We all love a good show and few know how to put one on better than our favorite diva from Barbados, who happened to put on an iconic half-time performance for this year’s LVII (57th) Superbowl, a performance that is sure to keep all her fans and watch enthusiasts alike talking; That’s right, Rihanna and her absolutely eye-catching timepiece were the stars of the half-time show for us watch fanatics at Times Ticking!
In case you’re wondering, she went on record in 2010 clarifying that her name is actually pronounced “ree-AN-uh” (as in Ann) instead of the mainstream pronunciation of “ree-AH-nuh” that’s taken hold of pop culture. This fact was recently brought back into the media spotlight by Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’, who correctly pronounced the artist’s name at this year’s presentation of the Golden Globes.
Rihanna started the widely anticipated half-time show off in a slightly oversized puffer coat, which was hiding the aforementioned watch, layered over a red jumpsuit, the latter being designed by the noted fashion designer Scarlet Loewe, which accentuated the curves of Rihanna’s baby bump. The ensemble had her dripping from head to toe in the most saturated and satisfying color of crimson red, the perfect shade for a diva of Rihanna’s caliber.
Little did we know that about four and a half minutes into her spotlight performance, she’d take off that Alaïa puffer coat for her live rendition of her hit single ‘Rude Boy’, where she debuted – the true star of her Super Bowl LVII fashion sense: ‘The Brilliant Skeleton Northern Lights’ by Jacob & Co., in full crimson red.
This timepiece is a true testament to the mission of the luxury brands commitment to “create beautiful, dynamic and unique pieces of watchmaking and jewelry art” as this iced out piece surely checks the mark on all of those boxes.
With an incredible 251 pavé-set round-cut white diamonds on the stainless steel polished case, weighing out to around 10.25 carats, there’s no way this watch isn’t getting noticed, but to ensure that it catches every eye within reach, they added an extra 30 of the same diamonds to the crown, adding another .47 carats to the 44mm case.
But, wait, that’s not all– the elegant deep red alligator strap attached to her timepiece includes a stainless steel tang buckle that’s also set with an incredible 42 more of these premium cut diamonds, adding another .54 carats – bringing the final count to a jaw dropping 323 individual stones, a whopping 11.26 carats.
Jacob & Co. didn’t stop there, of course; they made sure the interior of the watch had the same standard of creativity and boldness we have come to expect from this upper echelon brand. The outer crystal is made out of sapphire, which is highly scratch resistant to ward off any unwanted nicks and chips as she’s on stage doing stunts and dancing with her teammates.
This sapphire crystal has an additional feature, anti-reflective treatment, so the sun stage lights won’t stop her from seeing the time.
The inner dial is what gives this sumptuous timepiece that signature red color, we see, is made out of red mineral crystal to give it the strength to withstand high stage performances, or any other high energy activities without gaining or losing a single second, while maintaining the high-end look and feel.
The movement of this limited-edition timepiece, only 101 of them having been produced, is an exclusive Jacob & Co. Skeleton Manual Wind Caliber JCAM01, a Swiss 21 jewel open worked anthracite movement, assembled with rhodium plated gears, boasting a 46-hour power reserve on a full wind. This surely is a nod to the brands’ commitment to only using the highest quality materials to build their watches.
The Brilliant Skeleton Northern Lights comes in a variety of dial and band colors including a rich emerald green and arctic blue, with an added option of getting a rose gold case instead of the stainless-steel option Rihanna was flexing. Needless to say, Jacob & Co. spared no expense when designing this luxury timepiece that can also be labeled as jewelry art by almost any standard.
Rihanna pulled off this $72,000 watch, a masterclass in time-piece art and fashion, while making it look like casual wear. That’s easy to do, though, when you have a net worth of 1.4 billion dollars; and are loaded with financial influence – for the nicknamed ‘Princess of Barbados’.
One of our favorites in her collection is her custom-made Rolex King Midas, worth approximately $42,000. Rihanna was sporting the King Midas, the iconic and one of a kind timepiece in a photo she released with the announcement of her first pregnancy, to which has now the watch been connected to her first born, a son with rapper A$AP Rocky, a sort of “announcement timepiece”. Rumor has it that ‘The Brilliant Skeleton’ is the “announcement timepiece” for her second born, as this Superbowl performance was her first debut of her baby belly with this pregnancy.
While her timepiece collection is quite eclectic and extensive, it’s quite safe to say that ‘The Brilliant Skeleton Northern Lights’ by Jacob & Co. is now the one that takes the crown in Rihanna’s watch box. Perhaps, makes you want to sing her famous lyric “shine bright like a diamond” which this timeless timepiece will surely do for decades to come.
