In the universe of chiming/musical watches at Jacob & Co., the minute repeater came first, in the Palatial collection and in the Twin Turbo and Twin Turbo Furious. Then, the decision was made to add actual music to the watches, and the Opera Collection was introduced. The 49mm Opera timepiece was the first luxury timepiece to combine a high watchmaking triple-axis tourbillon movement with a two-comb, two-cylinder Swiss music box. The Opera Godfather took the Opera one step farther, introducing the theme music from The Godfather, followed by the Opera Scarface.

The Jacob & Co. designers got to thinking - why not do both? Never a company to leave well enough alone, Jacob & Co. introduced the Grand Complication Opera Godfather Minute Repeater.

Jacob & Co. has the exclusive rights, in partnership with Paramount Pictures, to use The Godfather logo and the haunting melody in this amazing Opera timepiece. In addition, a stylized image of Marlon Brando as Don Corleone, exclusive to the Opera Godfather Minute Repeater, is superimposed on the 18K gold, black-lacquered piano.

The Godfather is widely recognized as one of the top five greatest movies ever made, introducing iconic characters like the Godfather, Michael Corleone, Sonny Corleone, Luca Brasi, Tessio, Clemenza, Johnny Fontaine and more.

The Godfather has so many iconic moments - the marriage sequence that opens the movie, the Boss of Bosses meeting, the Sicily sequence, the death of Sonny Corleone, the baptism montage - it's hard to pick just one. But, certainly Marlon Brando's performance as Don Corleone stands out. This is the role for which Brando won an Oscar for Best Actor.

The Opera Godfather Minute Repeater honors this spectacular movie with its unique styling, its combination of complications, and its ability to play the theme music from The Godfather on demand.

With so much going on in this watch, you can almost forget about what many consider the ultimate in watchmaking, the tourbillon. The tourbillon Jacob & Co. uses in the Opera Minute Repeater is anything but a traditional tourbillon. Rather, it is a high-speed triple-axis tourbillon, turning in three minutes on one axis, 48 seconds on the second axis, and 24 seconds on the third. This ballet of high-end mechanics is in constant motion, keeping the timekeeping precise.

On the black lacquered piano is the stylized iconic image of Marlon Brando as Don Corleone, getting ready to make someone an offer they can't refuse.

Long regarded the most complicated of movements, the minute repeater was the height of luxury when it was first introduced in the 1600s, the equivalent of a church clock in a timepiece. Getting the minute repeater absolutely perfect, from precision and tonal standpoints, is a huge challenge, and that's why only a handful of brands include minute repeaters in their collections.

The minute repeater in the Opera Godfather uses two hammers to strike exposed circular gongs to sound out the hours, the quarters of hours, and the minutes. In the Opera Godfather Minute Repeater, the gongs circle above the dial, visible through the large sapphire crystal and rose gold case. This voluminous case enhances the clarity, tone, and richness of the sound of the gongs.

The minute repeater is actuated with a slide at 9 o'clock and the music is started by pressing the pusher at 8 o'clock. The watch is wound via the violin-shaped handle at 3 o'clock, and set using an 18K gold lift-out bow on the case back. The power reserve for the movement and the music box function are separate - the watch has a power reserve of 44 hours, while the music can be played three times before you have to wind it again.

Playing 120 notes, the two cylinders turn against the two, 30-pin combs to produce the beautiful theme music from The Godfather. Manufacturing these small cylinders requires incredible precision, so that the music plays exactly right. Watching these cylinders in motion is mesmerizing, an auditory and visual treat.

Winding the watch is simple. All you do is unfold the 18K violin-shaped crank and turn it. Turning clockwise winds the power reserve for the movement (45 hours), turning counterclockwise winds the separate power reserve for the music (the music can be played three times). When finished, refold and return to its place on the side of the watch.

Unlike the other timepieces in the Opera Collection, the dial is static, the skeletonized hour and minute dial appearing to float in the center of the timepiece. Managing the power of the watch is critical, as now the timepiece adds a minute repeater, so the 758-component movement has to be robust enough to power the triple-axis tourbillon, the Swiss music box, and the minute repeater, while also being precise enough to manage the timekeeping and the coordination with the chiming of the minute repeater.

The Opera Godfather Minute Repeater adds yet another Grand Complication to the Jacob & Co. collection. Combining the Swiss Music Box with a triple-axis tourbillon and a minute repeater could just be an offer you can't refuse.