Jaeger-LeCoultre wears its heart on its sleeve
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Christophe Roulet
Editor-in-chief, HH Journal
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Open Gallery
Lot 312: Grande Reverso Ultra Thin limited-edition with a red heart, the symbol of the Salam Centre © Christie's
Open Gallery
Lot 313: Grande Reverso Lady Ultra Thin limited-edition with a red heart, the symbol of the Salam Centre © Christie's
Open Gallery
Lot 314: Grande Reverso Ultra Thin limited-edition with a red heart, the symbol of the Salam Centre © Christie's
Among the lots at a forthcoming sale at Christie’s in Milan will be three exclusive Jaeger-LeCoultre watches, made in support of the Salam Centre in Khartoum, which is run by Emergency, an Italian humanitarian organisation which provides otherwise unobtainable treatment for children and adults suffering from heart disease.
At the 68th Venice International Film Festival in September 2011 – the Mostra which Jaeger-LeCoultre has sponsored for the past seven years – the Grande Maison, as the watchmaker is known, announced the launch of “Reverso for Emergency, Jaeger-LeCoultre Helps the Salam Centre.” Celebrities in Venice for the ten days of the Festival walked the red carpet with their hand on their heart in a show of support for the programme, thanks to which Jaeger-LeCoultre has financed ten operations carried out at the Salam Centre.
As Jaeger-LeCoultre explains, this centre for heart surgery, which the humanitarian organisation Emergency has opened in Khartoum in Sudan, provides medical and surgical assistance for children and adults with cardiac disease. Since 2007, surgeons at the Centre have treated patients free of charge using the best medical technology. Set up in 1994, Emergency is an Italian NGO which provides assistance to victims of war and poverty. To date, it has worked in 16 countries where it has built hospitals and health centres.
A Reverso with a heart
For the launch of “Reverso for Emergency” in 2011 – the 80th anniversary year of this iconic watch, created for British officers stationed in India in search of a timepiece that could withstand the rough and tumble of a polo match – Jaeger-LeCoultre has given a new face to its Grande Reverso Ultra Thin (hand-wound Calibre 822) and Grande Reverso Lady Ultra Thin (657 quartz movement). The lacquered back of the reversible case of these limited-edition timepieces is embellished with a red heart, the symbol of the Salam Centre and proudly worn on the red carpet at the Mostra.
Jaeger-LeCoultre will continue to support the Salam Centre even after the Festival. At the upcoming Milano Gioielli* sale at Christie’s in Milan, on May 31st, the Le Sentier firm will be putting on the block three models from the limited series launched last year. These are two Grande Reverso Ultra Thin watches (est. EUR 7,000-8,000 / USD 9,400-11,000) and a Grande Reverso Lady Ultra Thin (est. EUR 5,500-6,500 / USD 7,400-8,700), all stamped with a red heart. Registrations to bid are now open.
*Milano Gioielli
Christie’s Salesroom
Palazzo Clerici, Via Clerici 5
Milan
