Unrivaled. Exemplary. Timeless.
These are but three of many extolling adjectives that have been used by people from around the world in hailing Filipino boxing champion Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao. At 30 years old, the "People’s Champ" or the "Pambansang Kamao," as Manny is alternately called by Filipinos, is at the top of his game.
Manny is the first Filipino and Asian boxer to have won five world titles in five different weight divisions. Champion boxers from Marco Antonio Barrera to Ricky Hatton have all been clobbered inside the ring by Manny, prompting the Ring Magazine to rate the Pinoy slugger as top pound-for-pound boxer in the world. For his sterling achievements, Manny has been named by Time Magazine as one of the world’s most influential people of 2009.
And now comes another distinction: Manny has been chosen by the Victorinox Swiss Army watch to become the first Filipino to have a limited edition timepiece named after him by an international brand.
Marnie Chua, Victorinox Swiss Army watch brand manager in the Philippines, said that Pacquiao was lone luminary when they were thinking of paying tribute to Filipino greats. "We did not even have a list because any name we tried to put beside his, dwarfed in comparison," he said. "Manny alone can embody the brand’s core philosophy of innovation, functionality and reliability."
Like Pacquiao, Victorinox Swiss Army watch is the benchmark in the fine mechanical timepieces industry. The brand’s legacy of distinctive styling, high-performance features, and Swiss-made craftsmanship spans 125 years. Their watches are the only ones authorized by the Swiss government to carry the name Swiss Army. No wonder Victorinox Swiss Army watch’s famous Cross and Shield emblem has become a guarantee of quality to connoisseurs of timepieces; much in the same way that Filipinos think only of Pacquiao when speaking of the "best of the best" boxers.
Emerson Yao, Victorinox Swiss Army watch managing director, drew several analogies between the brand and the boxer. He said that Pacquiao triumphs inside the ring because he commits himself to rigorously disciplined training before a fight. Likewise, each Victorinox Swiss Army watch undergoes stringent and multiple quality control tests. The watches are put through careful visual inspection and go through time and water resistance tests.
Like Pacquiao who uses a scientific approach in his boxing techniques, Victorinox Swiss Army watch regularly reinvents both its supply chain process as well as its on site quality monitoring. This is the reason each watch has its own functions and innovations that cater to the specific needs of its wearer.
Victorinox Swiss Army Watch is, as they say, as tough as nails. The watches are made of a special kind of stainless steel. For all it’s luxurious look and make, the best part is that these watches can be worn even during outdoor activities.
The Victorinox Swiss Army watch Pac-Man edition was approved by the brand’s mother company in Switzerland. Only 1,000 pieces of the edition will be available in the market, truly making it a rare "must-have" among collectors and anyone who has been made prouder to be Filipino because of Manny’s achievements.
The design of the Pac-Man edition is understated class: An image of boxer is engraved on the face of the watch. On the back case is a rendition of Manny’s face. Behind it is the Philippine flag with the words "A tribute to a Filipino boxing legend."
All the materials used in the Pac-Man edition are the same for that of a luxury watch. Fitted with scratch resistant sapphire crystal, luminous hands and markers, down to the screw-down crowns and pushers, and high-grade straps and buckles, everything about the Pac-Man edition is first rate.
Like all Victorinox Swiss Army watches, the Pac-Man edition is covered by a three-year limited warranty; more than the average offered by many top-quality brands. Every purchase of a Victorinox Swiss Army watch Pac-man edition comes with a boxing glove printed with Pacquiao’s signature.
"We weren’t thinking of profit when we thought up this idea," said Chua. "If we were, then we would have manufactured more than a thousand watches. Our aim is to further uplift the Filipino spirit by coming up with an edition which they will value and show off because it reminds them of greatness."
The Victorinox Swiss Army watch executives said that Pacquiao graciously accepted their offer to make him the ambassador of the brand in the Philippines. "Mannys humility makes him all the greater in our eyes," said Chua.
It takes a winner to recognize another winner. And this partnership between Pacquiao and Victorinox Swiss Army is one match made in heaven.
The special Victorinox Swiss Army Watches Maverick II Chrono "Pacman" Limited Edition is being sold at all Lucerne, Chronos, Swissgear, Ltimestudio and Wristpod stores nationwide.
Source: Malaya.com
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