The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Black Ceramic & Rose Gold is the embodiment of 21st-century ultra-high-end watchmaking and a globally recognized symbol of Jacob & Co watchmaking expertise. A world-first both in the boldness of its unprecedented concept and its entirely mechanical construction, the Astronomia has gone beyond impressive horological achievements to becoming an outstanding multidisciplinary engineering accomplishment.
At the center of the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Black Ceramic & Rose Gold is an unprecedented four-arm movement. Attached to each arm is a novel complication. Two of the complications have earned patents because of their design and engineering. The other two are original works of art that highlight Jacob & Co.’s skilled craftsmanship. When combined, they contribute to a spectacle of moving objects that rotates and floats inside a spectacular sapphire crystal case.
Jacob Arabo, the founder of Jacob & Co. said the Astronomia was inspired by the universe and all the ideas and wonderment of celestial bodies. Since its introduction in 2014, the stars, the moon and planets take on a new wonderment and meaning with each new piece. Even as the Astronomia story continues, it has already earned its place in the world of haute horlogerie and extreme extravagance.
The groundbreaking Astronomia four-arm vertical movement has proven to be a creative and technical watchmaking achievement. Each arm has a unique complication exclusive to Jacob & Co.: A magnesium and hand-lacquered globe of the earth, a spherical-shaped diamond with 288 facets known as the “Jacob-Cut,” a patented triple-axis tourbillon, and a subdial for the hours and minutes with a patented timepiece-differential gear system.
Each pair of opposing arms are perfectly calculated counterweights of one another – a testament to peerless materials engineering and watch movement design. Any variation of the weight would cause the movement to malfunction. Instead, this high complication and all its moving parts run effortlessly for all to see.
The tourbillon was originally invented to provide improved timekeeping performance for a pocket watch. The Astronomia Tourbillon brings this 200-plus-year-old complication to breathtaking levels of modern refinement and complexity.
The triple-axis tourbillon of the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Black Ceramic & Rose Gold is at the forefront of modern watchmaking. The delicately decorated cage encapsulates the balance wheel, hairspring, escape wheel and several other important components. Characterized by this open-worked cage, this outstanding tourbillon rotates on three axes simultaneously. It is a constellation of superbly finished components that, when expertly assembled and fine-tuned, allows the Astronomia caliber to keep accurate time throughout its 60-hour power reserve.
A full rotation on the 1st axis takes exactly 60 seconds, as a nod towards the traditional single-axis tourbillon. The 2nd axis of rotation requires 2.5 minutes to complete, while the 3rd axis of rotation is made possible by the 10-minute, four-arm rotating platform of the Astronomia movement. This makes for a bold new way at how tourbillons can function when engineered with cutting-edge, ultra-modern technologies and timeless horological heritage in mind.
The Jacob Cut is a unique spherical gem exclusive to Jacob & Co. It is a distinctive work of innovation, creativity, and execution.
The Jacob Cut diamond starts out as a much larger rough diamond, up to twice the size as the finished product. The rough is first cut by machine into a spherical shape, near the size of the final diamond. Then the master gem cutter shapes the 288 facets. To be used in the Astronomia Collection, the Jacob Cut diamond must be completely round and weigh exactly as much as the other three satellites (time display, triple-axis tourbillon, magnesium globe). Another challenge is ensuring the precise dimensions of the facets, which is why the cutting process takes at least two weeks of dedicated, painstaking work.
The Jacob-Cut is most recognizable on the Astronomia watch as a diamond that extends from one of the four arms of the vertical Astronomia movement. However, the cut has been applied on colored gemstones and placed in the dial in other ways.