Last June 19, Wednesday, on Dr. Jose Rizal’s 158th birth anniversary, Filipino watch brand Ibarra introduced its first luxury watch, the Sucesos Mechanical Hand Wind, under a new category in the brand called “Ibarra Heritage” at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.
This milestone was graced by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, who delivered a key message on behalf of DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. about Rizal being the First Global Filipino and how Filipinos could learn from his life and works in today’s rapidly globalizing society. Also included in the guests present in the event were Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Ambassador Koji Haneda, United State Consul General Russel Brown, representatives from the Order of the Knights of Rizal, the Freemasons, and Ms. Ester Azurin and Mr. Mark Villaruz – descendants of Dr. Jose Rizal through his older brother Gen. Paciano Rizal.
The Sucesos Mechanical Hand Wind is not a common watch one would see today. Taking inspiration from the actual wristwatch worn by our national hero in the 19th century, this modern recreation has an aesthetic of more than a century-old timepiece but was still made to fit the modern wrist. It has a small enamel dial housed in a vintage-looking case that has a hinged double case back which adds more character to the watch. It houses a Swiss ETA manual wind movement that is a step up from the usual timepieces made by Ibarra since its establishment.
Named after Rizal’s annotation of Antonio de Morga’s “Sucesos de las Isalas Filipinas”, the Sucesos Mechanical Manual Wind is a timeless heritage and will surely capture attention not just because of its look but also of the story behind it. It is not common knowledge today that Dr. Rizal actually owned a wristwatch since the watch was never displayed in any museum nor was it shown in public. But the brand, through its founder Nico Moreno, was able to see the watch, which was with the descendants of Rizal, and had the privilege of making one based on it.
Known for supporting efforts that help heritage preservation and history education, Ibarra is introducing this watch also to help strengthen the Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines – an awards program spearheaded the Order of the Knights of Rizal for more than 30 years. Just like Rizal, the watch company finds value in knowing one’s own history and heritage.
The Sucesos Mechanical Hand Wind will be released in a serialized number of 158 pieces and will be available for pre-selling beginning this June at a special price of PHP64,999.75 (SRP PHP84,999.75). Expected market release of the watch will be in December 2019. Exclusive editions will be made available to the Order of the Knights of Rizal and the Freemasons, respectively.
For more information about the Ibarra Heritage Sucesos Mechanical Hand Wind, visit www.ibarrawatches.com or email info@ibarrawatches.com. #IbarraOnTime #WindYourHeritage
