Longines And Tennis Legend Andre Agassi Unite For Education

Swiss watch brand Longines will support higher education in the United States, through its partnership with tennis legend Andre Agassi and his eponymous Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.  The foundation will offer scholarships--based on need and outstanding public service-- to students who are enrolled in the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a Las Vegas public school for Kindergarten through Grade 12.  This school is a stepping stone for what will eventually be broader efforts to improve public education opportunities for youth across the nation.  For students with the motivation and skill, the Longines Elegance Scholarship Fund will offer several full scholarships to attend the Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking School in New Jersey.

Longines has announced three limited-edition watches to support fund-raising for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. The first is a Limited Edition Grand Vitesse 888 timepiece whose distinctive "8" decoration nods to the Grand Slam wins of Agassi; the caseback is engraved with the numbered edition and the logo of the foundation.  The second is the Andre Agassi Retrograde Grand Slam For Children watch, which features a rose gold case with 60 VVS-clarity round brilliant diamonds, as well as a rose gold bracelet.  This timepiece, along with two tickets to the 2009 French Open, is set to be auctioned in Las Vegas on October 11, at the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation Grand Slam Gala; on this watch, the symbolic "8" is executed in black diamonds.  The third timepiece in the series is the Longines Andre Agassi Grand Slam Master Moon Phases watch, which features a rose gold case and a tinted sapphire exhibition back. 

"Through the creation of the Andre Agassi Limited Edition watches and the Longines Elegance Scholarship Fund students will have the opportunity to attend the college or university of their dreams," said Jennifer Judkins, Brand Manager for Longines.  "Longines looks forward to making the fund an annual opportunity for Agassi Prep students."