The embodiment of 21st-century, Astronomia is a ultra-high-end watch and a globally recognized symbol of Jacob & Co. Over the years the Astronomia has gone beyond impressive horological achievements to becoming an outstanding multidisciplinary engineering accomplishment and its latest version pays testament to that..
Almost ten years in its existence, Astronomia undergoes more than just an evolution or an increase in performance. The Astronomia Revolution is just that : a revolution. Looking ever deeper in space, it is shaking up contemporary watchmaking with radical performance. Astronomia Revolution reaches terminal velocity and revolves around its own axis in one minute. Housed in a sculptural, 47 mm case made of sapphire and gold, Astronomia Revolution is powered by an all-new movement, designed to deliver high speed, high accuracy and high entertainment efficiency.
Since its creation, Astronomia has been traveling through technicality, space and time, fueled by Jacob & Co.’s sense of creativity and unencumbered by any limitations. Astronomia Revolution one-ups the original Astronomia concept, reaching its most technical and advanced stage. Three arms, each one bearing an advanced function, revolve smoothly around a central axis at an astounding speed. Astronomia started at one revolution every 20 minutes. Then Astronomia Solar cut it down to 10. Yet another innovation took that to 5 minutes. Astronomia Revolution breaks all records with 1 minute per rotation.
A bright star of contemporary watchmaking, Astronomia Revolution reflects both light and Jacob & Co.’s unique sense of narration. Underneath the revolving satellite carriage lies a curved, red gold, 18-mirror array inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope. Astronomia Revolution also shows the second thanks to a space-probe-like spinning arrow with a ruby head. Warp speed, massive energy, light distortion and sky-high chronometry, Astronomia may well have evolved to its peak specimen yet.
In previous Astronomia iterations, the tourbillon has been twin-axis or single-axis, with a third axis sometimes provided by the entire platform’s rotation. And they’ve always been flying tourbillons, which means they have no upper bridge. In Astronomia Revolution’s case, it’s spinning on two axes, around the first one in 1 minute, around the second one in 15 seconds. The latter is one of the highest speeds ever reached by a tourbillon carriage in watchmaking history.
Since it moves along with the satellite platform to the tune of one rotation per minute, Astronomia Revolution ends up being a bona fide triple-axis tourbillon. To be exact, it is a triple-axis, flying, high speed tourbillon.
An array of 18 hexagonal mirrors mimics those on the greatest astronomic tool designed in recent history. The James Webb Space Telescope’s gilded reflectors capture light that was emitted at the beginning of time. Jacob & Co. crafted a miniaturized version of those reflectors to capture the hypnotizing motion of the Astronomia Revolution in orbit above. Each mirror is made of 18K red gold, polished to the highest degree and slightly tilted at a very precise angle.
This shining honeycomb surface is both a nod to space exploration and a tool designed to admire the satellites’ revolutions. Combined with the transparent sapphire caseband and crystal, this unique dial surface makes the entire revolving carriage visible from all sides : above, laterally and underneath.
Orbiting at the speed of one full rotation per minute requires massive energy. In order to control the powerful flow running through caliber JCAM48B, Jacob & Co. has devised a next generation constant force device. Astronomia Revolution introduces a whip-based torque regulation system of exceptional frequency, for which a patent is being applied.
Every 1/6th of a second, the same frequency as the balance wheel’s, the gear train activates a hairspring. It then frees the whip, a star-shaped gear located nearest the fourth wheel. The whip acts as a buffer between the energy flow from the barrel and the tourbillons, which carry the balance wheel. Each time the whip is activated, it transmits the amount of energy needed by the tourbillon carriage for the next 1/6th of a second. This fine energy regulation allowed Jacob & Co. to maintain an impressive 36-hour power reserve on a massively complex timepiece.
Astronomia Revolution is a highly desirable object that’s been designed as thoroughly and lovingly as a spaceship. Its case measure 47 mm in diameter for a total height of 27 mm, a generous heft dictated entirely by the requirements of calibre JCAM48B and its functionalities. Jacob & Co. has taken the main features of the original Astronomia case and finely adjusted them to fit the narrative Astronomia Revolution is spreading through space.
The entire caseband of Astronomia Revolution is made of a single piece of transparent sapphire. The crystal is one large, domed piece of sapphire crystal. The caseback is full and not just for simplicity’s sake. Like on all Astronomias, there is no crown to speak of. Its function is being relegated to the caseback and spread between two lift-up bows, one for winding, the other for time-setting.
As the entire Astronomia Revolution movement spins in one minute, it acts as a de facto seconds hand. An arrow with a ruby-head materializes that function. And it required a minute track of matching performance. Jacob & Co. carved it into Astronomia Revolution’s bezel. 60 notches, deep and angular like the mouth of a jet engine, act as minute markers.
Limited to just 18 pieces; 6 in rose gold, 6 in white gold, and 6 in black PVD-white gold, each priced at an astonishing $600,000 per watch
