A Manhattan watch brand just launched the most extravagant watch we’ve ever seen
In 2014, Jacob & Co. introduced a very interesting watch with a luxurious movement called the Astronomia Tourbillon.
I didn’t get a chance to see this piece in person when they debuted, and I’m not sure if the original Astronomia Tourbillon case style was actually delivered, because based on these new photos of the 2015 Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon, there are brand new shell design.
The sheer complexity of a movement in a watch requires a lot of tweaking to make it work and years of effort. However, for 2015, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon seems to be back with a new case design and a very “Jacob & Co.”. The version called the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette features a lot of diamonds.
Below, you can see a video of last year’s Jacob & Co. Astronomia tourbillon. Most of the movement rests on a series of four arms that revolve around the entire dial every 20 minutes. These arms also move to generate other actions, such as holding the dial to indicate the time in the correct direction, and operating the tourbillon.
All in all, the entire gear work in the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon is almost unbelievable. What’s more, while you may love or feel conflicted about what Jacob & Co. makes, you have to make them understand that showmanship is an important part of the luxury watch industry.
Compared to the large sapphire crystal bubble dome on the original Astronomia design, this new 2015 case makes more sense.
We’re still working on computer renderings, but I believe the smaller sapphire crystal (now divided into a series of windows and a large window at the top) plus the extra metal could make for a more logical, wearable design. According to the brand, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia tourbillon is 50mm wide and 25mm thick. The case is 18k rose gold and is available with or without diamonds.
Notice the lack of a crown or buttons on the case? The movement is actually set and will fold the crown through two “bows” on the rear of the case. This movement is certainly the most interesting element of the best Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon, exclusive to the Jacob & Co. JCEM01 movement, with a 48-hour power reserve and a 2.5Hz tourbillon. Surprisingly, the movement is made of only 235 parts – which seems very efficient considering the complexity of the concept.
Technically, it is a three-axis tourbillon because the tourbillon moves around the entire dial every 20 minutes. The other axis is the normal rotation you see from the tourbillon cage, as well as the rotation in its connecting arm. It’s on the opposite side of the dial and is used to show the time to help balance the weight. The other two arms have a small hand-painted titanium representing the Earth, and its other arm has a spinning disco ball that makes a full circle every 60 seconds.
Really, a disco ball? Well, that’s what I’m talking about. According to Jacob & Co., this spherical cut diamond uses an exclusive cutting process first introduced by Jacob & Co. to cut a diamond with 288 facets. The round diamond is supposed to represent the moon – which makes me wonder what “nightlife” on your planet would look like if our moon was actually a big disco ball too. Discount watches
While the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon movement looks and feels like it offers an astronomical complication, it’s really only in concept. Rather than strictly functional, this is truly a sport designed for viewing pleasure – and in that regard, it succeeds.
If the “standard” Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon isn’t enough, you can opt for the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette, which replaces the dial’s night/space sky with baguette-cut diamonds. The diamonds are set invisibly on the dial and lugs, with a total of 342 diamonds weighing 16 carats. While I personally can’t count myself as a Jacob & Co. Astronomia buying customer, there may be a handful of people who can enjoy this wrist-worn mechanical entertainment, which makes me happy.
Once again, Popular Jacob & Co. starts to shock, entertain, and please…that’s what I think the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon is all about.