What led to the development of the Astronomia Art Collection, however, is the incredible sapphire crystal and precious metal case, which puts everything on display. So, the idea was to develop special works of art to put inside the Astronomia Tourbillon, using its massive sapphire crystal case as a gallery, while still showcasing the incredible Astronomia tourbillon movement. The brand started with dragons, octopi, spiders, horses and more. Incredibly successful, Jacob & Co. has expanded the Astronomia Tourbillon Art Collection every year since.
High Watchmaking serving high art
The Three Monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil have been a part of world culture for many centuries. Now, Jacob & Co. immortalizes these sculptures in the new Astronomia Art Three Monkeys. Inspired by Japanese philosophy, the hand-engraved 18K rose gold sculptures depict Mizaru, who covers his eyes, and sees no evil; Kikazaru, who covers his ears, and hears no evil; and Iwazaru, who covers his mouth, and speaks no evil. The Three Wise Monkeys illustrate the idea of protecting yourself from evil in all forms. The power of symbolism behind the Three Monkeys is so influential that it has been a guiding force for many, so much so that the Indian activist and politician Mahatma Gandhi's one notable exception to his possession-free life was a small statue of the Three Wise Monkeys. The watch industry's finest artisans created the monkey figurines, each one different and painstakingly hand-sculpted from blocks of 18K rose gold. The work is laborious and takes many man-hours, but the result is both symbolic and realistic.
The tourbillon
The tourbillon is widely considered the ultimate complication, as it turns and spins to counter the effects of gravity on the precision of the movement. For the Astronomia Collection, Jacob & Co. has taken the tourbillon one step farther, introducing additional axes in which the tourbillon turns. For this Astronomia Art, the tourbillon is double-axis - turning in two axes: one in 60 seconds and the second in 2.5 minutes. The sculptures block the movement from making its normal tour around the dial.
Aventurine Base Dial
The base dial of the Astronomia Art Three Monkeys is made from pure aventurine, beautiful glass that looks like a starry sky.
Customization
Customization and bespoke work has been the foundation of Jacob & Co. since the beginning and continues to this day. The brand has created a number of Astronomia Art pieces - Dragons, Spiders, Octopi, Horses, Tigers, world cities and more. Visit any Jacob & Co. point of sale or contact the brand directly to inquire. The Astronomia Art Collection has become an icon within the brand and collectors look to Jacob & Co. to see what's coming next. The Astronomia Art is a showcase of Jacob & Co.'s commitment to using traditional métiers d'art in a modern way.
The Jacob-Cut Diamond
Jacob & Co. has been on the forefront of using precious stones since its founding in 1986, and has developed a number of special cuts and setting techniques. For the Astronomia Tourbillon, the brand developed the 288-facet Jacob-cut diamond. This special cut can be accomplished by only a select few gem cutters, and the rough stone typically starts out double the size of the finished diamond. The facets have to be incredibly precise so the diamond is perfectly symmetrical and round. In the Astronomia Art, the one carat Jacob-cut diamond rotates on itself in 30 seconds.
The magnesium globe
The globe is made of blue-lacquered magnesium to ensure consistency in weight, as all four satellites have to weight exactly the same. The globe rotates on itself in 30 seconds.
Case & Crystal
The Astronomia Art 's case measures 50 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters thick between the highest point of its specially curved front sapphire crystal and the lowest point of its case. Crafted from 18K white gold, the case features four sapphire crystal windows installed throughout the periphery, allowing for unhindered viewing of the spectacular caliber and the artwork inside.
Dial & hands
The Roman numerals on the skeletonized dial are hand-engraved and filled with black lacquer, while the hand-finished hands appear in gun blue metallic.
