2011 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships Men’s single final, Longines Admiral presented to the finalists

Press Release: Tokyo (Japan), October-2011 – The Swiss watchmaker Longines was the official timekeeper of the 2011 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, held in the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo from October 3rd to 9th. The two finalists of the men’s single, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal received a Longines Admiral. With its long experience in timing various sports, the brand was enthralled to be present for the third consecutive year at the oldest ATP World Tour tournament in Asia, held for the first time in 1973. During this tournament, the official watch was The Longines Column-Wheel Chronograph, a timepiece that echoes the precision of tennis.

With Longines official timekeeping for 3 years (2009-2011), the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships were held in the Ariake Coliseum from 3rd to 9th October. This Championship is a must in the calendar of all Japanese and Asian tennis fans. Men’s single final – held on October 9th – opposed Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.

The winner was Andy Murray. Two Longines Admiral were presented to the two finalists by Christophe Savioz, President and Representative Director of Swatch Group Japan. As part of its commitment to the world of tennis, Longines has collected funds at the Longines Smash Corner to support Tohoku area, together with the Japan Tennis Association.

Longines’ relationship with the world of sports started in 1878. For several years now the brand has enjoyed a privileged relationship with tennis, it was appointed official timekeeper and partner of the Roland-Garros International Tennis Championships in Paris (France), Kremlin cup in Moscow (Russia) and the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo (Japan). It subsequently appointed two Ambassadors of Elegance, namely Andre Agassi and his wife Stefanie Graf – two of the world’s most admired players thanks to their exceptional careers in tennis as well as their charity work on behalf of the disadvantaged.

Longines is delighted to be able to offer its technical skills and experience in sports timing for a competition – and a discipline – that perfectly matches its slogan “Elegance is an attitude“. The official watch of the tournament was The Longines Column-Wheel Chronograph, a classical and refined timepiece. With its 27 jewels, the L688.2 movement is a self-winding calibre with a diameter of 30 mm and a height of 7.90 mm that can be admired through the transparent case back. The column wheel that forms part of the movement serves to steer the functions of the chronograph mechanism.

This model has a stainless steel, 39 mm diameter case that surrounds a silvered dial with 13 hour symbols. It displays the hours and minutes with a small seconds at 9 o’clock, as well as the date plus of course the chronograph functions: centre seconds sweep, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. This model is fitted on a dark brown alligator strap and is water-resistant to 3 bar (30 meters).