Introducing The Astronomia Régulateur Merges Traditional Craftsmanship with Futuristic Design

In the world of horology, there are timepieces, and then there are masterpieces. We applied this distinction to the Astronomia Revolution, a unique piece for the Only Watch Auction. The term "masterpiece" can be aptly used for any Astronomia from Jacob and Co., known for their high engineering and captivating designs. As the company's tradition dictates, they never miss significant events. For the Geneva Watch Week 2024, they launched many pieces, but one stands out: the latest addition, the smallest Astronomia Régulateur.

Extraordinarily accurate and perfectly readable, régulateurs trace their origins back to the early days of industrialized watchmaking. In the manufacturing workshops of yore, where dozens, sometimes hundreds of workers gathered, a single reference time was crucial for synchronizing their efforts, thus the term "régulateur." Each workshop boasted at least one large mother-clock, offering impeccable readability from several meters away. To enhance timekeeping, the indications for hours, minutes, and seconds were separated into distinct locations on the dial. While regulators evolved from pocket watches to wristwatches, they retained their distinctive layout. With the Astronomia Régulateur, Jacob & Co. aims to revive the mechanical excellence of the régulateur while offering a unique three-dimensional display of separate hours, minutes, and seconds.

The case of the Astronomia watch may be one of the smallest yet from Jacob & Co., reflecting the brand's desire for their masterpieces to be worn daily. With a diameter of 43 mm and a thickness of 18 mm, it is adorned with large panes of sapphire, providing an expansive view of the dial. The timepiece combines the iconic colors frequently seen in Jacob & Co. creations, with a favorite combination being blue and gold, showcased in several remarkable pieces such as the special watch created for Jacob and his family, "The World Is Yours" The case structure is crafted from rose gold, with sapphire dominating the appearance, divided into two parts: the sapphire caseband and the curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal covering the dial. The solid case back is also made of rose gold, ensuring durability. The Astronomia Régulateur features openworked lugs, enhancing the view of the movement. Additionally, the case provides water resistance up to 30 meters.

For the dial, at its center, lies a glimpse of the polished titanium base, adorned with blue subdials hosting Red Gold Dauphine hands, embodying the essence of a regulator-style watch. 

These domed, translucent blue subdials, featuring classic fonts and golden hands, harmoniously blend one of the most traditional complications with the iconic Astronomia architecture. One subdial elegantly displays the minutes, marked by finely printed indications along a precise scale, while the other indicates the hours. Both subdials, crafted from a translucent, lightweight blue material, rotate along with the platform, completing a full rotation every minute. To ensure legibility, a sophisticated differential system, inherent in all Astronomia timepieces, orchestrates the synchronized rotation of the subdials in the opposite direction of the main movement, maintaining their upright position continuously. 

It seems that we will have to explain some basics of mechanics. A differential is a system that transmits torque from the engine to the wheels. It takes the power from the engine and splits it so the wheels can spin at different speeds. This allows each wheel to rotate at a different speed and even in the opposite direction. This system was originally used in four-wheel drive cars. On curves, it intervenes to make each wheel rotate at an appropriate speed in order to give the car greater grip.

Notably, the third indication of the Astronomia Régulateur distinguishes it uniquely: a long, graceful golden hand emerges from the base of the vertical movement, directing attention to a sizable, domed, blue, and translucent ring—the seconds scale. This ring gracefully revolves counterclockwise over 60 seconds, offering a distinctive and precise presentation of time down to the seconds.

Astronomia Régulateur is fitted with a Hand-wound caliber JCAM56, an all-new construction that builds up on the experience of the Astronomia Revolution. is the slimmest Astronomia-type movement Jacob & Co. has ever designed, an accomplishment given its vertical nature. It features a total of 552 components, high above the average of the high watchmaking movements. with a Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) the Power Reserve of this complicated movement is 48 Hours and this takes a huge time and effort from the RD department.

It has a rotation speed of 60 seconds and carries three arms. One is a flying tourbillon making one rotation in one minute. It has a second rotation axis, also in one minute. It is therefore a double-axis flying tourbillon. The other two arms are dedicated to the time display. 

One minute per 360-degree rotation is very high-speed considering what's in motion. It's not just a hand, but more than half a 552-component movement. That weight requires a tremendous amount of energy flowing through a very delicate movement. To regulate that massive flow, Jacob & Co. got creative, researched how to master it and added a patented, ground-breaking constant force device in the gear train, near the tourbillon. Constant force is initially used to even out the energy received by the balance wheel to make it more accurate. Astronomia Régulateur makes double use of this patent. It not only provides the watch with a steady source of energy, always constant, and helps it be more accurate. This is a direct reference to the régulateur’s original calling. It also smoothes the amount of energy that reaches the tourbillon while giving caliber JCAM56 its spectacular speed. 

The Astronomia Regulateur comes with a Blue Alligator Leather strap featuring a Rose Gold Deployment Buckle, limited to 250 pieces, priced at USD 280,000 or equivalent to 1,028,000 AED.

For more information please visite Jacob & Co. official website.