Jacob & Co. Astronomical Solar Watch
Some people may not immediately associate Jacob & Co. with Haute Horlogerie, but this does not change the fact that the brand is the reason for some of the most outrageous, boldest, and even the most expensive watches you can buy today. Just take a look at their Grand Complication masterpieces, and you can find world-class watches such as the Twin Turbo Twin three-axis tourbillon minute repeater watch and the Epic SF24 flying tourbillon. However, the main product of Jacob & Co.’s Grand Complication Masterpieces must be Astronomia, and many different versions have been born, such as Clarity & Black watches. The latest one is Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar that we are going to introduce today.
Again, this is not the first time we have the opportunity to deal with astronomical watches. The last watch we had a chance to play with astronomers was the astronomer Clarity & Black, but the new astronomer Solar was even more expensive. We will discuss the differences later, so we start with the case first.
The shell design is basically the same. The 18k rose gold is used to form a rough outline, and the space in the middle is filled with sapphires, allowing the owner to enjoy the movement at a glance. The case diameter of Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar is 44.5mm, which makes it smaller than other Astronomia watches. The thickness of the case is 21 mm, yes, this is not a typo. That’s because the case itself must be large to accommodate the wonderful three-dimensional movement, plus a wild domed sapphire crystal. Therefore, like other astronomical watches, Astronomia Solar is really thick. Don’t expect it to slip under the shirt sleeve, and rest assured that everyone will notice it on your wrist-but of course, you already know it.
Water resistance is only 30m, which is understandable for the complexity of the watch. Moving on, some people may notice that there is no visible crown. Well, the movement that sets the time and winds is actually done using two folding 18k rose gold “bows” on the back cover. Unfortunately, we did not take a picture of the case, but it is similar to the system you have previously discovered in astronomer iterations. Of course, the eyes will be attracted by the whimsical and exquisite world on the dial.
Like other Astronomia Discount watches, the movement of Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar can also be seen on the dial. There are many places worth seeing, and many places to move around. First, the movement actually consists of three separate arms; one arm points to the sub-dial displaying the time; the other leads to the flying tourbillon; and finally, the third hand leads to the globe.
Although a little gloomy, the time is clear. The blue hour and minute hands are quite large, in stark contrast to the 18k rose gold openwork sub-dial. The flying tourbillon bears the Jacob’s logo on the tourbillon bridge and actually rotates on two axes. Yes, this is not an ordinary tourbillon, but a dual-axis tourbillon. In the horizontal direction, it rotates every 60 seconds. In the vertical direction, it rotates every 10 minutes.
Finally, the globe made of rose gold and blue paint rotates around its own axis every 60 seconds. It also rotates around the dial every 10 minutes, because the entire structure or the movement itself rotates clockwise and rotates every 10 minutes. But this is not all, because the Tanglin base, decorated to look like the night sky, rotates counterclockwise and rotates every 10 minutes.
Jacob & Co. hopes to create a model of our solar system in a watch through Astronomia Solar. Therefore, in the center of the dial is a 1.5-carat rhubarb crystal with a Jacob cut representing the sun. Jacob & Co. also uses the other three gems in amethyst, garnet and smoked quartz to represent other planets. These planets all rotate with the movement, causing the dial to rotate every 10 minutes. The end result of all these rotating elements is breathtaking, and it looks like a tiny solar system is spinning on the wrist.
The movement capable of fulfilling all these functions is the internal movement JCAM19. The movement is composed of 444 parts and is very unique because it is mainly made of titanium. Since the mainspring must drive so many rotating parts, titanium is used to reduce the load on the mainspring. The tourbillon beats at a speed of 4 Hz, and the JCAM19 has a power reserve of 48 hours. It is also finished flawlessly, with sandblasted and angled bridges, circular textures on the gear drive components, and polished counterbores and screws.
To attract the eye and as a statement, Astronomia Solar watches are hardly comparable. The watch screamed on the wrist: “Look at me!” Of course, this watch has a lot to appreciate and appreciate. Admittedly, this is a bit too much, and purists will think that the watch has no practical use. For example, unlike Van Cleef & Arpel’s Midnight Planetarium watch, the position of the planets is not accurate, but compared to the Midnight Planetarium watch, Astronomia Solar provides instant gratification with its fast-rotating dual-axis tourbillon and how it rotates. The position of the dial is constantly changing and constantly changing. For an interesting watch, it can let people around you know your worth immediately. I think of several watches that are better than Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar watches for this job.