Elegance and Performance in search of Excellence
——Launch of The Longines Sport Collection
In succession to its splendid partnership with the French Tennis Open earlier this year at Roland Garros, Longines is proud to announce its appointment as the official timekeeper for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai from November 11 – 18, 2007. As one of the highlights on the world’s tennis calendar embracing speed, excitement and elegant technique, Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai is therefore an ideal platform for Longines to launch the new Longines Sport Collection in China. To commemorate the launch, Longines specially invites its ambassador of elegance, Aaron Kwok to present the new collection in a glamorous launch party on November 13 in Shanghai International Tennis Centre.
Since its creation in 1832 in the Swiss town of Saint-Imier, Longines has established a privileged relationship with the world of sports and athletes. For more than 125 years, Longines has explored all dimensions of sport or technical and human performance. Today, Longines launches The Longines Sport Collection which incorporates the pursuit of perfection by sports legends and their indomitable spirt, inspiring today’s sportsmen to be faster, further, higher and deeper.
From official timekeeper of great aviation records, such as that of Charles Lindbergh’s crossing of the Atlantic 80 years ago, to the depths of the oceans in 1953 with the famous bathyscaph Trieste to a depth of 3150 meters or in association with Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Longines has for decades accompanied great pioneers. The American Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd or the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, among others, chose to equip themselves with Longines chronometers for their treks - in extreme conditions - on the outer edges of the world in which they succeeded, by their perseverance, in pushing back the limits. And it was the high performance Longines measurement systems that timed the world speed records on land (648,728 km/h) and on water (445 km/h) set between 1963 and 1964 by Donald Campbell, British driver of the mythical Bluebird, and that also timed the Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1982 to 1992.
Despite its wonderful collaborations with major sports, Longines did not rest on its laurels. It continues to look ahead for sports which combine elegance and performance. Tennis is a sport which embodies tenacity, coordination and perfection; it is also a sport discipline preferred by elegant ladies and gentlemen. As a world-class event, the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai personifies elegance and performance. Hence, the collaboration with Longines and the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai is a perfect one. The launch of the Longines Sport Collection in Shanghai is a celebration of the philosophy of “Elegance is an attitude” which is amply reflected in the sport of tennis. The collection presented during the tournament is a perfect amalgam of traditional techniques and modern aesthetics.
Much consideration is also given to the venue decoration of the launch party. Its noble yet elegant blue ambience is complemented by lighting combinations. Special programs including gymnastics, aerial calisthenics and ribbon dances in keeping with the theme of “faster, deeper; higher and further” allow the essence of The Longines Sport Collection to be fully displayed. Finally, the brand’s ambassador of elegance, Aaron Kwok, a keen tennis player, provides a dramatic appearance through an interactive "tennis showdown” event. Also attending to celebrate the launch are world gymnastic champions, athlete Teng Hai Bing and Feng Jin and show-biz celebrities Dong Jie, Li Ai and Li Xue Qing, giving the auspicious occasion added flair and glitter.
The Longines Sport Collection is presented in the themes of “faster, deeper; higher and further”, echoing the launch program. The GrandeVitesse Collection underlines speed – “Faster”. With a 42 mm case in stainless steel, the aerodynamic curves and harmonious outline of this watch evoke both performance and elegance. The tachymeter on the bezel is graduated in km/h and enables the measuring of a ground speed of about Mach 2, amply sufficient for the fastest serve. With a midnight black dial, the sporting spirit of this automatic chronograph is further stressed by the non-slip embossing of the crown, case band and the pushers. The pusher highlighted in bright red enables the activation of the chronograph functions indicated by the same colour on the dial.
The HydroConquest Collection on the other hand, embraces the philosophy of “deeper”. It features eloxed aluminium bezels and jet black dial, with bold “12” detail, screwed-down case back and screwed-in crown, offering maximum water resistance to 300m: a high performance watch for high performance sportsmen. While the theme of “higher” is no doubt an attribute of the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch and the Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch. Finally, The Conquest series available in either ceramic or plished steel bezel, demonstrate the aesthetic potential of the bezel, re-affirming again the brand’s ceaseless ambition to go “further” in terms of watch design.
With its outstanding reputation and rich experience, Longines is confident of a successful partnership with the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai 2007.
