Jaeger-LeCoultre’s commitment to sustainable development and the preservation of the unique natural setting of regions that are home to many rare and endangered plant or animal species is expressed through its long-standing partnership with the World Heritage Centre. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has initiated activities with the Centre to raise awareness about marine conservation and assist with the preservation of these exceptional ocean places.
In 2008, Jaeger-LeCoultre and their media partner, the International Herald Tribune (IHT) created a media campaign – called "Tides of Time" – designed to protect exceptional natural marine sites by raising awareness about them. Eight times a year, the IHT prints a full-page supplement about the Marine World Heritage sites and the potential of the World Heritage Convention for ocean conser vation. Inter views with site managers and their teams bring an international dimension to their day-to-day conservation challenges. A dedicated online element also runs on nytimes.com: the Tides of Time videos, interviews, and multimedia slideshows are presented through an interactive, expandable banner called a Nano-site. Through their communication network, Jaeger-LeCoultre regularly increases the visibility of World Heritage sites that need urgent action and initiates online auctions to raise funds to help those sites. To celebrate their partnership with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Jaeger-LeCoultre created a unique watch, with the name “Tides of Time” engraved on the back, to be sold at auctions.
The Tides of Time print and on-line media campaign, sponsored by Jaeger- LeCoultre in the International Herald Tribune, offers exceptional visibility to the cause of conserving the marine World Heritage. Thanks to this partnership, this message has been able to reach an extremely wide public. In addition, Jaeger- LeCoultre’s financial contributions to the World Heritage Centre have allowed the recruitment of an ocean conservation specialist to manage the World Heritage Marine Programme. Annual auctions, organized by Jaeger-LeCoultre, have provided direct financial benefits to several World Heritage sites, including Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.