The Descendants: How CEO Benjamin Arabov is keeping things extravagant at Jacob & Co.

Benjamin joined Jacob & Co., a brand his father Jacob Arabo founded in 1986, three years ago, when he was 28, and in the time since, the brand has been able to scale the business to almost three times. Today, as CEO, Benjamin is not just taking the lead on the expansion of the brand—which in itself has seen a rapid uptick—but is also the custodian of its extravagant, formidable designs.

WatchTime India: What is a typical day at work like?

Benjamin Arabov: The whole morning is on the Geneva operation because we have an operation in New York as well. Given the timezones, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon is focused on design, production, and research and development. Then three hours a day is spent on operations, and another on marketing. And the rest is all on problems that come up, questions that people have etc.

Benjamin Arabov, CEO, Jacob & Co.

WTI: You took on a managerial role about three years ago. What was the idea that you came with and have you been able to execute that?

BA: The idea was to take the potential that the brand had and scale it up. Since I have joined, we have been able to scale the business to almost three times. We are definitely making progress but I feel that we have a lot more potential.

WTI: You come from watchmaking legacy. What are the positives and negatives of that?

BA: You have big shoes to fill, there is a huge spotlight on you, and people are paying very close attention to all your moves. So, it’s important to have a clean reputation (laughs). It comes with a lot of pressure. I am somebody who is very goal oriented, and I want to succeed and grow the business. My pops is a legend, and what he has done in the industry and in the business is nothing short of amazing. And I want to make sure that we build the best possible foundation over the next few years to grow this thing to levels that one can’t even imagine.

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WTI: What do you most enjoy about the business of watchmaking today?

BA: The design aspect. It is something that I haven’t done in my previous position, something that I didn’t know I enjoyed. But working side by side with Jacob, working on designs together, going back and forth, brainstorming—it’s an amazing experience. But, also, it takes such a long time, and boom, when you finally see the product, you have this sense of gratitude, appreciation, and love.

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WTI: If you were given a free reign, what sort of watch would you design?

BA: I would fit more innovation into small sizes, which is a lot more difficult to do. But if you are able to do that, then you attract a much wider audience that only wear a certain size.

WTI: What would you like to change about the industry today?

BA: There isn’t enough criticism in the industry. Because it is so small, if someone doesn’t like something, they don’t share it. Negative criticism is part of the process.

WTI: The one lesson you’ve learned from your father that you hold dear...

BA: Never take no for an answer.

Also read: Jacob & Co. creates the limited edition Epic X Ram Janmabhoomi Edition 1 watch

WTI: If you weren’t in watchmaking, you’d be in...

BA: I was in the marketing space before, so probably marketing.

WTI: What are you looking forward to in 2024?

BA: There are two big projects that we are launching in 2024 that we have been designing for the past year and a half or so. I am very much looking forward to launching those. These are projects that I have been working on every single day for the past year and a half in bits and pieces. We are going through a massive, global physical expansion, so in keeping with that, we are making sure that they are successful and pushing forward. We are creating these store experiences where people come in and try on our watches and buy, which is something that we are really focused on. And next year we are opening up five additional mono boutiques, and growing that part of the business as well.