His name was Brian LaViolette and he died at the age of 15 in 1992 from a swimming accident. He was also, despite his young age, a lover of watches, and that since the age of four. That’s why, while his family created a fund to help needy college students, the idea of organizing a charity watch sale was born in the mind of one of Brian’s former classmates and orders came in. Reverend David Ricken, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, thus initiated this sale as a tribute to his passion for watchmaking. Provenance is sometimes more than rarity, only personality-owned watches have been offered. The bet won. An online sale organized with the help of Wind Vintage ended in late November and raised nearly €142,000 for the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation.
fig-i-ee2f11f36b8561ba32aaf4e09ae2b06e fig-lazy fig-placeholder–with-dimensions” data-module=”fig-photo” data-context=”was @visible” data-modal-image=’
Next to the watches of Kenny Rogers, Condoleezza Rice or Jerry Lee Lewis, it is a very simple piece that will finally break all records: the black Swatch of Pope Francis. Because if the Reverend David Ricken dared to write to the Vatican to see if he would agree to donate his watch to charity, the response was not long in coming. “Your Holiness, on behalf of the family, I am humbly asking you if you would consider donating an inexpensive watch that you have already worn.”, the letter said. It’s impossible not to notice this watch on Francois’ wrist over the years. A cheap and functional choice that lives up to the Jesuit principles.
fig-i-009abd6f8f6ad2a81819c05af4b9eb09 fig-lazy fig-placeholder–with-dimensions” data-module=”fig-photo” data-context=”was @visible” data-modal-image=’
Passion and faith will do the rest. This plain black 34mm Swatch, dated 2010, finally sold for €54,000, a world record for the famous Swiss-made plastic watch, and even higher. From pieces created by the Swiss brand in 1986 with artist Keith Haring. Moreover, for a Swiss-made automatic plastic watch that costs only sixty euros in the store. But don’t we have the opportunity to buy the watch worn by the Pope every day?
Source: Le Figaro
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.