IWC Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen, 11 March 2013 – For the seventh consecutive year, IWC Schaffhausen demonstrates its commitment to philanthropy and skills in beautifully designed timepieces by releasing a limited special edition in aid of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. This year the Swiss manufacturer recreates a watchmaking legend, the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph, resplendent in the distinctive Laureus blue, a colour which has come to signify hope in a better future for disadvantaged children the world over.

“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”.