From 18 to 30 May, Christie’s Watches Online: The Geneva Edit will offer a selection of remarkable timepieces curated from a refined circle of ultra-exclusive timepieces at the nexus of high watchmaking and high jewellery.
A vast number of lots from this sale will be exhibited at the new Christie’s Geneva Office between 22 and 26 May. Among them the spectacular one-of-a-kind JACOB & CO. “Astronomia Flawless Diamond”.
This one-of-a-kind creation has a ground-breaking 4-arm movement seemingly floating inside a sapphire crystal case. Four unique mechanisms, one at the tip of each arm – a globe of magnesium representing Earth with hand-lacquered oceans and continents of white gold, a one-carat Jacob-cut spherical diamond with 288 facets, a patented triple-axis tourbillon, and an hours and minutes complication with a patented differential gear system – orbit around the 3.02-carat diamond crowning the vertical movement.
The estimate of this unique JACOB & CO., sapphire triple axis tourbillon “Astronomia Flawless” with 3.02 carat D flawless diamond, Ref. A125.80.AA.UG.B, from 2022, has been set at CHF200,000-400,000.
Introduced in 2018, the “Astronomia Flawless Diamond” remains a testament to JACOB & CO.’s incredible creativity, boldness and engineering genius – a feat of multidisciplinary mastery in high watchmaking.
At the centre of the watch, an unprecedented vertical four-arm movement that demonstrates next-level watchmaking prowess, both creatively and technically. At the tip of each arm, an element which again evokes the sensibility for art and storytelling, a hallmark of JACOB & CO.: the patented triple-axis tourbillon; the likewise patented hours and minutes complication with timepiece-differential gear system; the planet Earth made from a globe of magnesium, with hand-lacquered oceans and white gold continents; and as the Moon, a spherical diamond with 288 facets achieved with the exclusive Jacob cut.
All four orbit around the 2.88-carat white diamond, a miniature solar system floating in a spectacular sapphire crystal case. The “Astronomia Flawless Diamond” is a one-off piece that dazzles by its presence and by its substance.
The triple-axis tourbillon is at the forefront of modern watchmaking. The delicately decorated cage encapsulates the balance wheel, hairspring, escape wheel and several other important components. Characterised by an open-worked cage, the JACOB & CO. tourbillon rotates on three axes simultaneously, a constellation of superbly finished components that ensures the Astronomia calibre’s absolute accuracy throughout the 60-hour power reserve.
Jacob Arabo, the founder of JACOB & CO. commented: “The Astronomia was inspired by the universe and all the ideas and wonderment that celestial bodies evoke. Ever since the introduction of the first Astronomia in 2014, the stars, the Moon and the planets have taken on new meaning with each new piece. Even as the Astronomia story continues, it has already earned its place in the world of superlative Haute Horlogerie.”
About Christie’s
- Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).
- auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s has sold 8 of the 10 most important single-owner collections in history, including the Paul G. Allen Collection—the most valuable collection ever offered at auction (November 2022). In recent years, Christie’s also achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, 2017), for a 20th century artwork (Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 2022) and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019). Christie’s Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at a client’s individual pace.
- Following the groundbreaking 2021 sale of the first digital art NFT ever offered by a global auction house (Beeple’s Everydays), Christie’s recently launched the first fully on-chain auction platform dedicated to exceptional NFT art. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including the use of hologram technology to tour life-size 3D objects around the world, and the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats.
- Christie’s is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability through net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify under-represented voices and support positive change.
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* Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium.