IWC BRAND AMBASSADOR LEWIS HAMILTON HONOURED FOR ADVOCACY WORK AT LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS
Schaffhausen, 6th May 2021 – IWC Schaffhausen offers its congratulations to brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton on being awarded the Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year Award at the 22nd edition of the Laureus World Sports Awards. Seven-time Formula OneTM World Champion Hamilton received the honour during Thursday night’s virtual awards ceremony, which was presented from the Spanish city of Seville.
Every year, IWC and Laureus Sport for Good celebrate the achievements of sportsmen and women at the Laureus World Sports Awards. This year’s ceremony was hosted by Paz Vega, one of Spain’s great international actors and a native of host city Seville. Vega, who has starred in countless European and Hollywood movies, wore an IWC Portofino Automatic 34 (Ref. IW357401).
During the evening, seven-time Formula OneTM World Champion Lewis Hamilton was presented with the Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year Award. This award celebrates the work of athletes who have harnessed their power and influence as elite sportsmen and women to bring change to the world around them and who have inspired a new generation to tackle inequality and injustice. Hamilton clinched a record-equalling seventh Drivers’ Championship late last year, driving for IWC’s longstanding partner, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. The Briton’s remarkable achievements on the track have been matched by his increasingly powerful stance on racial justice and social and environmental issues.
As well as honouring brilliant sporting performances, the annual awards ceremony also shines a spotlight on the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which currently supports more than 250 projects in over 40 countries. This year’s ceremony highlighted inspirational stories about those who have worked tirelessly to combat the effects of the pandemic over the course of the last year and highlighted the recent advocacy work of sportsmen and women, who have used their influence and power to transform lives beyond sport.
IWC has been a longstanding partner of Laureus Sport for Good since 2005. The winners on the night are chosen by the votes of the 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD
In 2019, approximately 300,000 young people around the world benefitted from more than 200 projects supported by Laureus Sport for Good in over 40 countries; programmes that use sport to promote social change and put an end to violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Every programme Laureus supports addresses at least one of the following six social issues, which align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Health, Education, Women and Girls, Employability, Inclusive Society and Peaceful Society.
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.