So, here we are. Just 4 days away from something that randomly popped up a month ago when my close friend – and Time Files contributor – Luigi said he’d happily get rid of a few watches if they went to a good cause. That was enough to make me want to finally pull the trigger on something I’ve had in mind for years: what if the watches we love but no longer wear could seamlessly be “converted” into a donation for a worthy purpose?
The stars were aligned. I was just wrapping up my article explaining why I support Terre des hommes, the leading Swiss organization for children’s rights around the world. The festive season was approaching. And, thanks to Luigi, we could start with a solid basis of donated watches. I spoke to Isabel Zbinden, the Content Strategist at Terre des hommes who has been my contact there for over a year. She was supportive.
My goal was to reach 20 watches. Adding to Luigi’s a few of my own and my wife’s, it seemed like a reasonable objective. To my surprise – and delight – the watches kept coming in. Individual collectors in Bienne, Zurich, Geneva, Neuchatel and Bern. Professional sellers and even some brands proactively offered, including Dennison, Zodiac and Formex. We now have reached 60 watches for the sale! And countless accessories as well. The local media have been great too, with articles in Le Journal du Jura and the Bieler Tagblatt, and radio coverage coming later this week. Local stores have supported, prominently displaying the flyers. The city official and watch enthusiast Julien Steiner stepped in to further get the word out. Finally, the amazing Dario Ratti volunteered to not only help inspect and adjust all watches as needed but also come onsite for the entire day of the sale. A huge thank you all!
I’m really looking forward to Sunday. The selection is great. So many watches I’d love to own myself. So many price ranges, styles, generations of watchmaking. The event will also be about learning and sharing the cause that brings us together. Isabel will come over and answer any questions people have about what Terre des hommes do. Prices are literally the best you can find, because the goal is to sell as many as possible on the day. 100% of proceeds will go directly to Terre des hommes.
The catalogue and all the details you need to know can be found on timefiles.ch/sale. If any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments. I hope to see you on Sunday! The sale will take place from 9 am to 4 pm in Biel / Bienne. Follow this Google Maps link for the exact location.
