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Jacob & Co. Astronomia Casino Watch Try-On The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Casino (also known as the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Gambler) is another unique creation from Jacob & Co. that was conceived, designed and produced to advance towards its goal of dominating the realm of over-engineered, fun-filled ultra-high-end watches – because such products do exist, and in fact have existed for many years.

The mid-2000s were dominated by Harry Winston Opus watches – widely considered to be the origin of haute horlogerie creations that broke the established limits of design and function – while early teens were obsessed with complications such as Jaquet Droz musical pieces and perpetual calendars, chronographs and repeaters from big brands. (Do some basic research and you’ll find that the value of these products from brands such as Audemars Piguet, IWC, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. has plummeted, sometimes to 25% to 30% of their original retail price.) Why do I say that? Firstly, because I didn’t realize until recently that this is common with “super-complication” watches, not just “one-off” knockoffs, and secondly, it suggests that many of the people who can afford these things are ready to take a loss on their purchases (or even if they’re not, they’re forced to if they want to exit their positions in these watches).

Like it or not, the resale value of these once-coveted watches says more about their current popularity than I thought. Those willing to spend six figures on watches have turned to watches that are 1) new, 2) interesting, 3) expressive, 4) unique, and 5) easy to appreciate. With watches, generally speaking, the more boxes you check, the higher the price. The Jacob & Co. Astronomia Casino has done its best to check all of those boxes, and more.

Measuring – there’s no other word for it – at a whopping 27.9mm (a little over an inch!), this watch is easy to admire up close or from across the dinner table. It’s like sitting at the dining table with a Francis Bacon from the 1940s hanging overhead like a sail. The weight of this watch is validated by the multi-layered, multi-purpose JCAM29A movement, which consists of the Astronomia “vertical movement”, a rotating platform with four rotating arms, and a fully functional, fully mechanical wheel complication that sits beneath it.

First, a few words about the Astronomia. Although Jacob & Co. has made many very different versions of this movement, it remains a very good movement in terms of its construction and function. Driven by a single mainspring with a power reserve of up to 60 hours (which can be longer or shorter depending on model variations and additional complications), essentially everything is housed in this four-arm assembly, except for the mainspring barrel and the winding and setting “bow” (a crown replacement on the caseback).  replica Jacob & Co EPIC X CR7

The four arms hold a bi-axial tourbillon (I’ll explain how it becomes a tri-axial tourbillon later), a miniature globe made of blue magnesium, a 1-carat, 288-faceted Jacob’s-cut diamond (also spinning on its own axis), and a differential-driven chronograph subdial. The four arms simultaneously rotate once around the face of the watch in 10 minutes — it’s this rotation that adds a third 10-minute axis to the tourbillon.

The time display rotates with this assembly, so to prevent it from turning upside down as it rotates around the dial, a differential is required. This allows the subdials to remain level, the hands to drive, and the entire assembly to rotate together.

While the tourbillon and spinning diamonds are impressive, my two favorite highlights of the Astronomia are this differential-driven time display and the fact that each of the two opposing arms is perfectly balanced against each other. This is a cool bit of “invisible engineering” that prevents the movement from being overly strained by an overly heavy arm that pulls or pushes the delicate gearing.

The heart of this Astronomia watch is, of course, its roulette complication. Pressing the button at 8 o'clock on the case causes the roulette wheel to spin vigorously, throwing out small white ceramic balls. To prevent the balls from entering the movement, the entire roulette function is placed under a sapphire crystal. Every time I press the button, this complication is reassuring to operate, and the overall execution of every detail is perfect.

The wheel is made of 18k rose gold, and the 36+1 pockets are enamelled in black and red. As I said, the thickness is 27.9mm, while the case diameter is 47mm. Oddly, the overall wearability is another way that Astronomia Casino plays with the senses, as the lugs are short and slanted downward. From directly above, the overall effect is barely acceptable - even on my slender wrist with a diameter of 6.75 inches. However, once I started to lay the watch flat away from me, it began to reveal its crazy case structure, topped by a wide, curved front sapphire crystal. Speaking of which, the case is banded with a single sapphire crystal, which, paired with the skeletonized lugs, makes it easy to admire the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Casino in action. replica Patek Philippe Cubitus

It’s certainly far more interesting than any traditional complication, and even if you’re not a gambler at heart, the way this movement is constructed is sure to appeal to the watch enthusiast in you.