Jacob & Co. is on a mission to explore every existing horological complication, and to create new functionalities. One of the rarest and most prized ones is the automaton. Animated sequences of figurines on the dial is a classic endeavor in clock-making, yet infinitely more complex in wristwatch format. Jacob & Co. has modernized the concept and set it in an intense universe. Oil Pump is a three-dimensional, animated depiction of an oil well with watchmaking parts.
The rig itself is the star in Oil Pump. It bobs up and down and recreates the way an actual derrick works. It's coupled with a drill-head, symbolized by a downward-facing twin-axis tourbillon. Around them, Jacob & Co. recreated the physical environment of an oil well, complete with barrel, piping and manifold. Oil Pump is a large format expression of creativity. A demonstration of horological expertise. A showcase of Jacob & Co.'s unique ability to craft meaningful narratives.
Caliber JCAM33 is one of only a handful of automaton movements ever made for wristwatches. Its aim is to be both a high watchmaking movement and a storyteller. Every complication included in this 510-component system has a part to play on the dial as a character in a narrative.
Developed from scratch, caliber JCAM33 features a tourbillon that looks like no other. It's anchored near the center of the movement and has a long cantilever facing downwards. It rotates on two axes, like a drill head. The automaton is a unique feature. Activated by the pusher located at 2 o'clock, it animates two typical derricks, known as horse heads.
This 3D construction of extreme detail is part of a dial developed like a miniature scene in a large format clock. All the elements are custom-crafted and hand-finished. Making them look and feel like actual gear found on a drill site is a result of creative design, innovative thinking and a high level of craft. Jacob & Co.'s know-how shows in a unique manner in Oil Pump.
Oil Pump is powered by caliber JCAM33. A movement that has, like many in the Jacob & Co. catalog, zero equivalent in the current watchmaking world. It was developed especially so that its complications could express Oil Pump's narrative.
There is nothing boring about this drill bit. Symbolically puncturing the Earth's crust, this tourbillon is unique, facing downwards to emulate the drill. It rotates on two axes in order to recreate the boring trajectory. It's hanging at the end of a suspended bridge, making it a flying, double-axis tourbillon. The first axis rotation period is 1 minute, 2.5 minutes for the second axis.
Oil Pump is a stage where the entire oil extraction narrative is being told. Bent and straight pipes connect the functional elements, along with a barrel with its flammable warning sticker. A red manifold is located upstream from a pressure gauge, which is really the power reserve indicator. All these decorative parts are rose gold plated and hand-finished.
After the pusher at 2 o'clock is activated, two horse-heads start moving up and down. Powered by a hidden axis, they're attached to the dial on one end, and to the hour and minute subdial on the other. Their high level of detail hides the complex sequence of their movement. One of the rods holding the 3D derrick goes up and down inside the golden barrel. The entire pumping sequence of this unique automaton lasts around 35 seconds.
The hour and minute subdial of Oil Pump is not only the result of special design. In the center of its red derrick-shaped hands, an axis helps the derrick automaton work its magic. A pair of golden pipes run through it, under a transparent sapphire ring. This dial does not just give the time information. It's a character in the scene Oil Pump narrates.
Oil Pump is a large-sized and powerful depiction of an oil well and therefore, an acknowledgment of the vital importance of oil in our societies. However controversial, the 4.3 trn Dollar industry is a symbol of wealth and achievement. Oil Pump is reserved for those who hear the word “gold” in “black gold”.
