Music exists in time. Combining two traditional Swiss craftsmanship, Jacob & Co. Opera is both a highly complicated timepiece and a wearable music box…and, it’s an indescribable wrist performance. The ballet of its three-axis tourbillon and the musical mechanism in its operation is surprising and fascinating. Technically, the combination of these two rare complications is impressive. A lot really happens, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million…even a timepiece that defies conventional labels has to be shown, playing a godfather theme and featuring a miniature Don Vito Corleone of its center!
The music mechanism works by miniaturizing the music box to fit into the watch. It is powered by its own barrel. Like the minute repeater, the regulator flywheel controls the speed of the complication and sets the rhythm for the melody played by the gears driving two cylinders with pins and steel combs.
The 2 cylinders have manually set pins that sweep the 30 (2×15) blades of the 2 combs to play the melody. The precise adjustment of the pins and the different lengths of the blades produce different notes. Each of the 100 pins is hand-inserted into the cylinder with extreme precision. The manufacture of the comb is crucial, especially the length of the blade and its strength to produce the right melodies. exact replica watches
As the melody plays, the entire mechanical module – including the three-axis tourbillon, the musical mechanism and the off-centre hours and minutes display – rotates 120° around the dial in 20 seconds.
The JCFM02 hand-wound movement consists of no less than 664 parts and measures 43 mm in diameter. It is regulated by a three-axis tourbillon. The ballet of concentric cages allows for multi-dimensional rotation to counteract the negative effects of gravity: 40 seconds on the first axis, 3 minutes on the second axis, and 8 minutes on the third axis. The complex design contains 97 parts and weighs only 1.79 grams. Its variable inertia balance oscillates 21,600 times per hour. The power reserve of the chronograph mechanism is 72 hours.
Movement finishing involves a lot of work and artistic mastery. For example, the “Godfather” character at its center is hand-carved and hand-painted. The golden sheet music is hand-carved and painted. The cylinder is gold plated. The splints and bridges are sandblasted and PVD coated, and the screw heads are mirror polished. The dial is decorated with gold-tone appliqués with blued hands. replica watches review
This impressive movement is housed in a 47mm case made of DLC titanium and rose gold. It is protected by a highly domed sapphire crystal. The glass is made from just one part, a technical feat that, despite its curved top and clear cut angles, allows for unobstructed viewing of complex movements from all angles. The JCFM02 movement is wound and set via two folding crowns on the rear of the watch. The melody is activated via the pusher at 2 o’clock. The watch is worn on a crocodile leather strap, which is fastened with a folding clasp.
The Jacob & Co. Opera wasn’t the first musical watch, but with its striking design and ultra-complex mechanics (with a two-comb musical mechanism and a three-axis tourbillon), it was certainly at the top of its class By. It retails for CHF 300.000 for the “Godfather” DLC Titanium/Pink Gold Limited Edition we are reviewing. Several other versions are available for different materials, melodies and themes. A watch can also be ordered with a melody of your choice. jacob & co astronomia solar baguette as800.40.ap.yk.a