NEW YORK – JUNE 9, 2022 – Jacob & Co ., Bucherer Blue, and Sotheby’s, are reaching for the stars. The two famed watch companies, celebrated for their innovative and dazzling designs, along with Sotheby’s, the world’s premier destination for art and luxury, have joined forces in the spirit of exploration to send a special timepiece into the unmapped vastness of space before going up for a charitable auction this summer. Named the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer BLUE, the unique watch a marvel of Swiss craftsmanship and the decorative arts, was the first triple axis tourbillon to leave the Earth’s to atmosphere.
On April 8, from the Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Axiom Space a four-person team to and from the Inernational Space Station ( ISS). The flight named AX-1, retuned off the Florida cost on Monday, April 25.
With its return from space, the Jacob& Co. Astronomia Bucherer BLUE is set to embark on a public exhibition tour in New York City, first stopping at the Bucherer 1888 Time Machine from 11 – 17. From there, moving to exhibition at Sotheby’s New York galleries from July 21 – 25, before heading to the auction block in a single-lot dedicated live auction on July 26.
On offer with no reserve- and bidding starting at $1- proceeds will be donated to benefit charities, with further details to be announced at a later date. While the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Bucherer BLUE traveled to space and back on a single mission, the timepiece’s impact, because of this sale, will reverberate for generations.
“Bucherer BLUE is our platform for bringing to life daring projects with innovative partners. Together we strive to create the extraordinary and celebrate drive and curiosity of our NextGen customers,” says Patrick Graf, Chief Commercial Officer of impossible before. Powered by the internationally renowned Sotheby’s, this collaboration brings the Burcherer BLUE philosophy to a whole new level and we are incredibly excited that the Astronomia bucherer BLUE went up to space, pushing boundaries beyond the expected.
The Jacob&Co. Astronomia Bucherer BLUE is truly a watch of wonder, imparting an otherworldly quality. The complex movement, for one, is a gravitational triple axis tourbillon. The dark blue starry background mirrors the deep, captivating color of the firmament and the pronounced domed case, made of anti-reflective sapphire crystal, essentially features a microcosm: four satellites turn in constant motion, including the dial, tourbillon cage, a sapphire diamond that reflects the moon, and a magnesium lacquered globe that reflects the Earth. All finished in Bucherer BLUE color scheme, this timepiece is galactic to the core.
The timepiece is already a captivating watch, but as the first triple axis tourbillon to reach the exosphere, its allure is even more entrancing. It is categorically one-of-a-kind. Along with Astronomia tourbillon, Jacob & Co. and Burcherer are also honoring the greater involvement of the private sector in space exploration with the release of the EpicX Burcherer BLUE Edition, a skeleton watch that also nods to interstellar travel. The limited-edition manual timepiece, which was inspired by the mission, will be available for purchase exclusively in the U.S. at Burcherer. The exclusive 18 pieces feature an eye-catching blue honeycomb strap and a titanium caseback with an engraving of an astronaut, clad in a spacesuit and helmet, gazing at the Erath from space.
Both the Astronomia and EpicX are two watches that imbue innovation, exploration, and a belief that, though partnership, possibilities are boundless, a belief that anyone has the ability to go beyond time and space.