Jacob & Co. Astronomia Revolution Accelerates

The James Webb telescope as a source of inspiration.

The name of the new model by Jacob & Co. plays on the two meanings of the word "revolution". On the one hand, the brand remains a rebel in the conservative world of the haute horlogerie. On the other hand, they're making the world revolve around them again. And making it revolve at their own pace.

Astronomia's story begins in 2014, when the engineers at Jacob & Co. first created a movement construction on the dial with four satellite arms which made it complete a revolution in 20 minutes.

A few years later, they accelerated the it to one revolution every 10 minutes before speeding it up to 5 minutes. Jacob & Co. have set a new record with the Astronomia Revolution for 2023: just one minute compared to the original 20 minutes.

Its speed has been highlighted by making the second hand with its pyramid-shaped ruby tip central. The hand isn't the only rotating component, its tip rotates too, turning 360° every 15 seconds. The biaxial tourbillon's second axis rotates at the same speed (rotation around the other axis takes one minute).

Energy to rotate every minute and keep the tourbillon turning on its axes is supplied by caliber JCAM48B, which uses two large barrels and a new constant-force device that controls the transmission of energy at a frequency of one sixth of a second. This is an innovative block which Jacob & Co. has applied to have patented.

A mosaic of 18 polished honeycomb rose-gold mirrors serves as the dial's main backdrop. This detail is a nod to the James Webb Space Telescope and the model's source of inspiration, which uses a primary mirror measuring 6.5 m across.

The polished gold and sapphire in the Astronomia Revolution is paired with red polycarbonate. This was material used to make the dial. A lateral view of everything happening on the dial is provided by the sapphire crystal used around the caseband. Scaffolding in rose gold holds the case together, which measures 47 mm in diameter.

The model's total case height is 27 mm. Like other watches in the Astronomia line, the novelty doesn't have a winding crown. Its job is performed by two lift-up bows on the watch's caseback, one for winding and another for time-setting.