TAG Heuer partners with Arab Watch Guide (AWG) Founder Hassan Akhras

Sport360 staff 18:01 12/02/2017
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  • In line with one of the philosophies at the heart of its brand’s key positioning, Swiss Watchmaker TAG Heuer announced its collaboration with AWG Founder Hassan Akhras at a breakfast event at Pascal Tepper in Dubai Media City.

    The announcement came as no surprise seeing as Akhras is not only a prominent figure and influencer on the city’s watch scene but has also decided to take on a new challenge by competing in IRONMAN 2018, which comprises of cycling, running and swimming – three sporting disciplines that TAG Heuer is strongly involved with.

    TAG Heuer has a strong link with cycling and this became evident after it unveiled its partnership with the BMC Racing Team last year and bore the title of Official Timekeeper of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour. The brand also has a long-standing association with prestigious marathons including the New York City Marathon, the Chicago Marathon and the Paris Marathon for which it has been the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch.

    Swimming too is relevant to the brand and its Aquaracer collection is perfectly suited to the sport.

    TAG Heuer’s partnership with Hassan Akhras will mainly focus on his preparation in the build-up to the much-awaited event next year, while he retains his primary job of watch blogger. This is just the first exciting phase of the journey that will see Hassan Akhras working towards an initial target of competing in IRONMAN 70.3 in Bahrain and Dubai.

    TAG Heuer has come to be known with icons who all reflect the common values of mental strength, a disruptive attitude and ambition. Hassan Akhras, is in this sense, a perfect fit as his year of training will be replete with its fair share of trials and extreme #DontCrackUnderPressure moments that will test the boundaries of his endurance.

    Undoubtedly the most special aspect of the upcoming IRONMAN 2018 challenge is its strong philanthropic angle as it will help in supporting child refugees in partnership with UNICEF. Hassan Akhras is keen on using his journey to raise awareness and this will be a message consistently reflected through his #changeyourstory and #aspiretoinspire hashtags. There will also be an open link for donations and separate activations that is open throughout the year.

    What makes things more exciting is the fact that Hassan Akhras, while being athletic, is by no means a professional athlete. In terms of training, he is being coached by GROWINGS coach Trace Rogers and will be taking some trips to Ras Al Khaimah and Khor Fakkan to train. He has participated in a pre-triathlon two weeks ago in Khor Fakkan and will also be gearing up for more trips and triathlons in Oman, Bahrain and Qatar to build stamina.

    Speaking about this interesting partnership, Anne-Claire Richomme, Marketing Manager TAG Heuer Middle East, said, “Pushing boundaries and breaking rules are integral to our rich heritage and what Hassan Akhras is attempting to do with the IronMan 2018, is in that sense a perfect fit with our brand ideologies.”

    Hassan Akhras too was extremely enthusiastic about having found a partner that supported him and said: “Since I decided to dedicate all of 2017 to the training and journey towards IRONMAN 70.3, I needed a partner that would share my vision, my goals and my beliefs. It also made complete sense that my main partner would ultimately come from the watch world as I am a collector and watch blogger.

    “I was looking for a brand that believes in never quitting, never letting go under pressure, no hiding; an avant-garde brand. It was TAG Heuer that came to mind and I decided to pitch my idea to their team, hoping they would share my enthusiasm for this journey and get on-board. Fast-forward to a few weeks ahead and here we are announcing our official partnership for next year’s IRONMAN 70.3 Challenge Journey.”

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