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 Tiger & Dragon uses the 18K rose gold and sapphire case as a stage to display a work of art that combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest in technology. A hand-painted 18K rose gold sculpted dragon and tiger lie on a base of aventurine glass and face each other around the iconic Astronomia four-arm movement.

The mythical dragon is a magnificent creature, representing strength and power, glory and good fortune. The tiger is a symbol of nobility and stealth, raw power and sheer beauty. The creation of the 18K rose gold sculptures of the two animals begins with a precise Computer-Aided Design (CAD) rendering to ensure they fit properly within 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 creatures. Every surface is carved, engraved, and polished. Another craftsman spends approximately 40 hours hand-painting the 18K rose gold cast in green, red and gold acrylic paint for the dragon, orange, black and white for the tiger. Finally, the sculptures are placed within the movement, with meticulous care.

That's when the face-off between the dragon and the tiger comes to life, fang vs. fang, claw vs. claw, a hissing stand-off no one wants to be caught in the middle of.

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 Tiger & Dragon is at the forefront of modern watchmaking. It rotates on two axes simultaneously. 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 openworked cage has been given the shape of Jacob & Co's logo, a sign of creative liberty and technical mastery. It ensures the extreme accuracy of this one-of-a-kind movement. And as the cages are only held on one end, without a superior bridge, this twin-axis tourbillon is also of the flying kind.

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 Jacob Cut is the signature cut for the diamonds and gems that appear on all Jacob & Co. Astronomia timepieces. It is a distinctive work of innovation, creativity and execution.

The spherical, 288-faceted gem is a unique cut exclusive to Jacob & Co. It starts out as a much larger rough, up to twice the size as the finished product. The rough diamond is first cut by machine into a spherical shape. 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 cutting process takes at least two weeks of dedicated, painstaking work.

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 Tiger & Dragon case measures 50 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters in thickness. The case features a single sapphire crystal window installed throughout the caseband, allowing for unhindered viewing of the caliber and the artwork inside. The lugs are openworked to further open the view on the main event.