Watch Paparazzi

Musician Michael Blakey spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Michael Blakey, the British record producer and entrepreneur behind Artist Group International, has long cultivated a reputation as one of the more serious watch collectors operating outside the typical Silicon Valley or hedge-fund demographic. His choice here — a Jacob & Co Astronomia Flawless — is not a casual flex. It is a deliberate statement from a collector who understands exactly what sits on his wrist.

The Jacob & Co Astronomia Flawless takes the already breathtaking Astronomia Gravitational Triple Axis Tourbillon architecture and elevates it into pure gem-set territory. The movement — caliber JCAM09 — is a hand-wound manufacture movement beating at 18,000 vph with a 60-hour power reserve. Its four-arm rotating differential carousel completes one full rotation every 10 minutes, carrying four distinct complications: a triple-axis tourbillon (rotating on its three axes in 60 seconds, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes respectively), a spherical 288-facet white diamond 'Sun,' a yellow sapphire sphere representing another celestial body, and a blue aventurine 'Earth' globe. The case is white gold, measuring 47mm, with a sapphire dome crystal that frames the spectacular display.

What separates the Flawless variant from the standard Astronomia Solar is the substitution of the traditional time-display sphere for two spherical diamonds — each cut with 288 facets — rendering timekeeping almost secondary to the horological spectacle. The edition is limited to just nine pieces worldwide, and pricing at one million US dollars places it firmly in the ultra-HNWI collector segment alongside pieces from Patek Philippe and Richard Mille's most rarefied references.

Blakey has been photographed with multiple Jacob & Co references over the years, making him one of the brand's most visible real-world ambassadors. His affinity for the Astronomia line aligns with Jacob Arabo's own philosophy: watchmaking as wearable kinetic sculpture. The Flawless, in particular, rewards close inspection — the kind of piece you remove from your wrist and hand to a guest rather than glance at across a dinner table.

On the grey market, examples of the Astronomia Flawless rarely surface given the nine-piece production run, but when they do, values hold extremely close to or above retail, reflecting both scarcity and the sustained collector demand for Jacob & Co's most complex references.