Lionel Messi Wristwatch is the Audemars Piguet!

Even though a football team has its official wristwatches doesn’t mean the players will always get loyal with the brand. For instance, the world’s most expensive player Cristiano Ronaldo had rather worn Corum Watch on his wrist than his team’s official watch – Real Madrid’s Ebel or Manchester United’s Hublot; and so does the FIFA 2009 World Player of the Year – LIONEL MESSI. A month after his current club FC BARCELONA signed an agreement with Chopard, the Argentine striker – frequently compared to football living legend Diego Maradona – has reached a remarkable partnership with Swiss Watchmaker AUDEMARS PIGUET. Maybe that’s why Leo Messi didn’t attend the ceremony when Chopard presented the commemorative timepieces to each Barca’s players and officials.

Phillippe Merk, CEO of Audemars Piguet was so thrilled to welcome the young talented sportsman joining the Swiss Watchmaker and its 135 years of history. He said,

“Lionel Messi is an exceptional man, the greatest player of his generation. This young and talented athlete not only embodies pure sporting genius, but also the courage and the determination of a man who fights against all odds to pursue his dreams. Above and beyond his intrinsic value, we are welcoming a big-hearted man with valuable human qualities into the Audemars Piguet family.”

Frequently cited as the world’s best contemporary player, Lionel Andrés Messi is certainly endowed with a series of amazing qualities. He handles the ball with incredible skill and dribbles his opponents with ease. Messi is a complete player, fast and creative with a smart sense of the game which is universally recognized by his peers. In 2009, this determined and enthusiastic young man was rewarded with a series of awards and honors: 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year, the 2009 Ballon d’Or award and the player of the Spanish league (along with team success with FC Barcelona, such as the 2006 UEFA Champions League Winner and 2009 sextuple Winner comprising the La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup).

Anyway, his success didn’t come through an easy way. His journey of life has punctuated by many obstacles. From his childhood in Argentina, LIONEL MESSI loved kicking a ball in the streets of his hometown of Rosario. His family quickly sensed “Leo” potential, but when he was just 10 years old, a doctor diagnosed a hormonal disease which affected the growth of this the player in the making. His family didn’t have enough money to pay for the treatment as it cost $900 a month. After investigating which the Argentinean club could help him to develop his career, Leo’s family signed up for the recruitment test for FC Barcelona in Spain. He was admitted to the Masia, the training center of Barcelona, which agreed to cover his training and health care. In 2001, the entire family left Argentina to settle in Catalonia to follow the first steps of Messi in the Nou Camp football stadium.

Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, Messi broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. Major honors soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi’s debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in 2006–07; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008–09 season, in which Messi scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign.

Lionel Messi is a legendary striker of FC Barcelona and its national team, in which he sports the legendary No. 10 jersey – the number of the most famous players in the world.

The young man is simply outstanding – because he has managed to acquire the skills that made him the athlete we know today. These skills go well beyond the technical field. He had to find the necessary inner resources to transform adversity into an ally, from his early life was not exactly rosy. The difficulties have clearly shaped his character and intelligence. He has learned to turn his weaknesses into strengths, as confirmed by several of his multiple achievements.

Akin to Leo Messi, the Swiss luxury watchmaker AUDEMARS PIGUET has also a long journey to reach what they become now. The story of 135 years of the Manufacture has also been marked by numerous obstacles. Audemars Piguet has overcome them and, in doing so, acquired the kind of competence which is now seen in Lionel Messi. His manner of pursuing the dreams serves as an inspiration to everybody.

Both Lionel Messi and Audemars Piguet are willing to pass their valuable experience to younger generation in preparing for the future. The famous football player made it through his new “Fundacíon Leo Messi” established in 2007, while Audemars Piguet does so through its own foundation. This shared vision will lead to various important social projects over the coming years.

Fundacion Leo Messi provides a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. In response to Messi’s own childhood medical difficulties, the Leo Messi Foundation supports Argentine children diagnosed with medical conditions by offering treatment in Spain and covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs.

As Messi explains,

“I am trying to use my fame to raise public awareness of the distress of women and children around the world! You have to believe in yourself and never lose sight of your dreams… but sometimes our dreams need a little helping hand.”

Discreet, humble and committed, as of March 2010, Messi is serving as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. His activities are aimed at supporting children’s right. He is supported in this by FC Barcelona, who also has a strong association with UNICEF.

Lionel Messi wears Audemars Piguet Watch

In its role as undisputed leader in the field of Haute Horlogerie, Audemars Piguet, of course, is surrounded by strong and powerful personalities who exemplify excellence and courage in their own field – be it sport, art or technology. These partnerships owe nothing to chance, but serve to reaffirm the values transmitted by the Manufacture and focus on the passion for the exceptional watches and expertise they preserve.

Leo Messi said,

“It’s a real joy and a great honour for me to join a prestigious family such as that of Audemars Piguet, which I have long admired. This is the start of a beautiful human adventure based on strong shared values and visions.”

Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has signed new partnership with world famous soccer player Lionel Messi

In joining the Audemars Piguet “family”, Leo Messi thus becomes the first footballer to associate his name with that of a prestigious Swiss watch brand. So far, Audemars Piguet has a number of ambassadors, such as Indonesian-French singer Anggun Cipta Sasmi, Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, as well as personalities and teams in different sport categories such as cricket, softball, golf, skiing, motor sports and sailing.

So congratulations to Mr. Messi, who at the tender age of 22 has achieved a good balance between boldness and wisdom. We can be sure that the future generations will acknowledge him as a model of courage!

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About Audemars Piguet

Founded in 1875 by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet in the Swiss village of Le Brassus, Audemars Piguet is still the world’s oldest watch manufacturer never to have left the hands of the founding families. Often referred to as the master watchmaker, Audemars Piguet is still independently owned by its founding families.

Based in the Vallée de Joux, the companys skilled craftsmen transfer their unique expertise and know-how to the exclusive range of products that consist of carefully crafted high-precision watches and several jewellery collections. At each milestone in its history, Audemars Piguet has always adopted innovative and forward-looking techniques, an approach which has earned the company an unparalleled number of world firsts in the field of Haute Horlogerie. At each stage in its development, it has proved capable of adapting the most advanced production technologies and combining them with unique expertise while upholding three fundamental values: tradition, excellence and daring.

The Audemars Piguet watch group is composed of over 1,000 personnel including 750 in Switzerland fourteen distribution subsidiaries.

It comprises three production sites:

• Le Brassus: SA de la Manufacture d’Horlogerie Audemars Piguet & Cie
• Le Locle: Audemars Piguet (Renaud et Papi) SA
• Meryn: Centor SA

A new manufacture was built in Le Brassus end 2008.

19 mono-brand boutiques represent Audemars Piguet around the world.

The Manufacture Audemars Piguet produces more than 25,000 watches each year. It offers a broad range encompassing watches with complex movements, jewellery-watches, as well as a line of jewellery. It cultivates a firmly independent status by pursuing brand development through selective investments in terms of industrialization, distribution and its retail network.

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