Latest update on the Frederique-Constant Byte Sailing Team

Back to action with a first pre-world regattas this weekend in Cannes. Sebastien has started well with a first and third position on Friday. Racing to continue Saturday and Sunday.

[[MORE]]February will be a very busy month on the sailing front for the preparation of the early April world championship and qualification for the Youth Olympic games. Following this weekend race a total of 10 days training are planned in February. The Swiss Team will join the New Zealand and Singapore sailing team for some group training during February.

March will be the same with intensive training before the World championship that will start on the 6th of April.
Meanwhile, the team continue to prepare their physical conditions with 4 sessions/week of physical training.

As you can see the team is busy but the moral and enthousiasm is high. More to follow after this weekend racing.

Sébastien did finish 3rd this weekend (Cannes) at the pre-world practice racing with 9 races sailed in three days. So far so good!

Live your Passion

Announcement of the joint winners of the second Passion Awards

Geneva, 12th June 2008: During the prize-giving ceremony, the Frédérique Constant brand announced the name of the joint winners of the second Passion Awards. "Live your passion!" For the watchmakers at Frédérique Constant, this remains a fundamental factor in the success of any company. Armed with this conviction, the manufacture decided to encourage achievements of passionate men and women who have been able to develop their ideas, moving quickly from an innovative concept to a fast-expanding company.[[MORE]]
It was in the presence of the ten finalists and in front of an audience of 800 handpicked guests, that the second Passion Awards prize-giving ceremony took place Thursday June12th. During a very passionate concert by the Chamber Orchestra of Geneva, Peter and Aletta Stas, both passionate about watch-making and kind-hearted entrepreneurs of the Frédérique Constant brand, honoured two prize-winners chosen from among the ten international candidates in contention for the Passion Awards:

* Pierre Marcolini is the founder and CEO of Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier. Belgian by nationality, Italian by origin, Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier is the known producer of « Haute Couture » chocolate. Created in 1995, the company now counts over 15 flagship stores around the world. A meteoric success that is the result of excellence, audacity, and a passion for all things gourmet.
*
Laura Cotton is the founder of Paint a Smile, a Foundation dedicated to the improvement of hospital environments. After a tragic accident in her family, she decided to dedicate her life to the improvement of the hospital environment. Paint a Smile’s mission is to reduce the anxiety and de-dramatize a stay in hospital by permanently transforming the cold and impersonal environment into a colorful and welcoming world. Today, Laura Cotton is the passionate President of the Foundation.
The jury, made up of Peter and Aletta Stas, respectively CEO and COO of Frédérique Constant, Dominique Turpin, marketing and strategy professor from the IMD Institute of Lausanne, Carlo Lamprecht, Former Chairman of the State Council of Geneva and Dr. Haig Simonian, Bureau Chief of the Financial Times in Switzerland, hailed Pierre Marcolini and Laura Cotton for their enthusiasm and passion. The prize-winners companies will receive a personalised case study by Professor Dominique Turpin from the IMD of Lausanne on the subject of their choice, as well as a gold Frédérique Constant Heart Beat Manufacture watch. The ten participants retained received a steel Heart Beat Manufacture watch.

The Financial Times is the Passion Award’s official media partner. The Passion Awards Ceremony and Concert was organized in partnership with Fortis and ABN AMRO.

Criteria and Process for the Award are clearly outlined on the Frédérique Constant Passion Award website (www.passion-awards.com). There are no restrictions of gender, age or nationality of candidates. Submissions from Social Entrepreneurs were also welcome.

Donation to ICHF

Geneva, June 12th 2008: Frédérique Constant donates a cheque of 50’000.00 CHF to the International Children’s Heart Foundation through its International Charity Advertising Campaign
In 2007, Frédérique Constant’s new advertising campaign for its ladies Double Heart Beat Watch Collection helped to cure children with heart malfunctions. Featured personalities will put their celebrity and passion at the service of the new campaign. For each watch sold, Frédérique Constant donated the cost of a life-saving heart scan to the International Children’s Heart Foundation. This is on June, 12th, during the second Ceremony of the Passion Awards, which was held in the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva, that Frédérique Constant decided to donate to the last year winner of the Passion Awards non-profit prize, Dr. William Novick, founder of the foundation, the totality of the donations gathered through the Charity Advertsing campaign.

Passion
Frédérique Constant timepieces are created with passion. Indeed, passion is the driver of our company’s success. With its slogan ‘Live your Passion’, we aim to attract customers who have a passion to succeed. With this new campaign, we wanted to share our passion and values by further contributing to charitable organizations.

The International Children’s Heart Foundation
The International Children’s Heart Foundation is a medical charity dedicated to providing free pediatric cardiac surgery to needy children throughout the world. To date, the foundation’s medical teams have provided life-saving heart surgery to almost 3000 children with congenital heart defects in 20 different countries. The foundation also aims to educate physicians, nurses and technicians in these countries – so that they may provide improved pediatric cardiac care to their own children in the future. The foundation was created in 1994 by Dr. William M.Novick. Dr Novick is also the co-winner of the Frédérique Constant Passion Award for 2007. More information: www.babyheart.org

Sir Richard Branson offers his Frédérique Constant watch for charity

Over 3000 guests gathered at the Hangar in Brisbane for the star studded evening hosted by Global Entrepreneur and Virgin Group Chairman, Sir Richard Branson, The Hon. Anna Bligh, Premier of Queensland and Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey.

Following a candlelit dinner from 8pm when event organizers switched off the lights for Earth Hour along with millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, entertainers Marcia Hines, Rogue Traders, Evermore and Housequake kept the crowd on the dance floor until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Nearly $1 million was raised on the night for projects and initiatives under the theme ‘Indigenous Peoples, Natural Environment’. Amongst the array of 'money can't usually buy' items in the mega charity auction, were two Frederique Constant timepieces worn by Sir Richard and Elka. Sir Richard’s Limited Edition timepiece from the High Life Collection is a signature piece from the brand featuring the unique ‘heart beat’ movement.

The ‘Heart Beat’ watch first developed by Frederique Constant in 1994 features a dial opening revealing the mechanical movement (or its “beating” heart). In 2004, after three years of research and development, Frederique Constant presented its first in-house movement, the ‘Heart Beat Manufacture.’ The company has since become a member of the small and exclusive group of Swiss watch manufacturers that produce their own calibres.

Frederique Constant is distributed in Australasia by the AVSTEV Group. Steven Rom, CEO, AVSTEV Group, acquired the distribution rights to the brand in 2006.