Thursday, November 17, 2016

IWC CREATED AN ONE-OFF WATCH CALLED 'LITTLE PRINCE' WHCIH SOTHEBY'S AUCTIONED FOR RM 215,000 TO ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY YOUTH FOUNDATION FOR DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN

KEE@FSWMAG,COM
THE LITTLE PRINCE
IN FULL SWING
FOR A GOOD CAUSE


Geneva, 15 November 2016 - Sotheby’s auctioned an exclusive, unique timepiece by IWC Schaffhausen.
​ ​
The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit
​ ​
Prince” (Ref. IW502704) with a blue movement went under the hammer for CHF 48,750. All the proceeds will go to the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, a
​ ​globally active organization that campaigns to support children and young people living in difficult conditions.

THE LITTLE PRINCE

IN FULL SWING

FOR A GOOD CAUSE


 





Geneva, 15 November 2016 – Today, Sotheby’s auctioned an exclusive, unique timepiece by IWC Schaffhausen. 

The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” with a unique blue movement went under the hammer for CHF 48,750. The proceed will go to the Antoine de Saint-­ Exupéry Youth Foundation, a globally active organization that campaigns to support­ children and young people living in difficult conditions.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit­ Prince” (Ref. IW502704) is the first and so far the only watch in the history of IWC with a blue movement. The manufacturing process required to make it has taken around 1.5 years to develop and refine. 

To give the IWC-manufactured 52850 calibre its striking blue colour, the plates and bridges have been coated with various metal oxides. The major challenge of this process was keeping the thickness of the coating consistent and achieving a completely even tone using the chemical vapour deposition­ technique (CVD). 

When combined with the blue screws and red gemstones, the blue movement creates the per-fect backdrop for the 18-carat red gold rotor: it depicts the little prince from the story with the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry standing on a planet staring out at the starry night sky.
 

IWC’S ENGINEERING EXPERTISE YIELDS

HIGH PROCEEDS AT AUCTION

“Not only is the blue movement an extraordinary eye-catcher, but it also underscores the long-standing tradition of engineering here at IWC Schaffhausen. I am therefore particularly delighted that we have been able to use it to contribute to the impressive proceeds from the auction, so the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation can now get started on other important projects,” says Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. The foundation was es-
tablished in 2008 by the descendants of the French author and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Active throughout the world, it campaigns primarily for the promotion of training and education courses for disadvantaged children and adolescents. Today’s auction was the fourth auction that IWC Schaffhausen has held for the foundation in coopera-tion with Sotheby’s Geneva. The plan for the proceeds from this year’s auction is to use the funds to translate Saint-­Exupéry’s book “The Little Prince”, including the ­illustrations, into Braille with illustrations in relief so the com-plete work will be accessible for the first time to ­children with visual impairments.


IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The com-pany 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 their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.





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