Swiss watch brand Longines has created two exclusive Conquest VHP models to celebrate their ten years of partnership with Stefanie Graf and Andre Agassi.
During an event on 02 June at the prestigious Musée Rodin in Paris, the Swiss watch brand officially launched an auction of exclusive “Conquest V.H.P. Stefanie Graf & Andre Agassi Foundations” timepieces, with the proceeds going to charities Children for Tomorrow and The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education.
Longines created a special watch, numbered and limited to 10 pieces for the men’s version and 10 pieces for the ladies’ version: the “Conquest V.H.P. Stefanie Graf & Andre Agassi Foundations”.
V.H.P. stands for “Very High Precision” and the Conquest V.H.P. watches combine great precision, high technicality and a sporty look, marked by the brand’s unique elegance.
The models in this line houses the L288.2 (ETA E56.111) movement developed exclusively for Longines. The VHP watch stands out from other analogue watches by its extreme accuracy (± 5 seconds/year) and its ability to reset its hands after an impact or exposure to a magnetic field. Alongside these benefits, it also offers extended battery life and a perpetual calendar.
The men’s version of the “Longines Conquest VHP Stefanie Graf & Andre Agassi Foundations” features a black dial, while the ladies’ model displays a white mother-of-pearl dial and a case set with 70 diamonds.
In tribute to the Roland Garros tournament, of which Longines is an Official Partner, both versions feature touches of orange on their hands, indexes and the rubber strap, as a nod to the iconic Parisian clay courts.
Both models bear an engraved logo on the case back, The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education on the men’s version and Children for Tomorrow on the ladies’. Finally, a special box, also featuring the Roland Garros colours, encases these two exceptional timepieces, numbered from 1 to 10.
Acquired by Longines during the charity gala dinner for an amount of USD 100,000, the first pieces numbered 1/10 will be displayed in the brand’s Museum, in Saint-Imier. The other nine sets are currently available for purchase, in an auction set to end at 6 pm (UTC+2) on 2 July 2018 on http://www.longines.com/auction.
The generous buyers will be personally presented with the watches by Stefanie Graf or Andre Agassi, during a visit to their respective foundations in Hamburg or Las Vegas.
The Charity Gala Dinner was held to tie in with the Roland Garros tournament, bringing together celebrities, members of the press and famous names from the sporting world, including former tennis players Alex Corretja and Arantxa Sanchez. The event gave the brand a chance to highlight its support for the next generation of champions by inviting previous winners of the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament who met Agassi and Graf for a second time, since both are actively involved in the programme as honorary patrons.
Founded by Andre Agassi in 1994, The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education aims to transform US public education for underprivileged youth. Set up by Stefanie Graf in 1998, Children for Tomorrow helps children and families who are victims of war, displacement, persecution or violence.
Technical details
Model: Longines Conquest VHP Stefanie Graf & Andre Agassi Foundations
References numbers
L3.716.0.87.9: Ø41.00mm
L3.726.4.59.9: Ø43.00mm
Movement
Quartz movement
Calibre L288.2 (ETA E56.111)
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds and date aperture at 3 o’clock (perpetual calendar)
Cases
Round, Diamond-set stainless steel: Ø41.00mm, 70 diamonds, 0.840 carats, Top-Wesselton IF/VVS
Round, stainless steel: Ø43.00mm
Sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: Up to 5 bar (50 meters)
Dials
Black or white mother of pearl, with 2 applied arabic numerals and 9 applied bar indexes with Orange Super-LumiNova®
V.H.P. inscription in red
Hands
Black with Orange Super-LumiNova®
Strap
Black rubber with Orange border with double safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism
