If you’d told watch nerds five years ago that Jacob & Co. would one day top a Morgan Stanley growth chart, they’d have laughed you out of the room. For a long time, Jacob & Co. was the brand you associated with rapper chains, diamond-encrusted everything, and watches that looked like they belonged in a Dubai nightclub rather than a serious collection.
But while the Swiss watch industry was busy contracting in 2025, with export volumes sliding and most of the big names treading water, Jacob & Co. quietly posted the strongest performance of any brand in the Top 50.
According to the Ninth Annual Swiss Watcher report from Morgan Stanley (which is basically the financial bible of the watch world), Jacob & Co. grew revenue by 14% year-over-year to an implied retail value of CHF 288 million ($372,670 USD). They shifted 3,975 timepieces, a 24% increase in units sold. Both of those figures are the highest growth rates among the entire Top 50. The brand now sits at number 27 globally by turnover.
Let that sink in for a second. In a year where the industry was going backwards, Jacob & Co. wasn’t just surviving. They were lapping the field.
So, How Did Mr Jacob Actually Pull This Off?
The short answer is they got serious. The longer answer involves a genuine strategic overhaul that’s been years in the making.
Jacob & Co. began expanding its product line beyond the blinged-out astronomical pieces it was known for. They introduced collections at more accessible price points (and by accessible, we mean “accessible for a luxury Swiss watch brand,” so don’t get too excited).
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At the same time, they doubled down on their ultra-high-complication offerings, the kind of horological madness that gets collectors and industry insiders paying attention for the right reasons.
They also modernised their distribution model, which in watch industry speak means they got smarter about where and how they sell.
Why This Matters Beyond The Numbers
The watch world loves a redemption arc, and Jacob & Co. is writing one of the better ones we’ve seen in recent years. Founded by Jacob Arabo, the brand is now approaching its 40th anniversary, and the timing of this milestone couldn’t be better.
What makes this story interesting isn’t just the numbers, it’s the context. The Swiss watch industry had a rough 2025. Export volumes dropped, consumer confidence wobbled, US tariffs hit, and even some of the heavyweight maisons were feeling the pinch. For a brand that plenty of collectors had written off as a novelty act to emerge as the fastest growing name on the list is, hand on heart, one of the more surprising watch stories of the year.
Benjamin Arabo, who shared the news with partners, put it pretty honestly: “I know, as a brand we are not perfect, but we work hard every day to do our best and continue to improve.” It’s not the kind of polished corporate nonsense you usually get from luxury brands, and for that reason alone, it’s worth paying attention to what Jacob & Co. does next.
Whether you’re a fan of the brand or not, you can’t argue with the numbers. And in an industry that often feels like it’s running on heritage fumes and waiting list hype, there’s something refreshing about a brand that’s actually growing because it changed its approach rather than just its prices.
