Known for their radical designs, which blend a futuristic vision along with fine craftsmanship; independent watchmaker Jacob & Co., have proved their mettle in the horology arena despite venturing into watchmaking only in the early 2000s. However, it was in 2013 that the young brand completely revolutionised their haute horlogerie game with the introduction of the celestial-themed Astronomia—a highly-complex watch featuring an open-worked architecture along with a tourbillon. This, to date, remains one of the most important timepieces in the brand’s impressive line-up of complications that reveal most of the inner workings of their movements, thanks to their intricate, skeletonised dials.

Recently, the brand has released a new watch collection which is sure to get football fans excited. Jacob & Co. have joined forces with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, and to celebrate this partnership, launched the CR7 Epic X collection with two new timepieces — the Flight of CR7 and the Heart of CR7. The watches stand out for their prominent X-shaped lugs and come in either 44mm rose-gold or stainless-steel cases, which feature open-worked dials that represent the athlete in action.

Fine Watchmaking That Celebrates A Legend

This partnership didn’t happen overnight as Cristiano Ronaldo shares a long-standing friendship with the brand that spans over two decades. However, this seemed like a timely move as the athlete also became the first person to cross 500 million followers on Instagram, making all the right noise around this collaboration.  

The CR7 Epic X collection features two models: the Heart of CR7 in stainless steel with the bezel either polished or set with 26 baguette-cut white diamonds, green-accented flange, crown, caseback and strap; and the Flight of CR7 in 18K rose gold with a polished bezel or one set with 26 baguette-cut white diamonds, rose gold and red accents for the flange, crown, caseback and strap. Water-resistant to 50m, each watch follows a chromatic palette: green for Heart of CR7 and red for Flight of CR7, also representing the vibrant hues of Portugal’s flag and their national football team’s colours.

The CR7 Epic X collection is a supremely personalised version of Jacob & Co.’s Epic X line of watches, known for their signature X-shaped lugs, which also denote a sleek, modern architecture for any watch. Both the stainless-steel and 18K rose-gold versions are powered by the brand’s proprietary Calibre JCAM45—a hand-wound, skeletonised movement that supplies an energy reserve of at least 48 hours, when fully wound. Composed of 158 components and 21 jewels, it beats at a frequency of 28,800vph to track the elapsed hours.  

The open-worked design also reveals two vertical pillars on the left and right side of the dial that represent Cristiano Ronaldo and the CR7 brand. While the left side features a replica of his image, the right side bears his logo and signature, both engraved in bold. There is also a skeleton barrel cover, shaped like a football at 12 o’clock, while the balance wheel positioned at 6 o’clock maintains the symmetry on the watch face. On turning the watch over, one can admire a printed image of Ronaldo, sporting his signature ‘No.7’ jersey. According to the brand one needs to watch out for ‘further developments’ as this 5-year joint project is bound to introduce fresh designs as the footballer amasses more records and recognition over time.

Images: Jacob & Co.