch is also strategic. As global luxury pivots eastward, India is no longer an emerging market - it is a centre of gravity. Through its partnership with Ethos Watches, the brand has been deepening its footprint in the country.

This piece does more than acknowledge Indian wealth. It centres it. In the way Patek Philippe once crafted watches for European royalty, Jacob & Co is now creating artefacts for a new global aristocracy - one defined not by crowns, but by capital, influence, and narrative control. The piece joins the ranks of the most complicated watches ever created, while also representing India's transformation as a luxury market.

A Legacy Cast in Gold

At its highest level, luxury is not quiet. It is intentional. It tells stories through scale, symbolism, and craftsmanship. The Vantara watch is many things at once - an art object, a family heirloom, a conservation emblem, and a statement of arrival.

With its 397 gemstones including rare diamonds and sapphires, the piece embodies the same level of precious material mastery seen in the world's most expensive diamonds and represents the work of India's finest jewellery craftsmanship.

In an era dominated by understated wealth and muted signals, this watch chooses the opposite path. It declares its presence. It owns its excess. And in doing so, it captures the essence of a family and a moment where luxury is no longer about discretion - but about authorship. It perfectly illustrates how one defines luxury in the modern age.

Time, in this case, is not measured. It is claimed.