Unique commissions from Jacob & Co usually mark anniversaries or celebrate long-standing partnerships. This one was created around a regional health statistic, and the house chose to place that statistic at the centre of the design rather than reference it discreetly. The 25% club logo appears on the dial and again on the sapphire caseback, visible from either side of the watch.
The model selected was the Epic X Sport, among the most wearable pieces the manufacture produces and one built around a movement that marks a significant technical step for the brand. Pairing a serious watch with a serious cause gave the auction its centrepiece, and the room responded accordingly.
A collection crafted around shape
The Epic X collection began with a reinvention. Jacob & Co reworked the skeletonised sports watch in 2016 around a single structural motif, the X, and the concept proved strong enough to support an entire family of timepieces. Epic X Sport develops that framework in a different direction, replacing the open architecture with a full dial.
The 41mm case is the practical proportion within the range, discreet enough beneath a shirt cuff and legible at distance. The dial surface carries a diamond pattern, a nod to the manufacture’s standing in high jewellery alongside its watchmaking. On the charity edition, that surface also carries the 25% club logo, with the emblem repeated behind sapphire at the rear.
Chronometer certification arrives
Calibre JCHA01 is the first movement in the history of the house to be systematically certified as a chronometer by the COSC, Switzerland’s independent certification body. Every example undergoes a series of tests across varying positions, winding states and temperatures before it may carry the designation. For a manufacture celebrated for its complications, the pursuit of certified accuracy signals real ambition in a different direction.
The movement comprises 158 components and is self-winding via a rotor designed in-house, running at 28,800 vph. Power reserve stands at 70 hours, sufficient for a watch to be set down on Friday evening and returned to the wrist on Monday morning still keeping correct time. Functions remain focused: hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Titanium construction and daily wear
The case is Grade 5 titanium at 11.50mm in height, fitted with anti-reflective sapphire crystal and sapphire at the caseback. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres, or 5 atm, appropriate for everyday wear.
A black honeycomb rubber strap with a Grade 5 titanium pin buckle keeps overall weight low and makes the piece straightforward to wear across a working week. Ergonomics were clearly a priority during development, and the result is the most versatile timepiece in the catalogue.
A golf day created from scratch
The event was co-created by Laurence Barrow of Barrow Electrical and Alan Knell of North West Cancer Research. Neither had organised a golf tournament previously, and they built one together regardless. The cause was deeply personal, the initiative following the diagnosis of Laurence’s wife, Claire, with brain cancer in June 2025.
Regional data gives the campaign both its name and its purpose.
“In the North West, you’re around 25% more likely to develop cancer than in other parts of the UK.”
North West Cancer Research
Twenty-two teams played the newly renovated championship course during the day. The evening moved into the resort’s 1,000 square metre Grand Ballroom for its inaugural official use, with a multi-course dinner, live entertainment and the grand auction, where the Jacob & Co piece featured among the headline lots. An awards ceremony recognising leading teams and charity advocates closed proceedings.
A landmark venue delivers
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere opened to guests on the same day, situated roughly 11 miles southwest of Manchester in Knutsford. Select Group invested £125 million in the property, £35 million on acquisition and a further £90 million on the overhaul. The resort offers 116 rooms, 23 of them suites overlooking The Mere Lake.
Dining is anchored by Gordon Ramsay at The Mere, complemented by The Club Lounge and afternoon tea at The Orangery. The destination spa houses a 20-metre pool, salt inhalation chamber and thermal suite, while the 18-hole championship course surrounds the estate. The hotel’s event team supported the fundraiser throughout, and entrusting launch night to a charity initiative proved an inspired decision.
An annual fixture confirmed
Every pound of the £80,000 raised has been allocated directly to life-saving research and local healthcare education programmes across the North West. Response from corporate sponsors and attendees was strong enough that organisers have confirmed the day will return as an annual fixture at the resort.
Three organisations brought their best to a single evening, and a region that carries a disproportionate share of the national cancer burden gained meaningful funding as a result.