Marseille put local identity at centre of premium watch collaboration
Olympique de Marseille have partnered with local watchmaker Jacques Bianchi Marseille on a €995 limited-edition mechanical watch, using a premium product collaboration to deepen the club’s connection with the city while extending their brand beyond traditional football merchandise.
Olympique de Marseille have entered the premium watch category with Jacques Bianchi Marseille, launching a limited-edition mechanical timepiece that brings together two brands closely associated with the city.The watch is priced at €995 and will be available to pre-order from September 3 for a three-week period, with first deliveries expected in December 2026 and later orders scheduled for early 2027.Simo Tber, Co-Founder and CEO of Jacques Bianchi Marseille, said: “Creating a watch collection in close collaboration with Olympique de Marseille was a dream, and today it becomes a reality.”The product is based on Jacques Bianchi Marseille’s JB200 model but has been redesigned around OM’s identity rather than simply adding club branding to an existing watch.The 42mm model features the Olympique de Marseille logo on the dial, a football-inspired seconds hand and design details referencing the 45-minute duration of a football half. It is also COSC-certified as a chronometer.The partnership gives Marseille another route into higher-value lifestyle merchandise, moving beyond conventional shirts and accessories into a category where scarcity, craftsmanship and local identity can support a significantly higher price point.That local connection is central to the commercial proposition. Jacques Bianchi Marseille have built their brand around the city’s watchmaking and diving heritage, while OM remain one of Marseille’s most recognisable institutions internationally.The limited ordering window also creates a different retail model from permanent club merchandise. Rather than committing to a large ongoing inventory, the partners can use a defined pre-order period to measure demand while maintaining exclusivity around the product.The total production volume has not been disclosed, meaning scarcity will be determined by demand during the three-week ordering window rather than a publicly stated edition size.The collaboration shows how clubs can use partnerships with locally rooted premium brands to create products that carry both commercial value and a stronger sense of place, potentially appealing to collectors and supporters seeking something beyond standard licensed merchandise.