Astronomia Octopus

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Astronomia Octopus - Jacob & Co.
2 minutes read
A unique piece featuring a hint of legend.

The octopus may not appear at first glance to have much related to mythology, but a very similar beast, akin to a giant octopus or squid, has been the stuff of legend among ocean-faring nations since medieval times. The Kraken, for example, has its origins in medieval Scandinavian literature dating back as far as a 13th century Icelandic saga. In the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Octopus, the beast has been captured, tamed, miniaturised and screwed to the central axis of the gravitational triple-axis tourbillon movement for posterity.

This fine work of art, a hand-engraved and gold-plated miniature sculpture cast from titanium, added an additional layer of complexity to the piece, since the first cast broke immediately and several more attempts were required before the final result was acceptable. Furthermore, while titanium is ideal for adorning the movement without weighing it down (the octopus weighs just 3.2 grammes), it is also notoriously difficult to engrave, making the hand engraving all the more difficult. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Astronomia Octopus is presented as a unique piece. Only one lucky owner will get to enjoy this proof that Jacob & Co. relishes the challenge of turning its founder’s dreams – no matter how far-fetched – into reality.

Astronomia Octopus

The case of the Astronomia Octopus is the same used for the new limited-edition Astronomia Flawless model. The familiar JCAM manual winding calibre seen in all the Astronomia models had to be modified, however, in order to accommodate the octopus sculpture on its central axis of rotation. The remarkable beast thus revolves around the dial like all the other components, completing a full revolution every 20 minutes. In the typical manner of an octopus, the sculpture appears fully entwined in all the elements of the movement, its tentacles winding around the Earth, the sun, the time and the triple-axis tourbillon – all apparently suspended in mid air inside the new full sapphire crystal case, where the only non-sapphire elements are the two bows on the back to wind the movement and set the time. The sapphire components alone take a staggering 37 weeks to produce, each component requiring at least a dozen different operations in its production. This excludes the engraving, not to mention the time taken to engrave the octopus, or indeed the time to assemble and meticulously hand finish the movement components.

Since its launch less than three years ago, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon has been destined to evolve. Once you have accomplished the seemingly impossible, producing a totally unique case to house an equally unique tourbillon movement with four separate arms rotating about a central axis, the only limit is the creative talent of Jacob Arabo himself, which looks unlikely to reach its limits any time soon.


Astronomia Octopus

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