When the Astronomia Tourbillon was introduced in 2014, the re-invention of the tourbillon in a vertical orientation and the constant turning of its four satellites garnered most of the attention.

What led to the development of the Astronomia Art Collection, however, is the incredible sapphire crystal and precious metal case, which puts everything inside on display.

Soon arose the idea to develop special works of art to put inside the Astronomia Tourbillon, using its sapphire crystal and precious metal case as a gallery, while still showcasing the incredible Astronomia tourbillon movement. The brand started with dragons, octopi, spiders, horses and more. Incredibly successful, Jacob & Co. has expanded the Astronomia Tourbillon Art Collection every year since. Now comes the Astronomia Art Painted Phoenix.

The Phoenix, according to the Ancient Greeks, is a creature that is born again, rising from the ashes of the conflagration of its former self. A powerful symbol, the Phoenix is the focus of the latest Astronomia Art piece from Jacob & Co.

Born from this maelstrom, the Phoenix in the Astronomia Art Painted Phoenix is spreading its wings and protecting the double-axis tourbillon movement.

The tourbillon is widely considered the ultimate complication, as it spins to counter the negative effects of gravity on the precision of the movement. For the Astronomia Collection, Jacob & Co. has taken the tourbillon one step farther, introducing additional axes in which the tourbillon turns.

For the Astronomia Art Phoenix, the tourbillon is a double-axis one. It spins on one axis in 60 seconds and on the second in 5 minutes.

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.

In the past, Jacob & Co. has presented several amazing Astronomia Art pieces, like the Astronomia Flawless Imperial Dragon, the Astronomia Spider, the Astronomia Octopus, the Astronomia Three Monkeys, and more. The Phoenix, however, outshines them all in the complexity of the sculpture, painting and in the attention to detail.

The Phoenix starts life as an 18K rose gold casting. Designing and detailing the casting already represents more than three months of work on a 3-D computer model. Then, when the casting is completed, the real work starts, with a highly trained artisan spending more than four months engraving the details.

The delicate wings of the Phoenix are the hardest part, as many are broken when the rough sculpture is cast. In addition, while engraving the wings, many more can break.

Every surface of the Phoenix sculpture is worked on, and then it is hand-painted. Several more days are required to apply the various hues of blue, orange, red, and black necessary to bring tyhis three dimensional miniature wonder to full chroma.

The result is a true work of art, protected forever by the Astronomia Art sapphire crystal and 18K gold case. This case allows you and yours to admire the sculpture from all angles, as if in a gallery. The craft is so detailed that the Phoenix appears to be rising, right there on your wrist.

Jacob & Co. has been on the forefront of using precious stones since its founding in 1986, and has developed a number of special cuts and setting techniques. For the Astronomia Tourbillon, the brand developed the 288-facet Jacob-cut diamond.

This special cut can be accomplished by only a select few gem cutters, and the rough stone typically starts out double the size of the finished diamond. The facets have to be incredibly precise so the diamond is perfectly symmetrical and round. In the Astronomia Art Painted Phoenix, the one-carat Jacob-cut diamond rotates on itself in 60 seconds.

The globe representing the earth is made of blue-lacquered magnesium to ensure consistency in weight, as all four satellites have to weight exactly the same. The globe rotates on itself in 60 seconds.

The Astronomia Art Painted Phoenix's case measures 50 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters thick. It blends the polished beauty of 18k white gold and the incredible advantages of a transparent crystal. Crafted from a sold block of sapphire, it allows for unhindered viewing of the spectacular caliber and the artwork inside.

The Roman numerals on the skeletonized dial are hand-engraved and filled with black lacquer, while the hand-finished hands appear in gun blue metallic coating.