Joining forces for the third time, Swiss watchmaker Hublot and legendary band Depeche Mode have managed to raise the sum of $1.7 million for charity: water, an organisation that brings drinking water to developing countries. Funds will bring clean water to 36’000 people.
“It is with great pride that we, along with Hublot, are able to present charity: water with a check for over $1.7 million, and can bring clean drinking water to tens of thousands of people.” said Martin Gore, Depeche Mode.
On Wednesday 6 June, at Depeche Mode’s concert at the Barclays Center in New York, Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, and Depeche Mode officially presented charity: water with a check for $1.7 million raised since 2017 over the course of the third partnership between the band and the Swiss watchmaker. The money was raised over two years from the proceeds of two different models: first, the Hublot Big Bang Depeche Mode watch released as a limited edition of 250 pieces in 2017, then the collection of unique Big Bang Unico Depeche Mode The Singles Limited Edition watches in 2018.
“I am particularly proud of this aspect of Hublot – to have been able to help so many people across the world by meeting their obvious need for access to safe drinking water. The three campaigns led in this regard with our friends Depeche Mode are only the beginning: we wish to support this cause for a long time to come!”
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot
Since the start of the partnership between Hublot and Depeche Mode in 2010, the two partners have always endeavoured to support associations in need. They first raised funds for The Teenage Cancer Trust with a charity concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall followed by an auction. The collaboration then continued in 2013 when they launched a larger-scale partnership to raise money for charity: water: Hublot and Depeche Mode announced the launch of the Big Bang Depeche Mode black ceramic watch supporting the non-profit organisation at a concert in Berlin on the Delta Machine world tour.
The following year, in January 2014 a special sales event was held at the Hublot boutique on Place Vendôme, coinciding with the band’s Paris concerts. Ten exceptional box sets were presented, each containing a signed guitar and a unique watch engraved with the name of one of the 10 cities with a special significance for Depeche Mode: Paris, New York, Basildon, Los Angeles, Milan, Warsaw, Moscow, Zurich, Berlin and Hamburg. In November of the same year, various items were sold at auction in Moscow, during which a check for $1.4 million was presented to charity: water.
The various campaigns carried out by Hublot and Depeche Mode have funded 239 charity: water projects in Nepal and Ethiopia, giving over 30,000 people access to clean drinking water. The funds raised thanks to Hublot and Depeche Mode various partnerships have helped charity: water to give access to clean water to more than 66’000 people.
However, it is currently estimated that there are still 663 million people worldwide (almost 1 out of 10) who do not have access to clean drinking water, encouraging the spread of diseases, compromising safety, preventing access to education and stopping the citizens of these countries from achieving financial autonomy. Since it was founded 11 years ago, charity: water has helped 8.2 million people through 28,389 projects in 26 countries, including Central African Republic, India, Nepal, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Mali and Niger. The non-profit organization calls itself “solution-agnostic” and pragmatically adapts to the realities of the area, the local populations, and the resources available, rather than advocating a single, universal remedy. It relies on local partners to ensure that all donations reach their destination and are used wisely, in a way that is transparent and traceable.
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