IWC supports the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
“As a successful global business in the luxury goods sector, it is second nature to us to accept our social responsibility and support people who have to overcome the most difficult circumstances in life,” explains IWC CEO Georges Kern. The motivation for the Schaffhausen manufacturer’s social commitment is clear: “The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is a cause dear to our hearts, because its sports projects open prospects for young people all over the world.” Since 2005 IWC Schaffhausen has been a driving force behind Laureus, and the company’s annual release of an exclusive special edition in aid of the Foundation has become a tradition. This is the third time that a model in the Portuguese watch family has appeared in gleaming Laureus blue.
Striking a balance between functionalism and elegance
Drawing on the Portuguese Yacht Club Automatic – the most successful IWC watch of the 1960s and 1970s – the new Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation” combines sporting elegance with the best in technical features. The watch comes with the trusty IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre and is water-resistant to 6 bar. With its screw-in crown and crown protection, it is guaranteed not to leave its owner in the lurch, even when sailing on the high seas. The chronograph’s combined hour and minute counter allows up to 12 hours of aggregate timing. As a result, the flyback function will return to zero at any time the chronograph is in use, ensuring timing can begin again immediately if halted. The flange for seconds and fractions of seconds allows this precision-focused nautical instrument to record cumulative time extremely accurately. The watch also displays the date and small seconds.
But this is not just a functional watch. An appealing feature of the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation”, available in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, is its classic design. The signal-red stopwatch hand stands out perfectly from the blue dial, which together with the stainless-steel case gives the watch that distinctive Laureus look. The black rubber strap with folding clasp reinforces the watch’s sporting elegance and makes it as comfortable as possible to wear.
Back engraving with symbolic power
A particular highlight of the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation” is a poignant engraving on the back of the timepiece, based on a drawing by 12-year-old Hakkini Hasanga Sandumal De Silva. It serves as a reminder that part of the proceeds resulting from the sale of the watch go to help needy children all over the world. The boy from Sri Lanka had entered the global children’s drawing competition held annually by IWC Schaffhausen at the Laureus Foundation’s projects. The judges were impressed with Hakkini’s interpretation of the theme “Time to move”. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, his illustration displays a sprinter, with other competitors in the background, surrounded by cheering fans. The Olympic flame, ever a symbol of peace and hope, blazes up over the scene. There could be no better symbol of the motto of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation: “sport has the power to change the world”.
Social change through sports projects
Hakkini is the third child from the Seenigama Sport for Life project in Sri Lanka to win the drawing competition. The country has endured much suffering in the last 10 years – from the horrific path of destruction left by the tsunami in December 2004, to the civil war still fresh in the mind of the population 3 years later. Here the project has made an important contribution in helping to rebuild lives and supports over 1,400 children and young people by bringing sport into their daily activity. By introducing them to cricket, volleyball, swimming, netball and badminton, the children find a welcome diversion from their harsh everyday existence and at the same time regain a zest for life. All sports programmes are also designed to support participants’ mental and physical health and assist in mapping out their future prospects.
In addition to Seenigama Sport for Life in Sri Lanka, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation supports over 140 programmes worldwide. It has transformed the lives of up to 1.5 million children and young people to date. The Foundation relentlessly draws attention to social injustices with the help of the Laureus World Sports Academy, an association of sporting legends who collectively boast over 100 Olym- pic medals, 100 world championship titles and 200 world records to their credit. The Foundation also presents the annual Laureus World Sports Awards, which place its mission firmly in the public spotlight.
“It’s a brilliant idea to use sport as an instrument of social change. This is a universal language which every human being understands, regardless of origin or education,” is how Georges Kern summarizes the Laureus recipe for success. So firm is Georges Kern’s faith in the power of sport that IWC Schaffhausen founded the Laureus Foundation Switzerland in 2007 and has been a driving force behind its projects so far. The eight other national branches of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and the USA can also count on the support of the tradition-steeped watch manufacturer from Schaffhausen. The dedicated work of the Laureus Foundation helps children worldwide who have fallen victim to poverty, homelessness, war, violence, discrimination, drug addiction, racism or HIV/Aids. “We are firm believers in the approach of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and proud to be able to support it as a global partner,” concludes Georges Kern.
IWC Schaffhausen
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing watches of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at its finest, combining engineering and precision with exclusive design. As part of its corporate social responsibility, IWC is a driving force in support of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Active climate protection and environmental responsibility are part and parcel of the company’s philosophy. The traditional Swiss manufacturer has lowered its carbon dioxide emissions by 90 per cent in the space of a few years and has been certified as a carbon-neutral
enterprise since the summer of 2007.
