Beyond Dawlish
Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar Watch Hands-on
Some people may not immediately associate Jacob & Co. with haute horlogerie, but that doesn't change the fact that the brand is responsible for some of the most bizarre, bold, and indeed most expensive watches you can buy today. Just look at their grand complication masterpieces and you'll find out-of-this-world watches like the Twin Turbo Minute Repeater and the Epic SF24 Flying Tourbillon. However, the backbone of Jacob & Co.’s grand complication masterpieces has to be the Astronomia, which has since spawned many different versions such as the Clarity and Black watches. The latest one is called the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar and we’re taking a look at it today.
Then again, this isn’t the first time we’ve had our hands on an Astronomia replica watches luxury. The last Astronomia watch we tried was the Astronomia Clarity & Black, but the new Astronomia Solar is even more exaggerated. We'll discuss the differences later, so let's start with the case.
The case design remains largely unchanged. 18K rose gold is used to outline a rough outline, and the space in the middle is filled with sapphires, allowing the wearer to have an unobstructed view of the movement inside. The case diameter of the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar is 44.5 mm, which is slightly smaller than other Astronomia watches. The case thickness is 21mm, yes that’s not a typo. This is because the case itself has to be quite large to house the fantastic three-dimensional movement, and it also comes with a domed sapphire crystal. Therefore, the Astronomia Solar, like other Astronomia watches, is quite thick. Don't expect it to slip under your shirt sleeves, and rest assured everyone will notice it on your wrist - but of course, you already know that.
The waterproof depth is only 30m, which is understandable for a more complex watch. Moving on, one thing some people may notice is that there is no visible crown. In fact, setting the time and winding the movement is actually accomplished via two fold-out 18K rose gold “bows” on the case back. Unfortunately, we didn't get a photo of the case back, but it's similar to the system you found on previous Astronomia iterations. Of course, people’s eyes will be attracted by the strange and exquisite world created within the dial. replica Patek Philippe Annual Calendar
Like other Astronomia watches, the movement of the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar is clearly visible on the dial. There's a lot to see and a lot to move around. First of all, the movement actually consists of three separate arms; one arm leads to a subdial that displays the time; another leads to the flying tourbillon; and finally, the third arm leads to a globe.
Although obscured, the time is quite legible, with the rather large blue hour and minute hands contrasting sharply with the 18K rose gold skeletonized subdial. The Flying Tourbillon has the Jacob & Co. logo on its tourbillon bridge, which actually rotates on two axes. Yes, this is not an ordinary tourbillon, it is a biaxial tourbillon. Horizontally, it rotates once every 60 seconds. It rotates once every 10 minutes in the vertical direction. replica Richard Mille Felipe Massa
Finally, the globe, made of rose gold and blue lacquer, rotates on its axis every 60 seconds. It also makes one revolution around the dial every 10 minutes, as the entire structure or movement itself rotates clockwise, making one revolution every 10 minutes. But that's not all, as the aventurine base, decorated to resemble the night sky, rotates counterclockwise, making one revolution every 10 minutes.
With the Astronomia Solar, Jacob & Co. hopes to create a model of the solar system in a watch. Therefore, a large 1.5 carat Jacob’s cut citrine is set in the center of the dial, representing the sun. Jacob & Co. also uses three other gemstones, amethyst, garnet, and smoky quartz, to represent other planets. These planets rotate together with the movement, causing the dial to rotate once every 10 minutes. The end result of all these rotating elements is stunning and really looks like you have a spinning mini solar system on your wrist. HYT Hastroid Silver Red
The movement that makes this possible is the in-house JCAM19 movement. The movement consists of 444 components and is unique in that it is mostly made of titanium. Since the mainspring has to drive so many rotating parts, titanium is used to reduce the load on the mainspring. The tourbillon vibrates at a frequency of 4 Hz, and the JCAM19 has a power reserve of 48 hours. Its finish is also flawless, with sandblasted and beveled bridges, circular graining on the gear train components, and polished countersinks and screws.
When it comes to visual appeal and personalization, the Astronomia Solar watch is unmatched. A watch on your wrist that screams "Look at me!" There's certainly a lot to see and appreciate about this watch. Granted, this is a bit of an exaggeration, and purists will argue that this watch serves no practical purpose. For example, the positions of the planets are not exact, unlike Van Cleef & Arpels' Midnight Planetarium watch, but in contrast to the Midnight Planetarium, the Astronomia Solar's position is constantly changing and in motion thanks to its rapidly rotating biaxial tourbillon and dial. For a fun watch that instantly lets those around you know how much you're worth, I can't think of any watch better suited for the job than the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar discount replica watches.
