And now for something completely different: Meet the Jupiterium — a Panerai timepiece utterly devoid of military dive watch overtones! Housed in a 75 cm x 86 cm glass case and weighing some 110 kg (roughly 242 lbs.), this is no wrist-worn tool watch, but rather, a magnificent planetary installation inspired by the discoveries of 17th century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, whose observations negated the geocentric theory and ushered in the modern era of heliocentric thinking. Within its planetarium-like confines, the Earth occupies the center of a ring of planets around which the positions of the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, and the latter’s four satellites can be observed.
Split into northern and southern hemispheres, the celestial sphere containing the planets is overlaid with constellations and rotates to display the stars as viewed from Earth. Meanwhile, a special patented retrograde function displays the perceived “backward" motion of the planets in the night sky. Powered by a manually-wound movement featuring no fewer than eight barrels vibrating at 18,000 vph, this orbital display is also joined by a single-line perpetual calendar display whose dial features an AM/PM indicator as well as a linear power reserve gauge. Coated amply with Super-LumiNova, the Jupiterium’s appeal extends well beyond Paneristi to anyone who appreciates astrology, horology, and sophisticated mechanics more broadly.
Case Size: 75 cm x 86 cm
Case Material: Black aluminum; black-painted mahogany
Power Reserve: 40 days
Price: TBD
From the article by Paige Reddinger, Oren Hartov, Victoria Gomelsky, Carol Besler, Justin Fenner
