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Footballer Lionel Messi spotted wearing Jacob & Co

Lionel Messi was photographed in the stands during a Paris Saint-Germain fixture wearing a timepiece that occupies a unique space between sports memorabilia and genuine haute horlogerie: the Jacob & Co Epic X Chronograph 'Messi' Edition in 18K white gold. The sighting, caught pitch-side, draws immediate attention to the oversized blue rubber strap and the diamond-encrusted bezel catching the stadium floodlights.

The Jacob & Co Epic X platform is built around a skeletonised bi-compax chronograph architecture driven by the in-house JCAM16 automatic movement, offering approximately 48 hours of power reserve. The 47mm white gold case houses a dial that layers open-worked sub-registers at 9 and 3 o'clock with Messi's personal 'M10' logo printed centrally — a branding detail that transforms this from a standard Epic X into a documented collaboration piece. The bezel features 36 baguette-cut diamonds set in four corner clusters, a Jacob & Co signature treatment that adds significant intrinsic gem value on top of the already substantial precious-metal case cost.

The edition is limited to just 18 pieces, a number chosen deliberately to reference Messi's progression through youth football wearing the number 10. That constraint makes each example genuinely rare — more limited than many Swiss independents' flagship complications — and virtually guarantees that any secondary market transaction involves serious collectors rather than casual flippers. The red crown and pushers provide a sporting chromatic contrast that aligns with the Argentine national team palette.

For Messi, Jacob & Co represents a long-standing personal relationship rather than a paid ambassador arrangement. The Genève-based maison, founded by Jacob Arabo in New York and now positioning itself firmly in the independent haute horlogerie space, has produced multiple bespoke and limited references around the footballer's identity. This Epic X edition is arguably the most coherent expression of that partnership — technically accomplished, visually unambiguous about its subject, and restricted enough to hold real collector cachet.

At a list price of approximately $155,000, the Epic X Messi edition commands a premium that reflects diamond setting costs, precious metal weight, and the edition size. On the secondary market, examples when they do surface — rarely — tend to trade at or above retail given the combination of provenance, scarcity, and the enduring global profile of the man for whom they were made.