Raising funds for a cause as part of your corporate social responsibility? Instead of a glitzy event with international celebrities in attendance, how about something lower key… such as a silent auction? Roger Dubuis, in partnership with the Emirates Airline Foundation, is launching the “Time for Change” initiative to raise funds for children around the world.
The “Time for Change” initiative is an auction that will run from 15 August 2014 to 15 March 2015, and is open to all Emirates flight passengers. The item going under the hammer is a Roger Dubuis Excalibur Skeleton Flying Double Tourbillon, which is a one-off piece designed exclusively for this partnership. Interested passengers can view and submit their bids for the watch at the Roger Dubuis boutique at The Boulevard, Emirates Towers in Dubai. Apart from owning a unique collector’s timepiece, the winning bidder will be invited for a VIP visit to Roger Dubuis’s facilities in Geneva, to get an in-depth look at the manufacture’s operations. The winner will also meet the master watchmaker who crafted said watch. In exchange, proceeds from the auction will go entirely towards the Emirates Airline Foundation’s programmes aimed at improving the lives of children around the world.
At the press conference kicking off the initiative, Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Roger Dubuis, expressed his pride in the partnership and wished that the timepiece will be able to raise the maximum amount of money for the foundation. Terry Daly, board member of the Emirates Airline Foundation, echoed his sentiments, and said he hopes that the initiative would make a meaningful difference.
The Excalibur Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon is the first such timepiece from the brand featuring an openworked double flying tourbillon. Skeletonised movement aside, the hand-wound Calibre RD01SQ movement also uses a differential system to average the rates of its two tourbillons which, according to Roger Dubuis, confers the timepiece greater accuracy. Despite its technical complexity, the watch is reasonably sized at 45mm, and has a black DLC coating that further reduces its perceived dimensions. Like all its siblings from the manufacture, this watch is certified Poinçon de Genève.
