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Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Doha, November 2022. On the eve of Portugal's opening fixture at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped out in a sharp navy suit and immediately drew attention — not to the football pitch, but to his left wrist. The watch in question was the Jacob & Co Epic X 'Flight of CR7' in 18K rose gold, a bespoke collaboration piece the brand unveiled to coincide with Ronaldo's formal partnership announcement with the New York-based manufacture. The timing was deliberate: few stages are larger than a World Cup, and Jacob & Co knows how to play them.

The Epic X 'Flight of CR7' is built around Jacob & Co's JCAM37 hand-wound flying tourbillon movement, beating at 21,600 vph with a 60-hour power reserve. The 44mm angular rose gold case — a signature Epic X silhouette with its faceted lugs and industrial geometry — is set with 26 white baguette-cut diamonds along the bezel perimeter, factory-installed for precision alignment. The skeletonised dial opens the movement to full view, with a hand-engraved CR7 silhouette occupying the lower half of the mainplate alongside the open-worked tourbillon cage at 6 o'clock. Red lacquer accents on the chapter ring and the vulcanised rubber strap's inner lining directly reference Portugal's national colours — a detail Ronaldo specifically requested, according to Jacob & Co's creative team.

From a collector's standpoint, the 'Flight of CR7' occupies a niche that is simultaneously athlete memorabilia and serious complications watchmaking. The flying tourbillon, diamond-set bezel, and bespoke engraving place it firmly in Jacob & Co's haute horlogerie tier, well above the brand's entry-level offerings. At 100 pieces worldwide, scarcity is genuine rather than manufactured, and provenance linking each example to the world's most followed athlete on social media adds a layer of cultural value that transcends pure horological merit.

Ronaldo's relationship with Jacob & Co predates the CR7 edition — he has been photographed wearing the Astronomia and Epic X Chrono previously — but this collaboration marks the first time his personal iconography has been embedded directly into the movement architecture. For Jacob & Co, securing Ronaldo as a brand partner aligns with their strategy of targeting the intersection of sport, luxury, and global celebrity.

Retail on the Epic X 'Flight of CR7' Rose Gold Diamond edition was set at approximately $580,000 USD at launch. Given the 100-piece limitation, documented sell-out status, and Ronaldo's ongoing global profile, grey-market premiums have been reported, with examples rarely appearing at auction below retail. Serious collectors seeking a wearable piece of football history will find few equivalents in the current market.