Jacob & Co., Bucherer Blue, and Sotheby’s have gone above and beyond – quite literally, into space. Today, the brands announced that the extraordinary timepiece, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer Blue, is the first ever triple axis tourbillon to go to space before it goes up for a charitable auction this summer.
Jacob & Co., Bucherer Blue, & Sotheby's sent the Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer Blue is the first triple axis tourbillon to space.
“The Astronomia tourbillon is a truly unique, groundbreaking timepiece that elevates the art of watchmaking above the Earth, above time,” said Jacob Arabov, Founder & Chairman of Jacob & Co. “So the very idea of sending this special Astronomia into space, as you can imagine, was very exciting. It’s only fitting that the Astronomia Bucherer BLUE ends up revolving around the Earth. The watch had the same viewpoint on us as we usually have on it. This reversal is typical of the way I envision the creation of timepieces.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jacob & Co.
On April 8th, astronaut, impact investor, and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe, took the Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer Blue onto the International Space Station (ISS) and launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to Stibbe, the Astronomia Tourbillon Bucherer Blue timepiece continued to accurately display the time during the launch and return to Earth, enduring extremely high G-forces and micro-gravity while in space — an impressive feat for the timepiece.
The timepiece spent 17 days, 1 hour, and 37 minutes in space, traveling over an astonishing seven million miles in total, before returning to Earth on April 25th.
For Patrick Graf, the Chief Commercial Officer of Bucherer, Bucherer Blue is a platform that brings daring projects with innovative partners to life. “Jacob & Co.’s exceptional timepieces, imaginative power, and can-do attitude makes possible what seemed impossible before. Powered by the internationally renowned Sotheby’s, this collaboration brings the Bucherer BLUE philosophy to a new level. We are incredibly excited that the Astronomia Bucherer BLUE went up to space, pushing boundaries beyond the expected,” he revealed.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jacob & Co.
Now, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Bucherer Blue is destined for another journey: a public exhibition tour in Manhattan, first stopping at the Bucherer 1888 TimeMachine from July 11th through the 17th, then moving to the exhibition at Sotheby’s New York galleries on July 21st, and finally heading to the auction block on a single-lot dedicated live auction on July 26th.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jacob & Co.
Together, Jacob & Co., Bucherer, and Sotheby’s are making history again and a greater impact as all proceeds from the auction will be donated to benefit charities. “Sotheby’s has been a pioneer at bringing together the world of space and watch collecting, offering some of the rarest examples in each category,” notes Josh Pullan, Head of Sotheby’s Global Luxury Division. “We’re thrilled to be part of this journey, which marks the first haute horological tourbillon to travel into orbit. The shared spirit of innovation brought Jacob & Co, Bucherer, and Sotheby’s together for this project, and we are honored that the auction of this special timepiece will also benefit charity.
