Shinji Hattori, the president of Seiko Watch Corporation, officially launched the company’s new partnership with Novak Djokovic in Melbourne this month.
Announcing the agreement on the eve of the Australian Open, Hattori said the company was honoured to partner with the tennis champion for the next three years.
“We admire Novak as a player, of course, but we also admire him as a person who has a rich range of interests and a very varied lifestyle,” he said.
“In Novak, we see someone who shares our desire to be the best and who is determined to maintain his status as a leader. Like Seiko, Novak is dedicated to perfection. And like Novak, Seiko is determined to be ‘one step ahead of the rest’.
“We cannot help Novak win tennis matches, but we can help him manage time in every other aspect of his life.”
Presenting Novak with a Seiko Astron GPS Solar watch as a symbol of the new partnership, Hattori said the company had created a series of watches that Novak will be wearing in 2014.
“When he is training, Novak will wear a watch he has selected from our Sportura chronograph collection,” he said.
“When he is at an evening function, Novak will wear a Premier Kinetic Perpetual watch.
“When he is away from the tennis world and enjoying his passion for adventure sports, it will be a Seiko Divers watch that accompanies him.
“Lastly, and most importantly for us and for Novak, whose global schedule is so hectic, when he is travelling, Novak will wear the Astron GPS Solar watch that uses the GPS network and the power of light to adjust to each and every time zone on Earth.”
Under the partnership Seiko will also support the Novak Djokovic Foundation which supports disadvantaged children in Serbia.
“Seiko is pleased to support the Foundation and its activities financially, but the most important way in which we can make a difference is by helping Novak to promote the Foundation around the world,” said Hattori.
“To do so, we have created an accessibly priced watch collection for young people that will carry the Foundation name and message.
“These watches are to be sold under our Lorus brand name and will be available in watch specialist retail stores in many markets worldwide from September, 2014 onwards.”