The world of top-tier watches in the haute horology world broke new ground with the debut of the “Opera Vantara Green Camo,” a bespoke timepiece created exclusively by the famed Jacob & Co. luxury watchmaker for Anant Ambani. Worth about $1.5 million (₹13.7 crore), this watch is more than a luxury accessory; it’s a mechanical homage to Anant Ambani’s lifelong love of wildlife and his pioneering conservation endeavor, Vantara.
The Vantara Inspiration
Launched in Gujarat in 2025, Vantara (meaning “Star of the Forest”) is one of the world's largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers. The watch was created as a narrative piece of art, transforming the ecological mission of the 3,500-acre sanctuary into wearable art. Every aspect of the design speaks to the ethos of the project, which now shelters more than 150,000 animals — including elephants and big cats.
Beauty and Design: 397 Jewels In Camouflage
The watch represents the renowned Opera collection, with its theatrical rotating mechanisms and musical complications. But the customization for Ambani takes it to a different level:
- Gem-Set Camouflage: The case and dial are a brilliant green camouflage pattern crafted by hand over 397 hand-set gemstones. Those come in a mix of demantoid garnets, tsavorites, green sapphires and white diamonds totalling around 21.98 carats.
- Dotted Figurines: A hand-painted little statue of Anant Ambani himself, styled in his traditional blue floral shirt (representing Ambani’s function as a “steward” of nature) sits near the center of the dial.
- Wildlife motifs: At both ends of the figurine, miniature lifelike sculptures of a lion, elephant and Bengal tiger are interwoven, reflecting the species from the Vantara range.
Jacob & Co. has created a custom "Vantara" watch for Anant Ambani, priced at ₹13.7 crore
— Vikram Goud (@VikramG64985342) January 22, 2026
The watch is studded with 397 jewels and features a miniature statue of Anant Ambani inside the dial
Piece is inspired by Vantara, Ambani family's wildlife conservation project pic.twitter.com/r3YWnNiQS6
Technical Brilliance
Jacob & Co. has long been known for the “maximalist” designs, and the Vantara watch is no different. On the dial there are four moving parts, an animated orb, and a moving Bengal tiger, which rotate as this mechanism operates. The watch itself is not only dynamic, but it embodies the ecosystem that generates that dynamism.
Social Media Reaction
The watch has ignited ferocious online debate since its release on January 21, 2026. The technical complexities are what has had acclaim from horologists and art students but some netizens made fun of the pure maximalism of the design – one particularly popular comment went viral, 'I can see everything other than the time.' Whatever the discussion, the Opera Vantara is illustrative of the modern zeitgeist of “purpose-driven luxury” when the world’s richest collectors crave moments that tell them a little less about their wealth and more about their identity and legacy.
