Sport eliminates differences, imparts self-confidence and promotes team spirit: this is the motto of Laureus Sport for Good, an organization that believes in the integrative force of sport, harnessing its potential to advance social change and provide more promising future prospects for disadvan- taged children and adolescents. Since 2006, IWC Schaff- hausen has been supporting the foundation on an annual basis by launching a special watch in aid of the cause.
This year, the timepiece of choice is a model from the Portofino family. The Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 Edition “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation” (Ref. IW459006) is limited to 1,500 watches worldwide. The dial and the moon phase display feature the unmistakable Laureus blue, lending the timepiece an extraordinary plas- ticity and depth. The hour indices are complemented by 12 diamonds, which combine with the blue alligator leather strap from Santoni to give the timepiece a very elegant over- all look. With a case measuring 37 millimetres in diameter, this watch is also suitable for watch lovers with slender wrists. It is driven by the automatic 35800-calibre movement with a power reserve of 42 hours.
In addition to their distinctive blue colour, another characteristic feature of the Laureus special editions is the engraving on the case back. Each year, IWC organizes a drawing competition for children and adolescents in the context of the foundation’s projects. An expert jury then reviews all the entries to select the winning design to be engraved on the back of the watch. For the tenth special edition in this series, the jury chose the drawing by 16-year-old Eleni Partakki from Cyprus. Her drawing on the competition theme “Time for Sport” shows girls and boys playing with a ball. Eleni Partakki is a participant of PeacePlayers International Cyprus (PPI), a project that actively encourages Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls living in the divided Cyprus to play basketball together.
For the first time ever, this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony was held in Berlin. These internationally renowned awards have been presented annually in various categories ever since Laureus Sport for Good was founded in 2000. The winners are selected by the Laureus World Sports Academy, which currently consists of over 50 living legends from the sporting world, including American track and field athlete Edwin Moses and German figure skater Katarina Witt. The gala in Berlin was also attended by the prominent IWC brand ambassadors Nico Rosberg, Oliver Bierhoff and Alexei Nemow.
