Celebrating a famous victory in 1985, a luxury watch has a limited edition of 1,985
On April 24, 1985, Everton beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final, going on to lift the club’s only European trophy the following month. A goal down to the Germans at half-time, Everton roared back to hit three into the Gwladys Street end, the atmosphere volcanic. Manager Howard Kendall and each member of the winning team later described it as the greatest game they ever experienced, a sentiment shared by the 49,476 who witnessed it.
A luxury watchmaker has now created a unique timepiece to mark the famous occasion of 40 years ago – so unique, in fact, that only an exact number of 1,985 has been crafted.
“We’ve launched a few watches to commemorate certain events or moments in time,” says Chris Ward, the namesake member of the trio who created the Christopher Ward brand in 2004. The UK’s leading mechanical watchmaker became the world’s first online-only premium brand offering hand-crafted, Swiss-made mechanical watches at previously unheard-of prices.
Their creative partnership with Everton began in 2021 –they now have a dedicated showroom, 53° North, in the club’s premium hospitality space at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“The idea for the Goodison 3.1 arose earlier this year,” explains Ward. “In March, we launched ‘The Goodison’, a quartz chronometer designed to mark the farewell to the stadium. It was a limited edition of 1892 pieces, the year Goodison Park was founded, and featured a caseback with a stamped coin that was made from turnstiles from the 1930s.”
“Following its success, discussions began around a new edition to celebrate the 1985 semi-final. Every design decision was carefully considered to ensure the details enhanced the overall aesthetic rather than overpowering it. Each element plays a part in telling the story of that legendary night. For Evertonians, these are the moments that define their club – and The Goodison 3.1 captures them in a way that feels both timeless and deeply personal.”
One such is lifelong Everton fan Mike France, another of the Christopher Ward team, who was with his brother Jon on “the greatest night the Grand Old Lady ever saw”.
“This isn’t just another limited edition,” says France. “It’s a love letter to the greatest Everton team of all time, to Goodison Park, and to the fans who filled it to bursting point that night.”
Loaded with subtle tributes to the occasion, it features the date and score ‘24/04/1985 – EFC 3-1 FCB’ printed above the date window, the scorers immortalised on the rotating date wheel highlighting the shirt numbers of Sharp (8), Gray (9) and Steven (7) in Everton amber, and the goal markers of yellow triangles on the bezel denote the exact minutes of Everton’s goals (48’, 73’, 86’).
Etched along the inner dial track is a subtle pattern inspired by Archibald Leitch’s iconic Gwladys Street stand design. The dial and strap reflect the exact pantone shades of the 1984-85 kit, from the white V inset to the royal blue accents on collar and sleeves.
Turn the watch over and you find Howard Kendall’s famous words before sending his team out that night: “Get the ball in the box, the Gwladys Street will suck it in”, engraved around a deep-stamped aerial map of Goodison Park as it stood in 1985.
“Making something that is as detail-oriented as this watch is particularly challenging,” admits Ward. “Especially with a fan base as loyal as Everton’s! We are very fortunate to work with die-hard fans, people who were at the game, and even members of the team that night, to make sure all the smallest details are correct. It’s vital to take special care when creating something that is designed with fans in mind.”
In March 2026, one of these fans who bought the watch and entered a prize draw will join members of the legendary team and backroom staff at a grand reunion.
According to Mike France: “The 3–1 victory over Bayern wasn’t just a football match – it was a moment when everything came together: the fans, the players, the noise, the belief. It was Goodison Park at its most electric. With The Goodison 3.1 Automatic, we wanted to capture that same spirit – the energy, the pride and the sense of history that defines Everton Football Club”.
The Goodison 3.1 by Christopher Ward. Price £685-£850. 2% of sales go to the brand’s 2% for GOOD initiative, supporting Everton in the Community and its life-changing work across Merseyside.
