The Astronomia tourbillon is instantly impressive with its 47 mm-diameter case enhanced with pink gold is inspired by the architecture of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Its structure features a polycarbonate-based composite material strengthened with diamond dust to form a material that is as hard and resistant as steel while four times lighter. The strongly domed, almost hemispherical sapphire crystal offers a spectacular view of a particularly airy modular construction that exercises almost magical powers when set into motion.
Constant rotation
First and foremost, the four peripheral modules – tourbillon, hours and minutes dial, Earth and Moon – are fitted on a four-armed carrier that keeps them perpetually circling the rim of the case. A complete rotation takes 20 minutes.
The tourbillon is an inherently rotating system that in this instance spins on two additional axes. Not only does it turn around its own axis in one minute, like traditional models, but also once every five seconds around the axis of the arm carrying it. The show is all the more impressive in that the tourbillon carriage houses a large balance oscillating at the sedate pace of 18,800 vibrations per hour.
Opposite the tourbillon is an openworked hours and minutes dial rendered perfectly readable by a clever animation principle. As the central carrier sweeps it up in its circular motion, it maintains the same direction with the figure XII remaining at the top of the disc. The compensatory rotation is based an original differential mechanism specifically developed for the Astronomia.
The mobile composition is complemented by two globes representing the Earth and the Moon, which pivoting on the tip of its respective arm at a rate of one full turn every 60 seconds. The Earth is made of white gold, with translucent blue enamel surfaces depicting the oceans; while the moon takes the form of a superb 56-facet briolette-cut diamond.
The sight is never exactly the same, instead constantly evolving against an aventurine backdrop portraying a night sky studded with stars. To set the finishing touch to this impressive technical feat, movement winding and time-setting are handled via a lever concealed inside in the case-back.
Variations on the skeleton theme
In parallel, Jacob Arabo continues to create skeleton watches combining an extremely sophisticated ancestral watchmaking techniques – that of openworking movement parts without impairing the quality of their smooth interaction – with daring contemporary designs. The 2014 new launches notably feature the Racing versions of the Epic X model. The movement unveiled last year is distinguished by a girder-type structure offering a clear view of the vertically aligned barrel and balance. Its openworking was factored in right from the development stage, thus ensuring its remarkable integration with the overall aesthetic. The sporting nature of the Epic X Racing models is reinforced by the use of vivid ‘pops’ of colour on the cases, featuring inserts in rubber on the beadblasted satin-brushed titanium versions, and in neoralithe on the black DLC-coated titanium variations. With a choice of red, blue, orange or white, everyone can opt for their own racing stable.
