Epic Collaboration: Jacob & Co. and Manchester City Take the Field with Three New References

Football and luxury timepieces may appear to be worlds apart, but they do share interesting similarities, notably in terms of cultural relevance, precision, and the level of passion elicited from their fans. Celebrating the ties that bind the two seemingly disparate worlds, luxury watchmaker Jacob & Co. partnered with FC Barcelona to put forth a 125-piece limited-edition Epic X Tourbillon FC Barcelona watch last month, marking the 125th anniversary of the Catalonia club. Continuing its love affair with football, the brand has now joined hands with yet another legendary club, Manchester City, to create three new references: Epic X Sport Edition Manchester City (Ref. EX130.20.AA.AA.A), a brand new model; Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City in Rose Gold/Blue Ceramic (Ref. EC430.43.AI.AA.ABRUA); and Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City in Full Rose Gold (Ref. EC430.43.AH.AA.A). All three have just been launched.

If we look back in history, St Mark's Church created a football team in 1880, which later became Manchester City Football Club (MCFC). In 1904, the Blues defeated Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace, becoming the first Manchester team to win a major trophy. In 2023, the football team scaled new heights by winning the Treble. To be precise, in May 2023, they won their third consecutive Premier League title, followed by an FA Cup victory in an all-Manchester final. After defeating Inter 1-0, the club won the Champions League for the first time in its history. This was followed by a victory in the UEFA Super Cup over Sevilla on penalties in Greece. The club, coached by Pep Guardiola, won the FIFA Club World Cup last December.

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Epic X Sport Edition Manchester City

Limited to 250 pieces, this 41 mm watch comes in a titanium case, along with crown guards, a bezel, and lugs. The light blue inner bezel has a 60-minute track. The rhodium dial gets a Manchester City diamond pattern, a date window at 3 o’clock, and the club’s logo at 6 o’clock. The baton-shaped hour, minute, and second hands are skeletonised with luminescent tips and rectangular hour markers. 

Powering this watch is Calibre JCHA01 with a 70-hour power reserve. The custom inscription on the sapphire crystal titanium caseback reads, “THE BEST TEAM IN THE LAND AND ALL THE WORLD”, along with four stars. This watch is finished on a honeycomb rubber strap, reflecting the club's colours and featuring a titanium ardillon buckle.

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Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City Variants in Rose Gold/Blue Ceramic 

The 30-piece limited-edition EPIC X CHRONO 44 EDITION MANCHESTER CITY I and the 20-piece limited-edition EPIC X CHRONO 44 EDITION MANCHESTER CITY II are housed in 44 mm 18 ct rose gold cases. While the Manchester City I variant gets a blue ceramic-and-rose gold bezel, Manchester City II has a fully rose gold bezel. Both timepieces come with a rubber crown, two chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock (to start-stop the function) and 4 o’clock (to restart the function). This sequence can be activated at will.

The thick blue sapphire dial has a 60-minute blue aluminium inner ring, a small-second indicator at 9 o’clock, and a minute counter at 3 o’clock with the Manchester City light blue emblem. Both these novelties have baton-shaped hour, minute, and second hands, and a rose gold chronograph central hand with luminescent tips. Powering the watches is Caliber JCAA05, a self-winding chronograph with two registers, a configuration called bi-compax, a horizontal clutch, and a column wheel offering a 48-hour power reserve. 

Turning each watch over showcases the sapphire open caseback in either blue ceramic for Manchester City I or full rose gold for Manchester City II. The open barrel, column wheels are angled and polished with an anthracite rotor with lacquered engraving and circular grained bridges. Both watches are finished on openworked rubber straps. While the blue ceramic version gets a rose gold and titanium deployant clasp, the rose gold model gets an 18 ct rose gold deployant clasp.

In addition to the timepieces mentioned above, Jacob & Co. will present Manchester City hospitality packages, such as The Icon Experience and Champions League VIP Away Trips. The agreement between the two brands aims to enhance the fan experience by supporting Etihad Stadium's distinctive hospitality services and providing exclusive European trips for club supporters.