The ultimate stocking filler? Jacob & Co's $7,000 backgammon set

The watchmaker has given this traditional board game a luxury makeover

Jacob & Co's $7,000 backgammon set. Courtesy Jacob & Co

While Jacob & Co is best-known for its elaborate, technologically ambitious timepieces and intricate jewellery creations, it is also in tune with the times.

Recognising that people are spending more time at home than ever before, and that they might need a little distraction, the New York-headquartered luxury brand has given this traditional two-player board game an eye-catching makeover.

Made in France and weighing 6.2 kilograms, the Jacob & Co backgammon set is housed in a rosewood box and has a striking black, red and white playing surface, with matching red and white opalescent game pieces and dice. The dimensions of the playing board are 550 millimetres x 320mm x 100mm.

The boutique watchmaker's logo is etched into the playing surface, while the cigar box-inspired case features a faux vintage-style label that depicts Jacob Arabo, the brand's founder, wearing a top hat, with the words "good luck" suspended above his head.

Backgammon is one of the oldest known games in existence. In the game, each participant has 15 pieces, which move around 24 triangles according to the roll of two dice. The history of the game can be traced back nearly 5,000 years to Mesopotamia, or modern-day Iraq, with variations appearing in Armenia, the Roman and Byzantine Empires, Egypt, Greece and east Asia. The game has changed little since those days, but Jacob & Co's rendition certainly breathes new life into an old classic.

While we don't expect it to become a staple at your local shisha cafe, it could help brighten up long evenings at home over the holidays, or make for the perfect gift for a loved one who already has everything else they need.