Jacob & Co. Epic SF24 Racing Grade 5 Titanium Green

The Epic SF24 is Jacob & Co.’s unique expression of a travel watch, inspired by the time displays used at airports. A world timer like no other, this watch originates from a distinct perspective where mechanical complexity is added in the service of simplicity of use. It was first released at the 2013 Baselworld and has since been updated twice to include tourbillon iterations and a racing edition with timepieces in a range of vivid colours.

A Travel Watch Like No Other

Practical and highly technical, the Jacob & Co. Epic SF24 collection stands out with its unusual design and display of the world time. SF stands for Split Flap, a cylindrical extension integrated into the round case evocative of the flip clocks we see in airports. This Split Flip display shows 24 cities on one side and the corresponding time in a 24-hour format on the other. Setting the different time zones on the Epic SF24 is as easy as it gets. A pusher on the left lets you scroll through the different time zones one by one while both the windows flip in a cool motion.

The dial below the cylindrical world time aperture looks striking and is also extremely legible and neat. Texture, perhaps for a sense of visual depth, is one of the cynosures of the dial. The non-tourbillon versions have an endearing sunray pattern at the centre with a smooth outer ring carrying Roman numeral hour markers. A small seconds sub-dial is placed between nine and 10 o’clock markers. On the other hand, the tourbillon versions bring the honeycomb pattern we see on the casebands and crown of all Epic SF24 watches to the dial as well. Hence, the dial on Epic SF24 Tourbillon watches looks a lot bold yet comparatively spartan, for good reason. The local time has been shifted to an off-centre sub-dial while the tourbillon aperture is at 10 o’clock. The rest of the dial is clean, letting these two bells and whistles sit conspicuously.

Movement

The Jacob & Co. Epic SF24 is driven by the manual-wound calibre JCAA02. It’s certainly a feat of horological mastery as its complex mechanism facilitates the ease of use for the wearer. It is constructed using 473 components, of which 163 are employed for the Split-Flap display. It offers a power reserve of 48 hours and is finished to true haute horlogerie level.

The Epic SF24 Tourbillon watches bring an even more advanced mechanism to power its impressive functionalities. Calibre JCAA03 features a one-minute flying tourbillon in an open-worked cage in addition to bringing all other crucial components. It also allows the watch to run autonomously for 48 hours.