Subtle is not an adjective often used to describe Jacob Arabo, the man behind ritzy, glitzy watch brand Jacob & Co, and who has been in the headlines lately for rather less glamorous reasons. From his bronze St Tropez tan and US$320,000 (S$492,336) diamond-encrusted tourbillon watch to his diamond-spangled designs, everything about Arabo screams over the top.
TELLING TIME: The Five Time Zone Watch in black stainless steel and 3.25-carat diamond bezel costs $43,800
It's no wonder that this jeweller and watchmaker to celebs, especially hip-hop artistes, is called the King of Bling.
'If you put on my watch, it stops people and starts conversations,' says Arabo, 42.
'This one girl told me she was in an elevator with a man who was very shy, but he decided to ask her about my watch. They started talking, dating and now they are married.'
The jeweller was in town for watch boutique Yafriro's Time & Luxury exhibition in Paragon last month.
New York-based Arabo found time to pop over to Singapore despite facing trial in August over accusations of laundering profits for a Detroit-based drug gang called the Black Mafia. It's alleged that he accepted cash for jewellery without properly reporting the transactions.
But it is business as usual for him meanwhile. Jacob & Co, founded in 1986 in New York's Diamond District by Arabo, a Russian immigrant, is synonymous with providing ostentatious bling to celebrities ranging from Sir Elton John and Bono to Naomi Campbell and Mary J. Blige.
While he declines to name the brand behind his sharply tailored pin-striped suit, he doesn't shy from indulging in some casual name-dropping on his firm's behalf.
'If you meet Madonna, you know she never takes off my watch,' he says.
He adds: 'Do you know I'm in 50 songs?'
These include Never Let Me Down by Kanye West and Upgrade U by Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z, which reference Jacob & Co as a synonym for opulence.
Even pop singer Justin Timberlake, who raised his street cred a couple of notches by collaborating with hip-hop stalwarts like Snoop Dogg and Timbaland on his recent albums, is a long-time fan of the brand.
'Justin Timberlake used to come to my store and sit and wait, fiddling with his cellphone, for two hours because I was busy,' says Arabo.
'Now I wait for him. I watched all of them grow up and dress them up over the years in Jacob and make them beautiful.'
But music celebrities make up just 5 per cent of the business, says Arabo, a father of three who has been married for 18 years to a dark-haired beauty named Angela.
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Footballer David Beckham, for example, commissioned him to create a diamond razor blade.
And his most expensive creation is a US$18 million pink solitaire diamond ring bought by a Saudi Arabian princess.
Jacob & Co watches have been available here for the past three years at Yafriro. Prices range from US$27,000 to a jaw-dropping US$1 million.
Fans include trust-fund babes and Indonesian tai tais as well as corporate ladder-climbers with deep pockets.
Next on Arabo's to-design list: A gold and diamond trophy for this year's MTV Video Music Awards.
'I think Beyonce will win,' he says in a conspiratorial whisper.
'I've known Beyonce since she was 14, when her mother would bring her to my store. She's a winner.'
But life of late hasn't been so shiny for Arabo.
About the upcoming trial over alleged laundering of drug gang profits, he tells Urban: 'The law is interesting.
'You accept money from a client and if it's illegitimate but it's not your fault, it's considered laundering. I'll just have to prove myself (innocent).'
A glittering array - literally - of celebrity cronies is set to testify to Arabo's good character, say news reports.
