Fine Swiss watch house Breguet has become the latest brand to help save the oceans thanks to a new partnership with non-profit organisation Race for Water. Announced at the Baselworld watch fair in March 2018, the initiative has been undertaken to celebrate the launch of Breguet’s new Marine timepiece collection and will see the watch house sponsor Race for Water’s Odyssey 2017 – 2021 mission.
The Odyssey voyage tasks a group of scientists and leading environmentalists with heading around the world on Race for Water’s cutting-edge sustainable vessel to gather and share information about how best to fight ocean plastic pollution and help preserve the health of our seas. The team will stop in 35 locations across the globe, including Bermuda, Tokyo and Dubai where they will have a presence at key event such as the Olympics and the World Expo, in the hopes that, as well as sharing knowledge among the scientific community, they can inspire and educate the next generation to join the fight against ocean pollution.
“We are proud to have Breguet as our main partner in this unique expedition. This new Odyssey aims at giving hope to the world by showing that solutions exist against plastic pollution”, said Marco Simeoni, president of the Race for Water Foundation. “We put a strong focus on the young generations but we are also demonstrating to the decision-makers we meet at each stopover that innovations and new business models can be more efficient and generate lasting economic, environmental and social benefits. Moreover, we are sailing a clean renewable energy vessel powered by a mix of solar, hydrogen, and kite, illustrating that a 100 tonne boat can circumnavigate the world without fossil fuel.”
To mark the collaboration Breguet has unveiled a new special edition timepiece that draws on its long history equipping seafarers with the highly accurate chronometers necessary for life on the waves. The Breguet Marine Race for Water is based on the brand’s new Marine 5517 timepiece and features a light but hardwearing 40mm titanium case and custom blue dial depicting the distinctive Race for Water vessel. Boasting an automatic calibre 777A movement, the watch features hour, minute, second and date indication and is water resistant to 100 metres – a feature guaranteed to be useful to the Odyssey team who will wear the watch throughout their voyage.
“We are proud and pleased to be able to support Race for Water, a Swiss project making a significant international contribution into marine research and demonstrating that concrete solutions exists for the preservation of the ocean worldwide,” said Marc A. Hayek, CEO of Breguet. “In the early 19th century, timekeeping played a pivotal role in maritime navigation. We are continuing that tradition by supporting an Odyssey of vital importance for our common future.”