IWC Portuguese Chrono-Automatic Boris Becker (IW3714-30)

This summer, Adventure Ecology founder and environmental storyteller David de Rothschild, along with a handpicked crew of leading scientists, sailors, adventurers, thought leaders and creatives, will sail approximately 10,000 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney in a distinctive, oneof- a kind 60 foot catamaran made entirely of plastic bottles, srPET plastic and recycled waste products. With support from official partner IWC Schaffhausen, the Plastiki will embark on a mission across the Pacific Ocean in order to draw mainstream attention to rethinking waste as a resource.  
Through this intrepid and daring expedition, David de Rothschild and his organisation Adventure Ecology aim to bring the public's attention to regions of the Earth whose ecologies are in particular danger, raise global awareness of the environment as well as inspire a change in the consciousness of individuals and industry. Towards this goal, Adventure Ecology's mission is to harness the power of dreams, adventures and stories to captivate the imagination and raise global awareness. Through these audacious and bold adventures, Adventure Ecology aims to activate individuals, communities and industries towards a smarter, more sustainable planet 2.0 way of living. "Saving our planet is going to be one of the century's greatest and most challenging adventures," comments de Rothschild.

The boat is named "Plastiki", taking inspiration from Thor Heyerdahl's "Kon-Tiki" expedition of 1947. The Plastiki Expedition is a unique and extraordinary voyage that will see David de Rothschild and a specially selected crew of experts sail across the Pacific Ocean and, in the process, pass through a number of regions that are facing extreme ecological threats. En route to Hawaii, the Line Islands and the sinking island of Tuvalu, the vessel will steer through the world's largest rubbish dump in the oceans, commonly known as The Great Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch. The general public has access to this environmental adventure over www.theplastiki.com where anyone can become a virtual member of the crew. With his expedition, David de Rothschild and Adventure Ecology aim to raise awareness of the marks that we humans leave behind every day on the natural world and to develop a growing global consciousness about the challenges that confront our planet, its oceans and its inhabitants.
Developed and fabricated in cooperation with world-leading institutions, engineers, designers, marine architects and sustainability experts, the 60-foot Plastiki catamaran exemplifies groundbreaking thinking, techniques and sustainable design solutions in every respect. Constructed almost entirely out of reclaimed plastic bottles, the Plastiki embodies David de Rothschild's vision of a craft that not only withstands the swells of the Pacific Ocean but is also in the position to itself "make waves" with its sustainable design. This absolutely unique, unmistakeable and symbolic design enables Adventure Ecology and its crew to not only undertake a historic expedition, but it will also allow them to deliver a spectacular "message in a bottle" around the world.

De Rothschild explains it in this way: "Adventure Ecology's Plastiki expedition has a distinct point of difference over other sailing adventures in that it clearly demonstrates that anything is possible as soon as you think outside the box, concentrate on sustainability and define boundaries in a new way. By combining adventure, innovation and enterprise, enhanced with smart thinking and a continual focus on every possible solution, people, companies and industry will be prompted to solve waste-related problems and to rethink the consequences which our lifestyle has on nature."
IWC Schaffhausen, the official partner of the Plastiki expedition, has dedicated an equally stylish and robust watch to the mission of this extraordinary and innovative vessel: the Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth Edition "Adventure Ecology". Says Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, "David de Rothschild and his organisation Adventure Ecology deserve great respect and support for their inspirational ideas. We are delighted to be on board of their breathtaking expeditions to the most threatened ecosystems of our planet and to make a contribution towards increasing public awareness of the consequences of human behaviour on nature."

An alliance for the environment
Environmental protection and ecological responsibility are integral parts of IWC's corporate policy. And this explains why the company supports Plastiki's awareness campaign and the quest for innovative solutions. IWC first gave its support to Adventure Ecology in 2007 on the organisation's field mission to Ecuador as part of its ARTiculate™ series. It was by showcasing alternative perspectives through an artistic context that Adventure Ecology helped raise media attention to the social and ecological effects of toxic waste as a result of oil drilling in the Amazonian rainforest. "Every business bears economic, social and ecological responsibilities", says Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. "For many years, IWC has already been actively involved in improving its environmental balance sheet." Since 2001 the long-established company has achieved a 50 percent reduction in its CO2 emissions at its headquarters in Schaffhausen, and it also promotes ecological behaviour among its employees, including in their private lives, through financial incentives. In addition, IWC supports further projects which draw attention to climate change.
David de Rothschild explains, "The partnership with IWC Schaffhausen is of great significance to Adventure Ecology. In the battle to combat climate change, industry is reliant upon intelligent solutions. IWC Schaffhausen doesn't just talk about protecting the climate, but thanks to efforts towards improving its environmental track record, the company has been certified a CO2-neutral enterprise. This ongoing commitment is to be commended, and Adventure Ecology is proud to have won over IWC as a longterm official partner for its Plastiki expedition."

A timepiece with a mission
To commemorate Adventure Ecology's latest adventure, IWC is launching a special limited "Adventure Ecology" edition of its Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth. Even the solid, durable construction of the new Ingenieur, manufactured carbon neutrally in Schaffhausen, symbolises sustainability.

Housed in a newly developed, robust stainless steel case is an automatic movement which fulfils the highest quality criteria: the IWC-manufactured 80110 calibre movement with a Pellaton winding mechanism and an integrated shockabsorption system. A soft iron inner case protects the movement against extreme magnetic fields up to 80,000 A/m. The screw-down back, the sapphire glass with an antireflective coating on both sides and the new side guard for the screw-in crown together make this watch, which is water-resistant to 12 bar, so tough that it can stand up to every external influence, even when on the wrist of an adventurer on an expedition. With a diameter of 46 millimetres, the concave shape of the case and a newly developed ergonomic and comfortable bracelet system, the Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth Edition "Adventure Ecology" is a dependable companion worthy of any expedition, even when things get very rough. As a companion for David de Rothschild and his crew during the four-month Plastiki expedition across the Pacific Ocean, the Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth Edition "Adventure Ecology" embodies the message of the Plastiki: its blue dial and orange indices exclusively represent the Plastiki expedition, which is also signified by the intricate back engraving with the Adventure Ecology expedition logo. In this way, this special edition becomes an ambassador for a better world.