Subtlety has never been the purview of Jacob & Co. and it’s hard to get less subtle than a ginormous spinning rainbow of sapphires with a twin triple-axis tourbillon in the centre of it, which happens to be precisely what their latest release is. Sometimes it’s nice to just embrace the opulent craziness of a watch like the Mystery Tourbillon Rainbow Rose Gold.
At 50mm the rose gold case is, for want of a better term, large. But that’s understandable considering the kaleidoscopic display features approximately 260 sapphires in numerous colours, with a couple of diamonds thrown in for good measure. The gems are set in three concentric rings, with the inner two rotating around the central tourbillon to perform the function of the hour and minute hands. The outer ring is set in position as the hour marker track. The new version is effectively the reverse of its predecessor, which has a white display with coloured markers.
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The rainbow display is designed so that at 12 o’clock all the colours align before descending into a maelstrom of mismatched colours that is captivating and undeniably beautiful. Additionally, because the rings are supported from below, floating, the sliding motion appears effortless, heightening the optical illusion effect that tricks the eye into believing that the display is actually changing colour, not just rotating.
At the centre of it all is that twin triple-axis tourbillon. It looks spectacular and is very much a piece of haute horology, with the first axis making a rotation every 60 seconds and the other two rotating once every two minutes. It also comes with a 60-hour power reserve, which is great for utility. Because utility was clearly an important consideration with this timepiece… 100% for certain.
