The Astronomia is the embodiment of 21st century ultra-high-end watchmaking and a globally recognized symbol of Jacob & Co watchmaking expertise. A world-first both in the boldness of its unprecedented concept and its entirely mechanical construction, the Astronomia has gone beyond impressive horological achievements to becoming an outstanding multidisciplinary engineering accomplishment.

The Astronomia Art Green Dragon uses the 18K white gold and crystal sapphire case as a stage to display a work of art that combines Old-World artisanship combined with the latest in design technology. A hand-painted 18K rose gold sculptured dragon upright on a base of baguette diamonds and slithers within the iconic Astronomia four-arm movement.

This contemporary artwork is one of several such timepieces that feature depictions of octopi, spiders, horses and more. Incredibly successful, Jacob & Co. has expanded the Astronomia Tourbillon Art Collection every year since.

The mythical dragon is a magnificent creature, representing strength and power, glory and good fortune. The creation of the 18K rose gold dragon combines high technology with Old World artisan skills.

It begins with a detailed drawing. Once approved, the artist creates a precise Computer-Aided Design (CAD) rendering to ensure the dragon fits properly within the dial among the complications of the Astronomia vertical movement. From this rendering, the 18K rose gold cast is made. This process alone takes more than two months. Then another three months is spent by the artisan to hand-sculpt the details of the dragon. Every surface is carved, engraved, and polished. Another craftsman spent approximately 40 hours hand-painting the 18K rose gold cast in green, red and gold acrylic paint.

Finally, the sculpture is placed within the movement, with care taken to ensure it doesn't obstruct the perfect functioning of the watch.

That when the dragon comes to life with its head upward, fiery ruby eyes and its bright red tongue ablaze.

The tourbillon was originally invented to improve the timekeeping performance for a pocket watch. The Astronomia Tourbillon brings this 200-plus-year-old complication to breathtaking levels of modern refinement and complexity.

The double-axis tourbillon of the Astronomia Art Dragon is at the forefront of modern watchmaking. The delicately decorated cage encapsulates the balance wheel, hairspring, escape wheel and several other important components. Characterized by this openworked cage, this outstanding tourbillon rotates on two axes simultaneously. It is a constellation of superbly finished components that, when expertly assembled and fine-tuned, allows the Astronomia caliber to keep accurate time throughout its 60-hour power reserve. A full rotation on the 1st axis takes exactly 60 seconds, as a nod towards the traditional single-axis tourbillon. The 2nd axis of rotation requires five minutes to complete.

The mythical dragon is a magnificent creature, representing strength and power, glory and good fortune. The creation of the 18K rose gold dragon combines high technology with Old World artisan skills.

It begins with a detailed drawing. Once approved, the artist creates a precise Computer-Aided Design (CAD) rendering to ensure the dragon fits properly within the dial among the complications of the Astronomia vertical movement. From this rendering, the 18K rose gold cast is made. This process alone takes more than two months. Then another three months is spent by the artisan to hand-sculpt the details of the dragon. Every surface is carved, engraved, and polished. Another craftsman spent approximately 40 hours hand-painting the 18K rose gold cast in green, red and gold acrylic paint.

Finally, the sculpture is placed within the movement, with care taken to ensure it doesn't obstruct the perfect functioning of the watch.

That when the dragon comes to life with its head upward, fiery ruby eyes and its bright red tongue ablaze.

Customization and bespoke work has been the foundation of Jacob & Co. since the beginning and continues to this day. The brand has created a number of Astronomia Art pieces - Dragons, Spiders, Octopi, Horses, Tigers, world cities and more. Visit any Jacob & Co. point of sale or contact the brand directly to inquire.

The Astronomia Art Collection has become an icon within the brand and collectors look to Jacob & Co. to see what's coming next. The Astronomia Art is a showcase of Jacob & Co.'s commitment to using traditional métiers d'art in a modern way.

The Jacob Cut is the signature cut for the diamonds and gems that appear on all Jacob & Co. Astronomia timepieces. It always marks its presence on one of the arms of the Astronomia vertical movement and at times it graces other parts of its extra-large watches. It is a distinctive work of innovation, creativity and execution.

The spherical, 288-faceted gem is a unique cut exclusive to Jacob & Co.

The Jacob Cut diamond starts out as a much larger rough, up to twice the size as the finished product. Quality is important, with clarity being the most prized of the four Cs of diamond quality. If there is any sign of an inclusion the diamond must be scrapped.

The rough diamond is first cut by machine into a spherical shape, near the size of the final diamond. Then the master gem cutter does his work, shaping the stone by hand and cutting each of the 288 facets while maintaining its shape. The danger is that the stone will become oblong, losing its round shape. To be used in the Astronomia Collection, the Jacob-Cut diamond must be completely round and weigh exactly as much as the other three satellites (time display, triple-axis tourbillon, magnesium globe) to maintain stability of the movement. One-carat is the standard size, but other sizes have been specified depending on how it is used within the movement.

Another challenge is ensuring the precise dimensions of the facets. If the gem cutter puts slightly too much pressure on the stone while adding the facets, too much of the diamond will be cut away, and the sphere will be too small to use. The cutting process takes at least two weeks of dedicated, painstaking work.

The Jacob Cut is most recognizable on the Astronomia watch as a diamond that extends from one of the four arms of the vertical Astronomia movement. It rotates at different rates various depending on the other elements and the theme of the watch. However, the cut has been applied on colored gemstones and placed in the dial in other ways.

The globe of the Earth is made of magnesium coated with hand-painted blue lacquer and completed with rose gold continents. It is done in a way that ensures consistency in weight, as all four satellites must weigh exactly the same. The globe rotates every 60 seconds.

The Astronomia Art Green Dragon 18K White Gold case measures 50 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters in thickness between the highest point of its specially curved front sapphire crystal and the lowest point of its case. The case features four sapphire crystal windows installed throughout the periphery, allowing for unhindered viewing of the caliber and the artwork inside. The base of the case is paved with 202 invisibly set baguette white diamonds (about 8.37 carats). The lugs are covered with 80 invisibly set baguette white diamonds (about 6.10 carats).

The Roman numerals on the skeletonized titanium time display subdial are hand-engraved and filled with black lacquer, while the Jacob & Co. blued hour-and-minute hands are hand-finished.