The Swiss watchmaker Purnell specialized in high-velocity tourbillons, is thrilled to welcome the international football legend and 2006 Ballon d’Or winner, Fabio Cannavaro, as its first “Brand Hero.” Cannavaro has also be newly appointed by the Italian Republic the prestigious honorifical title of “Commendatore della Repubblica”, “Commander of the Republic”.
Fabio Cannavaro has always been the driver of his own destiny. Until the age of 19, when he joined Napoli, his boyhood club where Diego Maradona had triumphed a decade earlier, he had only played football in the streets of his native Naples. He forged ahead with confidence and humility, winning the hearts of Italian fans, to become captain of the Italian national football team in 2002. His was an astonishing ascent for a defensive center-back player who is not ordinarily given a chance to shine. But there was nothing common about Fabio Cannavaro’s unique play style. His fast accelerations followed by weightless leaps brought roaring football fans to their feet. With extraordinary speed and precision, the defender became a hero on the football field.
In 2006, he led Italy to victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, establishing himself as a homegrown Italian star and becoming the 2006 FIFA World Player. He was nicknamed “Il Muro di Berlino” (“The Berlin Wall”) for his impenetrable defense. Fabio Cannavaro is still the last defensive football player to have won the Ballon d’Or.
An international competitor, Fabio Cannavaro redefined defender dominance while playing for clubs Inter Milan (2002-2004), Juventus (2004-2006 and 2009-2010) and Real Madrid (2006-2009), among others. In 2010, after retirement, he widened his horizons again and joined the coaching staff of the Shabab al-Ahli in Dubai, a successful club in the United Arab Emirates league. Today, as head coach of the Chinese Super League champion, Guangzhou Evergrande, he continues to make football history, having transformed the Chinese team into a leading contender with one of the most effective defensive units in competition.
A shared passion for speed and gravity-defying leaps
Fabio Cannavaro has distinguished himself by his extraordinary performance on and off the field, by aspiring to make football a unifying force around the globe. His inspirational qualities and passion for fine watchmaking contributed to Purnell’s decision to invite the football legend to become its first “Brand Hero.”
The Purnell timepiece that Fabio Cannavaro will be sporting is the Escape II featuring the Double Spherion movement: two triple-axis tourbillons rotating in opposite directions at speeds greater than any comparable triple-axis model in modern watchmaking.
“If you love Italian football, you can only admire Fabio Cannavaro as one of the greatest defenders of all time,” says Maurizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Purnell. “His incredible speed and gravity-defying jumps are forever engraved in football history. What resonated with us as makers of exceptional high-velocity tourbillons was his uniquely modern style and his high-flying performance. We are thrilled to welcome Fabio as Purnell’s first ‘Brand Hero.”
“When I wear a Purnell watch, I cannot help but be completely mesmerized by the speed and performance of its tourbillons, packed in a very unique design,” added Fabio Cannavaro. “In my own life, I have made very personal choices and I have always confronted seemingly impossible challenges head-on. I admire Purnell’s commitment to making very special highperformance watches that shatter the barriers of the possible, and I am proud to join my name to Purnell’s.”
