For the second consecutive year as official partner of the Ballon d'Or, Purnell kept some aces up his sleeve, during an evening full of surprises for the 66rd edition of the Ballon d'Or which was held on October 17, 2022 at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
The Ballon d'Or trophy, the true golden ball, has become the ultimate achievement for any football player. Each trophy is unique, as is each winner, and it is with this spirit of exclusivity that Purnell developed two unique pieces that were presented to the male and female winners of the Ballon d'Or.
The Ballon d'Or is an award given since 1956 by the French football magazine France Football to the best football players of the calendar year in question or, since 2022, of the previous season. Football is the most popular sport in the world and the Ballon d'Or its most prestigious award. ", said Maurizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Purnell.
« Purnell represents the best, the ultimate in the watchmaking industry and could only attach his name to the best players, the winners of the Ballon d'Or. I believe that Purnell and the Ballon d'Or share two essential values: a very high demand for excellence and a taste for performance. ", shares Pascal Ferré, editor-in-chief of France Football.
At the opening of this 66rd edition of the Ballon d'Or, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, invited by Purnell, thrilled the audience with the aria "Nessun Dorma." The watch brand then once again rewarded the male and female Ballon d'Or winners with one of the "Purnell x Ballon d'Or" awards. Real Madrid's star striker and Champions League winner Karim Benzema and FC Barcelona's attacking midfielder Alexia Putellas were the lucky recipients.
After winning world football's highest honor earlier this week, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and Barcelona's Alexia Putellas each received a unique timepiece from Ballon d'Or partner Purnell. This is the second year the Swiss luxury watchmaker has presented the winners with watches, which this year feature 48mm polished titanium cases with a large sapphire crystal that perfectly showcases the hand-wound P10 caliber movement.
The unique Purnell Ballon d'Or 2022 piece features a spectacular 48mm case, featuring an 18-carat rose gold football engraved with the Ballon d'Or™ hallmark, which encloses a flying tourbillon, completing a full rotation in 30 seconds. The two mainspring barrels are engraved with text referencing the winner—depending on the watch—as well as the movement's creator, Eric Coudray.
The brand will also launch a limited edition of just three of this timepiece, each priced at CHF 2022 million. This limited edition will be available exclusively to Purnell clients at the brand's Geneva showroom and will be encased in transparent Swiss-made sapphire crystal. Like the winning watches, the Purnell x Ballon d'Or 18 features a flying tourbillon hidden in an 30K rose gold balloon at the six o'clock position, which rotates once every XNUMX seconds.
In memory of this evening, Purnell also collaborated with gouache painter Estelle Lagarde. The result is the XXL painting "Glory Time." It measures two meters high and 1,80 meters wide and took 500 hours to complete. The motif is the "Purnell x Ballon d'Or Sapphire Limited Edition." Purnell will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the painting to the Andrea Bocelli Foundation.
About the Ballon d'OR
Since 1956, the Ballon d'Or has honored some of the greatest names in football history. An iconic trophy that has become synonymous with the greatest players the game has ever known, the Ballon d'Or is more than just two trophies… The Best Men's Goalkeeper, the Best Under-21 Player, as well as awards for Best Club, Top Scorer, and Acts of Solidarity are now part of the annual celebration. The most prestigious individual award in all of football, the Ballon d'Or's scope has expanded over the years—originally, it was awarded only to European players.
About Purnell
Cecil Purnell is a Swiss luxury watch company based in Geneva, Switzerland, specializing in the production of high-end tourbillon watches. In 1918, the company's founder and namesake, Cecil Purnell, began his fascination with complex watch mechanisms with Abraham Louis Bréguet's tourbillon. His interest was passed on to his grandson, Jonathan Purnell. In 2006, Jonathan Purnell partnered with Stéphane Valsamides, a watch industry professional, and together they launched Cecil Purnell SA in the Swiss Jura Mountains. After years of development, in 2009, Cecil Purnell launched its first entirely in-house caliber, the CP3000, and moved the company's operations to Geneva, Switzerland. In 2010, Cecil Purnell became a micro-manufacturer, producing all of its components in-house. The watchmaker launched its second complication, the Big Date caliber, in 2011.
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