The ability to combine high-end watchmaking craftsmanship with other types of craftsmanship, whether it is inlay, engraving, hand-painting, music box making or enamel art, is a major feature of the famous American brand copy Jacob & Co.. Continuing this tradition, the company has added an incredible novelty to its watch collection-the Astronomia Flawless Imperial Dragon watch.
In this high-end watch, the unusual Astronomia mechanism is intertwined with a flexible dragon pattern made by hand lacquering and hand engraving in 18 carat rose gold. The miniature sculpture of the dragon consists of four parts (head, body, tail, and water around the dragon), which must be connected in an invisible seam. Considering that the image of the mythological creature is made of gold and therefore heavy, and the screws connecting the various parts of the dragon are very small, this task is indeed daunting. Not to mention that the watchmaker needs to be very careful not to damage the characters during the assembly process and bring them safely to the final stage, where the designer hand-completes the smallest details: scales, teeth, tongue and eyes.
Since the launch of the Astronomia series in 2014, a mandatory attribute of the models of the product line includes a huge sapphire glass case. Thanks to the transparency of the case, all the glory of the dual-axis tourbillon mechanism can be seen from different sides. The complex concept of the monolithic case design gives rise to the illusion that the complicated functions under the sapphire dome are floating in the air.
Replacing the individual metal parts used in previous models of this series with sapphire glass elements helps to achieve this effect. In particular, we are talking about case rings and lugs. The production of the “mythical” case (50 x 25.45 mm) took more than 1,000 hours in total!
This proud representative of the Jacobs company’s top timepiece is equipped with a manual winding movement and a 60-hour power reserve device. In addition to the hours and minutes, it also supports the operation of a two-axis tourbillon. The rotation speed of the latter is 60 seconds on one axis and 2.5 minutes on the second axis. In this model, the famous manufacturer retains the concept of the four-axis turntable module, fixing all functions and pure decorative elements at its end. In addition to the sub-dial and tourbillon frame, a 1-carat Jacob Cut® diamond and a lacquered magnesium alloy ball that symbolize the earth can also be seen under the dragon’s body. Both elements rotate around their axis at a speed of two revolutions per minute.
The unique timing device Astronomia was released in a single version, perfectly embodying the motto of Jacobs-“Inspired by the Impossible”.
Jacob & Co. luxury is one of the few brands that often amaze customers with their incredibly beautiful and reliable watches.
