Hasta La Ideas

Two special editions help fund the fight against AIDS

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Tourneau has proven its unparalleled prowess over the past century, producing impeccably crafted timepieces that will keep ticking for ages. The esteemed watch retailer provides its international fan base with its own Swiss-made watch collection, the TNY Series, which offers classic styles and more modern looks such as the Rush Hour. Tourneau’s ascendancy can be accredited to its quality of construction as well as its elegant design.

Now, using its venerable stature for good, Tourneau has announced a collaboration with the (RED) Campaign to join the global fight against AIDS. The two models released for the partnership include the (TOURNEAU)RED Special Edition 40mm Automatic with an automatic movement and stainless steel case with a black dial and crocodile strap accented with the campaign’s signature scarlet hue. The smaller Special Edition (TOURNEAU)RED 35mm features a quartz movement and stainless steel case with red numerals and crocodile strap.

Tourneau recently showed its support by sponsoring the (RED) Rush to Zero Campaign, which consisted of several fundraising events, including the Cash & Rocket (RED) Road Tour from London to Monte Carlo. At the end of the European vintage road race the two premiere watches were auctioned to the highest bidder, and all proceeds were donated to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “It is an honor for Tourneau to partner with (RED) and we are proud to debut these two very special timepieces that will serve as a lasting reminder of the importance of the fight against AIDS,” says Tourneau CEO Jim Seuss. “The (RED) Foundation is unparalleled in its devotion to this worthy cause, and Tourneau is grateful for the opportunity to make a significant impact through support of The Global Fund.”

The special edition 40mm and 35mm Tourneau (RED) watches are available online for $1,950 and $1,250.

The future arrives in the present with a charity auction of 1500 pairs of long-coveted sneakers

Twenty-two years ago a film about time travel gave us a glimpse of the now not-too-distant future. The 1989 Back to the Future sequel looked forward to 2015, capturing the imaginations of kids like us who dreamed of one day riding their own hover board in self-lacing sneakers like Marty McFly. Those sneakers, a concept created by Nike’s own design head Tinker Hatfield alongside the film’s production team, went on to provide fodder for millions of clicks worth of Internet speculation, a petition and even DIY mock-ups. Today, this past vision of the future becomes a reality as Nike launches the Mag. Continuing to push the boundaries of limited editions, auctions and charity, 1500 pairs of the shoes will be available by auction only with the potential to raise $100 million for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research through a matching donation by Google’s Sergey Brin.

As Nike’s guest, I was present for the launch of this project in Los Angeles’ Universal Studios. A tour of the lot reminded us about the magic of movies, a point Hatfield reinforced by describing the original Mags’ oversized battery pack that bulged out of Fox’s back pocket—off camera, of course—to light up the LEDs in the shoes.

Nearly identical to the ones Fox work in the film, the shoes even include the LED panel in the sole and electroluminescent logo in the strap. Today’s version has a small internal battery hidden in each featherweight shoe. The glowing features last up to five hours per charge and the plug port neatly tucks away under the cuff.

Unfortunately, despite Nike filing the Automatic Lacing System patent back in 2009, the power laces detail from the film shoes didn’t make it to the production model. Given that feature shows a poetic respect for the needs of people suffering from the limited muscle control Parkinson’s Disease inflicts, Hatfield simply commented, “It’s not 2015 yet,” alluding to a future refresh of the Mag.

Back to the Future fans, sneaker-heads and philanthropists are invited to bid on the Mags in a series of one-day auctions that starts tonight at 11:30pm EST at nikemag.ebay.com and will run until 18 September 2011. To box out the typical reselling bonanza and ensure maximum dollars are contributed to to the cause, no pairs of shoes will be shipped until all 1500 pairs are sold. All proceeds will go to The Michael J. Fox Foundation and will be matched by Sergey Brin.

All photography by Josh Rubin

Update: 19 September 2011

It looks like the total raised on eBay alone was $5,695,190.53 (before live auctions and matching grants)!

Contemporary auctions for design objects have been fetching prices that rival great artworks. These pieces are typically sitting on the same auction block. Where can one draw the line between a utilitarian design object and an artistic expression? Probably in the production quantity. Limited edition pieces by sought-after designers have the singularity of fine art, although the purpose of limited edition design objects can typically be attributed to bumping up a price tag.

There’s a good synopsis of five design-as-art movements at ARTINFO. They touch upon The Wiener Werkstätte, The Bauhaus, American Studio, Memphis, and Functional Art.

Some representative pieces: