JeanRichard Highlands Big Life Watch Limited Edition to Save African Elephants

At the 2012 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), JeanRichard will unveil the Highlands Big Life Limited Edition Watch.  The Limited Edition (100 pieces) support a worthy cause.  In September 2010, photographer Nick Brandt founded the Big Life Foundation in order to curtail the escalation of elephant poaching effecting the Amboseli ecosystem (2 million acre region straddling the Tanzania/ Kenya border.)   Big Life Foundation's grass roots approach has greatly reduced poaching and many poachers have been stopped; however, due to the incredible surface area of this ecosystem and insatiable demand for illegal ivory, Big Life Foundation with its 120 or so rangers, 14 outpost and 13 vehicles, still have a long way to go.  

To assist in this monumental task, JeanRichard has teamed up with Nick Brandt to create awareness of Big Life Foundation and raise money for the cause.  JeanRichard has a long history of interest in Africa's natural environment.  In the 1990's, JeanRichard captured Africa's raw unmarked beauty with the aid of Peter Beard's images.  At the beginning of this year JeanRichard unveiled a rugged watch collection - the Jean Richard Highland Sand- which is available in a dusty khaki - the color of Highlands.  It is not enough for JeanRichard to merely appreciate the beauty of Africa, now JeanRichard is taking a step to protect the African Wild Life with this Limited Edition addition to the Highland Collection. 

 The green 'tent" color bezel and rugged fabric strap is the epitome of a Safari "must have".   The large 44.5mm case is crafted from resilient sand blasted steel.  The green bezel is bi-directional sporting 12 Arabic Numeral hour markers for keeping tabs on a second time zone. A black matt dial ensures no glare from the bright African sun and luminescent coated indices and dial hands ensure maximum read out in dark African nights.  "Big Life" is marked in  bold red clearly displaying the charitable cause.  The hardy fabric strap is fastened with a PVD coated folding buckle.  

Scratch Resistant Sapphire Crystal withstands abrasions from sand or stones... and do not despair if one runs out of batteries - the Big Life Limited Edition Watch is automatic and  can be  wound by the gentle swinging motion of the wrist.  The movement runs smoothly aided by  27 jewels and oscillates at a vph of 28,000.  The movement is visible via a scratch resistant Sapphire Crystal engraved with Nick Brandt's powerful image of an elephant thundering across the desolate African plain amidst clouds of dust.

The watch is designed to accompany the wild life enthusiast on many a Safari (word derived from "Traveler" in Swahili).

 In case the perfect camera shot requires complete stillness for a number of hours, the watch is capable of  a 48 hour power reserve.  If one must wallow into a watering hole (not advisable on account of crocodiles and hippos), the watch will remain water resistant up to 100 meters or 330 feet.  

Did You Know

JeanRichard stems from a young watchmaker born in 1665 - click here to learn more about this wondrous tale.

Venture into a JeanRichard Highlands Sand

JeanRichard has delivered a rugged watch built for the toughest adventure. When endurance is a necessity and failure is not an option, a resilient precision timepiece is a worthy companion. The Highlands Sands depict the vast open spaces of Africa where nature is untouched and animals roam free. The hardy khaki fabric strap is fashioned from materials used to cover water canteens and other outdoor survival gear.

JeanRichard Highlands Sands is a reintroduction of its mid 1990's collection the "Highlands by JeanRichard" where Peter Beard captured the raw beauty of Africa's land.



A 44.55mm x 40mm sand blasted stainless steel tonneau case supports a round bidirectional rotating bezel. The ecru mat dial is the color of a desert dust storm with large Arabic numerals. Bold hands coated in luminescence enable time display even in dim conditions. A Scratch resistant anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the dial and ensures maximum read out even under the brilliant African sun. A screw down crown and case back ensures water resistance to 100 meters, because you never know where your adventures may take you.

Via a scratch resistant sapphire crystal case back one can view a precise and durable JR21000 automatic movement. Equipped with a 48 hour power reserve and fastened with a folding safety buckle, this watch will never let you down.

The Legend of Daniel Jean Richard

Jean Richard is a Luxury Watch Company baring the name of a legend. Daniel JeanRichard. He was born in 1665 in an emerald green valley of La Sagne in a place called "Les Bressels" (a product line Bressel is dedicated to his birth place).

In 1679 a horse dealer rode through town with a pocket watch which had ceased to work. He spotted a young boy of about 15 who was working on some filigreed iron wares. He stopped and watched the boy for a minute, intrigued by the boy's obvious talent. The man fingered his valuable pocket watch, thinking. He got off his horse and came towards Daniel JeanRichard. Their was something about the boy that made the man trust him, and he pulled his English pocket watch out of his baggage.

The boy stretched out his hand and the man placed the watch in the boy's eager hand. The boy had never before laid eyes on a watch. He slowly opened it mesmerized. In that instant as he held the watch, his fate was sealed and a legend was born.

"Can you repair this watch," the man asked.

The boy captivated by the watch did not answer. The man repeated his question and the boy nodded.
"I will return in a few weeks on my way back from Geneva. Do you think you can repair it by then?"
The boy who had never beheld a watch before replied, "Yes sir, I can."

Daniel JeanRichard gently placed the English pocket watch on his work bench. He had no tools to repair the watch, but he was not deterred. He studied the watch with intense concentration, memorizing every detail. He made a set of primitive tools and he repaired the watch.
While the winter snow piled high against the wall of the blacksmith's shop, Daniel JeanRichard built ,from memory, an exact replica of the English pocket watch, the first watch ever to be made in this region. Up until this day no one had achieved this remarkable feat of building a watch from memory.

Documentation is scant in terms of the exact details of the legend, and their are some conflicting reports in regard to Daniel JeanRichard's age at the time he held his first watch.

Until his death in 1741, Daniel JeanRichard invented machines and tools essential for watchmaking, as well as the basic principles of the apprenticeship of the watchmaking trade.