Rapper Aitch spotted wearing a Jacob & Co

At the BRIT Awards 2020, Manchester rapper Aitch turned up to the red carpet in a clean white ribbed rollneck — letting the wrist do the talking. Visible on his left wrist was a Jacob & Co Astronomia Solar Planets Zodiac in 18K rose gold, a horological spectacle retailing north of $348,000 and limited to just 101 examples globally. For a young artist still ascending, the choice signals serious investment in haute horology.

The Astronomia Solar Planets Zodiac is built around Jacob & Co's proprietary JCAM09 hand-wound movement, a calibre that operates on four distinct arms rotating simultaneously at different speeds. The central tourbillon completes a rotation every 60 seconds; the arms carrying the planet globes complete a full circuit every 10 minutes, while the arms themselves rotate on their own axes. The case measures a commanding 47mm in rose gold, with a domed sapphire crystal that acts almost like a terrarium for the mechanical solar system within. Eight planets are represented by hand-crafted gemstone spheres — lapis lazuli for Earth, citrine for Saturn, green jade for Uranus — orbiting a yellow sapphire Sun at centre. The outer chapter ring displays all 12 zodiac signs in engraved rose gold relief.

From a collector standpoint, the Astronomia Solar family sits at the intersection of haute joaillerie and grand complication watchmaking. Jacob & Co produced the original Astronomia in 2014, and the Solar Planets Zodiac represents one of the most complex iterations — combining a triple-axis tourbillon, orbital mechanics, and gemological craft in a single package. The 101-piece limitation is not merely a marketing figure; the movement's complexity genuinely constrains production capacity at the brand's Geneva atelier.

Aitch, born Harrison Armstrong, broke into the UK rap mainstream with 'Taste (Make It Shake)' and has built a commercially consistent career since. His watch choice here isn't a rental or a styling decision — the Astronomia Solar is a deliberate statement of arriving, the kind of piece worn by collectors who know exactly what they have on their wrist.

On the secondary market, limited Astronomia Solar examples rarely surface, and when they do, they command premiums reflecting both scarcity and the brand's growing presence in celebrity culture. The $348,000 list price in itself positions this firmly in the tier of Patek perpetuals and Richard Mille tourbs — rarefied company for any wrist.