Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Watch
One of the most impressive things I wore on my wrist at Baselworld 2015 was the finished Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon watch (and the diamond-encrusted Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette). As I gazed at the massive sapphire crystal-encased mechanical planetary system on my wrist, I had a very real and very big smile on my face that, according to some, didn’t even exist because it was too much. This is an insane watch, and it’s Jacob & Co.’s best – I think the watch and jewelry company gets a lot more attention than it gets from watch lovers. I’ve written a lot about Jacob Arabo and his controversial life and company over the years. Let’s face it, he’s in the business of dazzling the world’s rich and famous. It’s a daunting task,
One of the many things I’ve learned as a luxury watch writer/blogger/critic/other is that the world of the rich is very different from the world of those who are not so rich. Classism exists, it is Really, people with a lot of money just have different problems and considerations in their lives when everyone wears one leg at a time to the toilet. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get back to the dazzling Mr. Arabo and some watches that I don’t think are well understood by people who aren’t in his world.
If you’re trying to measure the luxury Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon‘s relationship to a diver’s tool watch, it’s like trying to compare a sturdy log cabin to a luxury beachfront villa. Yes, both are technical constructs, the first may make more sense, but the latter is about social positioning and the ability to reward yourself. You see, no matter how rich you are, there will always be something you need to save to be able to afford.
Maybe most people need to save a little to buy a $1,000 item, and some need to save to buy a $1,000,000 item. Jacob & Co. is a brand whose top-of-the-line products are the holy grail for those who can buy but still have a million dollar watch in mind. I would put it another way, the royals wear crowns and live in castles to convey something about themselves – something about their power, prestige and place in life. Doing so will upset those who don’t have crowns and castles, but those who still get those who have money.
Diamonds and highly complicated watches can serve as wearable power carriers. At the end of the day, this is what status and social symbols are all about. First, it’s about attracting a spouse, and then it’s about telling those around you that you have some power over them or a privilege they don’t have. We all want power, and we all get annoyed at people who have power (especially when we don’t think they deserve it). Love it or hate it, the Jacob & Co. watch is about Mr. Arabo’s genius approach to design and it conveys that well. After all, this is the guy who just launched a watch called the Billionaire Tourbillon.
You can appreciate the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon as a no-frills little machine, but when you wear it on your wrist with a two-inch high sapphire half globe and 18k gold rod, you’re really telling people Something about yourself. Hopefully, I think, the attention you’ve gathered is positive, right? Now, allow me to take a few steps back and remind you that there are fine and very unrefined ways to display diamonds. It’s the nuances of diamond watch reviews that I think only a select few can fully understand, those who hand them over to them in odd circumstances and ask for their opinion – and then be able to compare those experiences time after time. buy luxury watches
You can appreciate the Jacob & Co.. Astronomia Tourbillon as a no-frills little machine, but when you wear it on your wrist and have a 2″ tall sapphire dome and 18k gold away from it, you’re really talking human stuff yourself. Hopefully, I think, the focus of your collection is positive, right? Now, let me take a few steps back and remind everyone that there are fine and very unrefined ways to display diamonds. It’s the nuances of pearl watch reviews that I guess only a select few can fully appreciate, those in odd situations receiving extremely expensive assorted diamonds and asking for their opinion – and then being able to compare these experiences time after time. Jacob & Co. is different because they can draw the line between “too much and totally enough.” Jacob & Co. has a long history of partnering with Swiss movement maker Concepto, but this is another company they’ve partnered with Astronomia movements. Jacob & Co. joins this team in Switzerland with Studio7h38, who are responsible for the wild-looking mechanical movement inside the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon. On closer inspection, the mechanism is impressive, but it’s not as complete as Greubel Forsey. Well, it’s not actually done like that, so it’s not a reasonable comparison. The movement is a small industrial mechanical mechanism, and I don’t even know how to describe its complexity.
Jacob & Co. has a long history of working with Swiss movement maker Concepto, but this is another company they have partnered with for Astronomia movements. For this collection, Jacob & Co. teamed up with Switzerland-based Studio7h38, which is responsible for the wild-looking mechanical movement inside the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon. On closer inspection, the mechanism is impressive, but it’s not as finished as Greubel Forsey. Well, nothing is really done, so it’s not a fair comparison. The movement is a tiny industrial mechanism, and I don’t even know how to describe its complexity. Let’s start with the three-axis tourbillon as one of the four arms of the movement.
Note that what you see in the Jacob & Co. Astronomia’s case cavity is the entire JCEM01 hand-wound movement, while the planetary structure actually sits on the mainspring barrel. It’s actually a motor barrel, designed according to some systems of historical American pocket watches. All four arms are connected by a special differential system that fully rotates around the dial every 20 minutes. This is the first axis of the tourbillon. replica watches for sale
The tourbillon system itself has two other pivot points, rotating every 60 seconds and then in a different direction every 5 minutes. Opposite the tourbillon is a time dial, which is pretty cool because no matter where it rotates around the dial, it points upright. I just like that. Then there are the arms with miniature hand-painted titanium balls, opposite a “Jacob-cut” diamond using Jacob & Co.’s exclusive registration process, which gives the diamond a spherical case and 288 facets. The globe and diamond disco ball rotate every 60 seconds.
What’s the point of all this rotation and movement? To act as a “hypnotic choreographer,” of course; it’s all about visual brilliance (and it works). So like I said, if you think too much about the Jacob & Co. Astronomia tourbillon, you keep asking “why?” It’s not why, it’s just because it’s cool and they can. When you’re a Jacob & Co. customer, you don’t want to hear about functional planetariums and math equations – you want to be dazzled, entertained, and reminded that you’re special. Anyone wearing a Jacob & Co. Astronomia tourbillon is “special”.
The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon case is 50mm wide and 25mm thick, made of 18k rose gold with a very fine AR-coated sapphire crystal. While not everyone may “get” the Jacob & Co. Astronomia, you can tell that the design has been carefully curated. To operate the watch or wind it, there are two folding “keys” on the case back. As big as a Jacob & Co. Astronomia tourbillon on the wrist, it is very comfortable to wear. That is, until you accidentally bump it against a wall or table.
If you are a watch lover, it can be fun to play with the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon or even the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette. I mean, at the end of the day, it should be fun. Jacob Arabo may have an interesting reputation, but being very nice to his clients is part of it. That’s exactly what happens when he promises to wow them.
What I’m trying to do in all of this is help explain the admittedly weird world in which brands like Jacob & Co. exist — and the weird world of watches like Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette, adds 16 carats of invisible-set baguette-cut diamonds. For the average person, flaunting wealth so much is offensive, and for good reason, since the message is literally saying “I’m better than you.” But imagine a world where people can afford these things, and instead of making their peers jealous because of the price of their items, they just want to visually wow and impress people. The “in front of you” element of luxury will never go away, and I’m definitely a fan of democratizing luxury.