ReviewThe Essence Of Cristiano Ronaldo In Jacob & Co Epic X CR7 Timepieces

Portuguese star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is also a brand mogul. Ronaldo’s popularity is unprecedented. He has the world’s highest number of Instagram followers—over 616 million (and counting). The five-time FIFA ‘Player of the year’ even has his own label, CR7 (named after his initials and lucky number ‘7’) that produces perfumes, underwear, footwear, and other such lifestyle accessories. Over two decades ago, when the Madeira-born was a fledgling footballer, he was spotted by Jacob Arabo, the founder Jacob & Co—the American brand of Swiss-made watches—known for his ability to identity individuals on the brink of fame. Arabo has had rap kings, pop icons and sporting greats, including Ronaldo flaunt his ornate timepieces. With time, the founder and the sportstar became close friends, and this bond led to the culmination of the Jacob & Co Epic X CR7 line. All six CR7 variants feature classic Epic X traits, plus an image of Ronaldo etched on one the vertical bridges seen in the skeletal display.

Behind The Making Of Epic X CR7 Timepieces

The Jacob & Co Epic X CR7 line feature three versions each under Flight of CR7 and Heart of CR7 titles. While it is unclear why the variant is named ‘Heart’, with ‘Flight’, however, on connecting the dots, Jacob & Co had gifted Ronaldo the Flight of CR7 timepiece before he took the flight to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and was spotted wearing it on the plane.

Jacob & Co. Epic X CR7 Shop The Collection

The CR7 timepiece, however, also fell into controversy. Fans say that the imagery on the vertical bridge of the dial showing Ronaldo scoring a goal, is in fact him scoring a goal for Real Madrid. And this is the problem because Ronaldo was still employed with Manchester United when he collaborated with Jacob & Co on the CR7 watch. Shortly after the Epic X CR7 launch, he left Manchester United and Al-Nassr FC snapped him up for a whopping EUR 200 million. With the CR7 timepiece, then, it felt as if Ronaldo had taken a well-planned ‘swipe’ against Man United before exiting the club. The following May, Arabo gifted the Al-Nassr striker the Heart of CR7 Baguette at the launch of the Jacob & Co jewellery store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

All six Epic X CR7 timepieces feature classic Epic X architecture—skeleton dial, 44mm case, X-shaped lugs, vertical bridges/pillars, coloured flange, and crown. The CR7 iterations, additionally, combine metal with red or green highlighting features such as the aluminum outer minute flange, aluminum tube encircling the crown, tips of the skeletal baton-shaped hands and hue of the crystal on the caseback. The ‘Heart’ has three variants, each of these are created with a combination of a steel case; gold, open-worked mechanical parts; and green highlights. A special version, titled Heart of CR7 Baguette, has baguette-cut white diamonds, while the ‘Flight’ combines an 18-karat rose gold case, red highlights. And there’s a diamond version as well, titled Flight of CR7 Baguette.

Oozing Ronaldo Fever

All the CR7 timepieces function on the 158-part, in-house manufacture Calibre JCAM45 that beats at 28,800vph and offers 48-hour power reserve when fully wound. This manual-winding open-worked movement offers partial views of the balance spring and wheels, and barrel with ‘sliding clamp system’. Continuing with the Ronaldo fever, the barrel features an engraved football, while the caseback is etched with the footballer flaunting his lucky number ‘7’ jersey. The Epic X CR7 watches come attached to a strap in rubber with Cordura pattern or a perforated rubber strap fitted with stainless steel ardillon buckle.

The left pillar/vertical bridge shows an ecstatic Ronaldo after scoring the winning goal for Real Madrid against Manchester United FC

An engraved CR7 logo and the footballer’s signature features on the right pillar/vertical bridge belonging to the open-worked dial

The collaborative Jacob & Co Epic X CR7 thus symbolises the deepening bond between the luxe watchmakers and football star, indicative of more successful collaborations involving the two.