Piaget Fingerprint Watch Created for Ludacris to be Auctioned for Charity

Piaget Fingerprint Watch Created for Ludacris to be Auctioned for Charity

Proceeds from $28,200-valued timepiece to benefit National Runaway Switchboard

CHICAGO, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Music icon Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is leaving his fingerprint on the worlds of music, film and philanthropy. Now, his fingerprint is being used in the design of a unique Swiss-made watch by Geneva-based Piaget. The Ludacris Fingerprint timepiece, valued at $28,200, will be up for auction online at the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) Web site, http://www.1800runaway.org/, through the month of November, which is National Runaway Prevention Month.

All proceeds will benefit NRS, the federally-designated national communication system for homeless and runaway youth. In addition, Piaget has also committed to donating 10 percent of every Fingerprint watch sold between now and the end of the year to NRS.

"We applaud Piaget for its financial support and donation of this unique timepiece," said Maureen Blaha, executive director of NRS. "This is another example of how socially-conscience corporations are helping to keep America's runaway and at-risk youth safe and off the streets."

Piaget took Ludacris' fingerprint earlier this year and shipped it to Piaget's offices in Switzerland where the piece was created. The Fingerprint watch is crafted in 18 K white gold with 78 brilliantly cut diamonds circling a 38 mm case. The watch's face is based on the distinctive pattern of whorls and swirls of the fingerprint which are set with 286 sparkling cut diamonds. The piece features a 430 P movement (the engine of the watch), one of the thinnest of its kind. Piaget is among the few Swiss manufacturers that actually produce their own movements.

The Grammy-award winner is no stranger to the runaway problem. He voiced his concern in the lyrics to his 2006 hit "Runaway Love," and helped form a partnership between his Ludacris Foundation and NRS to help raise awareness of the runaway issue.

The National Runaway Switchboard was established in 1971. With the support of more than 150 volunteers, NRS handles an average of 100,000 calls annually through its 1-800-RUNAWAY crisis hotline providing crisis intervention, referrals to local resources, and education and prevention services to youth and families throughout the country 24 hours a day.

For information on Piaget, visit http://www.piaget.com/.

A photo of Ludacris wearing the watch on auction is available at http://www.1800runaway.org/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: National Runaway Switchboard

CONTACT: Joel Kessel, +1-773-209-6125, joel@kesselcommunications.com,
for National Runaway Switchboard

Web site: http://www.1800runaway.org/
http://www.piaget.com/

---

Profile: International Entertainment