Swiss luxury watch brand Speake Marin supports the Queensland Koala Crusaders with the Koala Art Series limited edition.
Following its partnership in 2020 with the London-based charity “Save the Rhino International” that works towards the protection and conservation of all five species of rhinoceros, Speake Marin once again draws attention to threatened animals, this time in association with the “Queensland Koala Crusaders” based in Queensland, Australia.
To support the cause of these irresistible animals whose population decreases yearly, a new dial has been specially created, adorned with the touching image of a koala.
Speake Marin is no newcomer to charitable actions for the benefit of humankind and wild- life alike, whether directly or indirectly, through the creation of beautifully crafted exclusive Limited Edition timepieces. With this “Koala” watch from The Art Series Collection, the haute horlogerie brand once again proves its commitment to the protection of the planet’s environment and its inhabitants.
Often mistakenly called bears, koalas are marsupials found naturally in the wild in eastern and south-eastern Australia, and notably the coastal areas including those of Queensland.
While a high estimate places the overall koala population in Australia at 60,000, lower estimates tend towards 33,000, due to the current natural and man-made disasters they are facing. In Queensland alone, statistics showed there were 32,290 koalas in the wild of southeast Queensland, their traditional homeland, in 1992.
In comparison, in 2021, the Australian federal government projected that only 7,750 koalas would live there by 2032. Moved from “vulnerable” to “endangered” in 2022 by the World Wildlife Fund, the animals confront life-threatening difficulties resulting from deforestation.
Concretely, a koala eats only eucalyptus leaves, and only from a few of the 700 varieties of eucalyptus. As the eucalyptus forests diminish in size, whether through land clearing, tree disease or bushfires, the animals move closer to urban areas, facing death by starvation, fast cars, dogs, and illness. Australian officials estimate that 80% of koala habitat has already disappeared. The Queensland Koala Crusaders strives to inverse this.
With the mission to be “a voice for the koalas”, the Queensland Koala Crusaders advises that “this generation has the last opportunity to preserve the koala in the wild in SE Queensland”.
Founded in 2012, the incorporated association has defined a variety of methods to improve the lives and sustainability of koalas, working with local governments, and conservation and community groups.
With the strength of the titanium Piccadilly case framing colours symbolic of the eucalyptus forests, and a dial and movement of the highest quality in both design and craftsmanship, Speake Marin transforms this edition of The Art Series into an emotional appeal to protect and perpetuate the future of the loyal and peaceful koala.
The new generation Piccadilly case redesigned in 2017 by Eric Giroud is in Grade 5 Titanium. Round and tubular, it has a large fluted crown, and comes in two sizes of 38mm and 42mm. The sapphire crystals front and back are treated with anti-reflective coating, with the Queensland Koala Crusaders logo traced into the back crystal. Total thickness of the watch is 10.5 mm.
Handcrafted, the dial has been hollowed and lacquered in gradient greens, from the lighter Pantone 2276 C in the centre to the darker Pantone 3508 C on the periphery. Occupying two thirds of the left side of the dial, a koala has been meticulously micro-painted in various shades of grey, perfectly complemented by the titanium case that surrounds it.
The SPEAKE MARIN rotating Topping Tool logo at 1:30 is polished, performing as small seconds, with the brand name transfer-applied below it.
The heart-shaped hour and minute hands, rhodium-plated, have been hollowed and filled with shiny green lacquer to match the colour of the dial.
The “Art Series Koala” is run by Calibre SMA03, a finely finished automatic movement manufactured at the Brand’s prestigious workshop, Le Cercle des Horlogers.
With fully integrated rotor, this movement offers a power reserve of 52 hours. It displays central hours and minutes, and small seconds at 1:30.
The strap, in the same “eucalyptus” colour as the dial, is made of PET recycled nylon, lined with corn- based brown leather. The folding buckle is in titanium to match the case.
The Speake Marin Art Series Koala is available in a limited edition of 9 pieces.
Technical details
Model: Speake Marin Art Series Koala Limited Edition
Movement
Calibre SMA03 automatic movement with fully integrated micro-rotor
Power reserve: 52 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h / 4Hz
Jewels: 31
Functions
Central hours, minutes and small seconds at 1:30
Case
New generation Piccadilly case in titanium (Grade 5)
Front and back sapphire crystals treated with anti-reflective coating
Diameter: 38mm or 42mm
Thickness: 10.5 mm
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Micro painting Koala dial in green* gradient lacquer with rotating topping tool
*Light green Pantone 2276 C and darker green Pantone 3508C
Heart-shaped rhodium-plated hands
Strap
Green PET recycled nylon bracelet
Interior in brown leather corn based
Titanium folding buckle
Edition
Limited to 3 pieces in 38mm case
Limited to 6 pieces in 42mm case
Suggested retail price
38mm version: CHF 29,500
42mm version: CHF 29,900
