Jacob & Co. Create Astronomia Model with Steet Artist Alec Monopoly

This is not the first time Jacob & Co has transformed the field of haute horlogerie into a playground. The Astronomia model is the brand's favorite place to experiment.

A miniature Godfather figurine and a roulette wheel have already found a place under the domed sapphire glass of the Astronomia's skeletonized dial. However, the Astronomia Alec Monopoly watch probably boasts the most daring dial Jacob & Co. have ever unveiled.

That could have something to do with the infusion of young blood the brand received in March when Jacob Arabo's 28-year-old son Benjamin took over the reigns. Or it could be the graffiti artist himself and his iconic characters, who worked with Jacob & Co. to transform them into miniature sculptures and give the Astronomia its new look.

Alec Monopoly has also collaborated with TAG Heuer in the past He’s one of few stellar graffiti artists whose work has been taken in off the streets and put onto gallery walls. Alec grew up in New York and started out as an illegal street artist, which is why he kept his face concealed for so long.

He wasn't as good at keeping keeping a low profile as Banksy though, and accidentally ended up in a shot at a party. That blew his cover and thwarted his illegal tagging days. Monopoly is now a prolific producer of fine artwork. His most expensive piece to date was a portrait of Mr. Monopoly that sold for USD 51,250 on July 8 last year. The Monopoly Man is the character which appears most often in his work, hence the pseudonym.

The board-game banker who symbolizes the power of money in our world also makes an appearance on the Astronomia watch. Apart from the Monopoly mascot whose proper name is Rich Uncle Pennybags, some of the artist's other favorite characters have made it onto the watch dial. There's Scrooge McDuck and a dollar sign covered in graffiti, tagged with the Jacob & Co. logo.

Another figure in a top hat resembles Alec himself back in the days when he used to cover half his face with a bandana. All the figures were hand-sculpted based on the artist's drawings before being cast in gold and painted by the artist. The characters from the artist's vivid imagination stand beside the Astronomia movement's double-axis tourbillon cage.

The time display subdial and double-axis tourbillon are on opposing ends of one axis. There's a miniature globe and a one-karat Jacob-Cut diamond on the ends of the second axis. One axis rotates every five minutes, while the second takes one minute.

The 288-faceted gem and globe rotate every 60 seconds. The canvass for this piece is provided by an aventurine dial reminiscent of a starry sky. The watch case made of rose gold measures 50 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimetres in height at the highest point of the sapphire crystal dome. Only nine people with an appreciation for fine street art will be lucky enough to become owners of this masterpiece.