U.S. Watch Companies Aid Victims of Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks
By William George Shuster, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, 12/1/2001 2:00:00 AM
Dozens of watch companies are offering support to the relief efforts in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America.
As of press time, more than 50 watch brands in the U.S. watch industry had joined in a project called "A Time to Aid" to raise money for the American Red Cross's New York and Washington, D.C., relief efforts, says organizer Mitchell Caplan, president of Daniel Mink of Switzerland (U.S.). The project also enlists the help of the trade press and watch retailers.
"Other than giving blood, I wanted a way to help with as big an impact as possible," Caplan told JCK in September. He has attempted to get "every jewelry and watch trade and consumer publication to donate space for full-page ads [promoting the project], and contact every watch company for donations for the effort.
"This is an excellent cause for the industry to get together on to support the families affected by the heinous actions of Sept. 11," he said.
In addition to the donations from watch companies, magazine ads—running in the December and January issues of a dozen magazines—will urge readers to join the campaign and send checks payable to the "American Red Cross c/o "A Time to Aid" to: Daniel Mink Switzerland, P.O. Box 201, Allenhurst, NJ 07711. For more information, contact project volunteers at (732) 663-9550, ext. 102, or e-mail Caplan at mitchc@danielmink.com.
Rolex Watch of Geneva, Switzerland, announced that it will contribute $3 million to relief efforts, including the 9/11 Neediest Fund, administered by The New York Times, and the American Red Cross of Greater New York. Rolex U.S.A. has its offices in New York City.
The Swatch Group, the world's largest watchmaker, planned to donate all revenues from the Oct. 11 watch sales in its 33 Swatch stores in the United States to the New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund, established in 1985 by former baseball player Rusty Staub. Ads alerting consumers ran Oct. 10.
