SimplyAbuDhabi V

135 S IMPLY ABU DHABI SIMPLY PURE CLASS A&J ATTEND THE SEDDIQI POLO CHALLENGE Precision, strength and grace are the key components of any polo match and the same sentiments are echoed by theUAE’s leading timepiece retailer Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. Hosting the first edition of the ‘Seddiqi Polo Challenge’ at the luxurious Desert Palm Resort, we were delighted to join the UAE’s elite in this celebration of timeless equestrian elegance… What better way to showcase the world’s finest timepieces than in regal company and exquisite surroundings with the three best polo players in the world? The two go hand in hand, as we found at the exclusive ‘Seddiqi Polo Challenge’. Renowned Argentinean polo player Pablo Mac Donough led the Richard Mille polo team comprising of World no. 3 Juan Martin Nero, Ali Bawardi’s son Tariq, and Richard Mille’s team patron, H.E. Bahar Jefri. The Dubai Polo Team included professional players Martin Valent, Ramiro Guinazu, and the World Polo Tour no. 2 Adolfo Cambiaso, along with Patron Al Bawardi. In the revered company of VIP guests including celebrities, business owners and Royalty, we cheered on in delight as the teams staged nothing short of a world class performance. Ms Dany Kheirallah, Marketing Director at Seddiqi and Ms Melika Yazdjerdi, Corporate Marketing Manager, gave us the honour of meeting Richard Mille and experience, first- hand, the infectious personality of the man behind the brand. Exuding great passion and drive, the ever modest Mr Mille’s inherent eye for design was undeniable, as his attention graciously turned to our customized and unique gold effect stainless steel business cards - much to our delight! Great minds think alike so here’s to hoping for a Richard Mille special edition Simply Abu Dhabi one fine day! Celebratory culinary delicacies accompanied the day’s events including an English high tea of scones and sandwiches - a firm favourite of the sport - and exquisite Moroccan teas, followed by mouth watering desserts fitting of such a grand occasion. It was a dazzling array served up in sheer splendour with no expense spared. We were utterly blown away by the kind-hearted hospitality of the Seddiqi family and Richard Mille. Commenting on the game, Mr. Seddiqi beamed: “This match was a testament to the skill of these great players and one cannot help but appreciate that polo is a sport that requires great precision and strength, yet has a timeless elegance to it. It is a privilege for us to be associated with some of the finest names in polo and to have conducted the first Seddiqi Polo Challenge”. Whilst competing on the field the Richard Mille players wore specially crafted RM 010 limited edition timepieces, featuring an ‘all black’ DLC-treated case and red dial, which is in line with the team’s official colours. And for the 2012 polo season Richard Mille unveiled at the SIHH the new RM 053 Pablo Mac Donough Polo Tourbillon featuring a totally new ‘armored’ case in titanium carbide engineered to tolerate the extreme shocks likely to occur during a polo match. Inspired by the iconic tonneau shape the case has two raised arcs leading to two viewing windows unveiling a tourbillon movement tilted at a 30˚ angle. The seconds run with the tourbillon cage on the left viewing window and on the right the hours and minutes are shown. Known as the ‘king of sports’, polo is both uniquely elegant and highly physical. It’s also the toughest sport for any tourbillon watch to have to endure with sudden turns, wild swings, the clash of horses and riders; these are forces far greater than the norms found in other sports. Naturally, these robust and highly refined timepieces rose to the occasion flawlessly. RichardMille emerged victorious with a 5 - 3 win over Ali Al Bawardi’s team andMr. Mille and Mr. Abdul Hamied Seddiqi (Vice Chairman of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons) presented the winning players with their trophy and applauded the efforts of both teams in what was a joyous occasion for all involved. There could of course only be one winner of the game, but on this occasion it’s fair to say we all left as winners...