FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Deb Pollack, Media Relations
(e) deb@debpollack.com (t) 805.320.9248
ORIGINAL BULLITT TEAMS WITH DRIVE TOWARD A CURE TO OFFER PIECE OF AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
Paint Fragment From Iconic Car To Be Placed Within Rare Watch For Charity
Be one of 1,968 to take a chance…
And you just might be THE ONE to WIN the ONE-OF-ONE
LOS ANGELES, December 13, 2018 – When non-profit Drive Toward a Cure teamed with Sean Kiernan, family custodian for the original 1968 Bullitt Mustang to further celebrate the iconic film and cars’ 50th anniversary, it was the start of an all-new movement – one that included nearly a one-gram size paint fragment from the famed vehicle to be placed inside a BRM Chronographes watch for charity, valued at $35,000. And all to support the very ailment that claimed Sean’s father Robert E. Kiernan Jr.’s life – Parkinson’s Disease. (To view video clip of paint fragment – www.drivetowardacure.org/bullitt-paint-chip).
Capitalizing on the ‘Year of the Bullitt’ and the movie’s 50th anniversary, Drive Toward a Cure (which grows awareness and funds for Parkinson’s) joined forces with Frederic Gasser, CEO of the America’s for BRM Chronographe, and longtime automotive friend Nicolas Hunziker of Hunziker Designs, who was already aligned with BRM, to create a unique timepiece for charity as a one-time offering. In addition to the paint fragment inside the watch, its dial will be hand-painted under a microscope by Hunziker to visually depict BULLITT 50, and be stored in a specially designed and exclusively painted art box. (View Nicolas Hunziker painting 1-of-1 art box: www.drivetowardacure.org/hunziker-bullit-50-art-box/).
With the backing of Ford Motor Company, Warner Bros Studios and Chad McQueen and the McQueen estate, Drive Toward a Cure – the non-profit that raises funds and awareness for Parkinson’s Disease — set out to raise funds by honoring Robert E. Kiernan Jr., owner of the recently re-discovered 1968 ‘Bullitt’ Mustang through a unique charity raffle promotion. Ticket sales began last October 17th, to coincide with the film’s original release date and will extend through late January.
The film’s hero vehicle, driven by Steve McQueen in the classic Warner Bros movie thriller and known for the most iconic car chase in movie history, has been owned by the Kiernan family for 44 years and has been on a nationwide tour since last January.
According to Deb Pollack, founder of Drive Toward a Cure, the ability to host an on-line raffle for the 1-of-1 timepiece at only $25 per entry, is capturing the hearts of a broader audience while increasing donations and awareness for the cause. Each $25 donation on line at www.drivetowardacure.org/bullitt50 will be entered in the raffle, with a winner to be announced during the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, Calif., on January 27, 2019, where the original Bullitt Mustang will be displayed and its owner will announce the raffle winner. Only 1,968 tickets will be sold to coincide with the year of the car and raise a near $50,000 for Parkinson’s.
“Our mission for Drive Toward a Cure has always been to broaden the awareness of, and raise funds for, Parkinson’s disease – and all by blending cars and camaraderie,” said Deb Pollack, founder of Drive Toward a Cure. “When Sean and I first met, we realized we had more in common than cars – as we both had struggled through the loss of a parent to Parkinson’s – but the timing of the attention his car was receiving this particular year offered a perfect pathway to gain the further attention this disease deserved.”
Sean Kiernan honored his father by revealing Bullitt to the world earlier this year along with Ford for the 50th anniversary of the movie. Kiernan noted that along with reintroducing Bullitt to the world, he wanted to continue to what he believed his Dad would want — to bring awareness of Parkinson’s disease and Drive Toward a Cure.
BULLITT50 Watch Details:
Model no. R1246BULLIT
- Chronograph-automatic
- 46 mm case made of one bloc of Fortal HR (aluminum)
- Screw down crown
- Hand painted dial by Nicolas Hunziker
- Limited edition: One off
- Crystal sapphire front and back
- Manufacture and Assembled by hand in France
- Water resistant to 100 meters
- Warranty 5 years
About Drive Toward a Cure:
The Drive Toward a Cure program pursues an alternative to the numerous ‘for profit’ rally driving programs through the creation of events that team cars and camaraderie to raise funds in support of the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease, benefiting research and patient care. Drive Toward a Cure is a 501 (c ) (3) non-profit, with events that are carefully designed to provide a premium experience while raising much-needed funds to continue the search for a Parkinson’s cure, through beneficiaries The Michael J. Fox Foundation and The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center. For donations, sponsorship and event registration, please visit www.drivetowardacure.org.
About Parkinson’s Disease:
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder, meaning that physical symptoms continue and worsen over time. Nearly one million people in the US are living with Parkinson’s disease. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms.
About BRM Chronographes
Launching the company’s first signature chronograph in 2003, Bernard Richards combined his passion for motorsports and engineering expertise to build the ultimate wristwatches for racing enthusiasts, as well as collectors of rare and genuine timepieces.
Now celebrating more than a decade of mechanical leadership, BRM continues its unwavering dedication to quality over quantity and has gained global recognition with a presence in more than 20 countries and establishing partnerships with tracks, teams, drivers and motorsport icons including Abarth, Corvette Racing, Gulf and many more.
BRM blends hands-on assembly with manufacturing processes that are on par with nanotechnology to craft limited-edition models that are never mass produced, and the label adheres to a self-imposed production limit of just 2,000 timepieces annually. For more information: www.brm-manufacture.com.
About Nicolas Hunziker
Professional automotive fine artist Nicolas Hunziker, a fourth generation classically trained painter and alumna of Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design, can create any piece on commission, ranging in size from 50-ft murals to one-off hand-painted wristwatch dials. His artwork has been both officially licensed and commissioned by Porsche AG, with one of his original paintings to be displayed in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Additional licensing agreements include Gulf Racing, McLaren, Steve McQueen, McQueen Racing, Porsche Club of America, Fiat Abarth and numerous other historic motorsports brands.
Hunziker’s latest project is a collaboration with French watch company BRM Chronographes. Together they created the Hunziker BRM Art Watch: The World’s first automotive fine art chronograph A series of commissioned one-off, hand-painted dials that are encompassed in custom BRM cases, each watch is available exclusively by commission. Every one-of-a-kind timepiece is designed around a hand-painted dial, often considered the “canvas,” and set within a unique BRM model, which serves as the “frame.” For more information: shophunziker.com.
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