Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Marcelo Vieira spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Marcelo Vieira, the former Real Madrid and current Olympiacos full-back, stepped in front of the camera to thank blockchain platform ICICB Chain for a striking custom timepiece: a Black DLC Titanium Jacob & Co Epic X produced as a bespoke corporate edition for the brand. The post, shared to his personal account as @marcelotwelve, makes clear the watch arrived as a gift, placing it squarely in the growing intersection of luxury watchmaking, athlete endorsement, and Web3 branding.

The Jacob & Co Epic X platform was introduced as a bold departure from the brand's earlier diamond-saturated aesthetic, pivoting toward high-complication skeleton architecture inside an aggressively angular multi-lug titanium case measuring 44 mm. The movement is a manually wound Jacob & Co Calibre JCAM37, featuring a flying tourbillon at six o'clock and a skeletonised mainplate that exposes the entire gear train in visual layers. Rose-gold PVD finishing on the bridges and barrel contrasts sharply against the blackened DLC case, while the cyan/powder-blue rubber strap with hexagonal texture — a Jacob & Co Epic X house signature — is carried through to the matching inner chapter ring, giving this ICICB edition an immediately recognisable colourway.

The Epic X has earned a distinct collector following since its launch for delivering genuine tourbillon horology at a price point well below comparable Swiss complications. The custom ICICB edition adds scarcity value; bespoke co-branded runs of this nature are typically produced in very limited numbers, often fewer than ten references, making individual pieces nearly impossible to find on the secondary market through normal channels.

For Marcelo, now 36 and competing in the Greek Super League after a storied 15-year stint at Real Madrid, luxury watches have long been a personal statement. The choice — or in this case, the gift — of a Jacob & Co aligns naturally with his known preference for bold, unconventional pieces over traditional Swiss conservatism.

At a list price of approximately $24,200 / £21,500, the standard Epic X Tourbillon sits at the accessible end of the tourbillon market. Custom co-branded iterations carry a price premium by nature, though grey-market transactions for such bespoke pieces are rarely publicised.