Pictures that tell of our times: Maurice Lacroix, Official Watch Partner of World Press Photo Awards Ceremony

Martin Bachmann, CEO Maurice Lacroix and Michiel Munneke, MD, World Press Photo

Zurich, March 2011: Maurice Lacroix is the official watch partner of the prestigious World Press Photo Awards Ceremony, which this year takes place in Amsterdam on 7th May. Besides the presentation of watches to the first prize winners of each category, the three-year partnership deal also includes the annual “Follow Your Convictions” grant, worth €20,000, initiated by Maurice Lacroix and to be presented during the Awards Ceremony.

Martin Bachmann, CEO Maurice Lacroix, says of this new collaboration, “The partnership with World Press Photo, which has been the world’s most prestigious photo contest since 1955, perfectly encapsulates the message behind our ‘Follow your convictions’ philosophy. Photographs tell authentic stories, capture true events or evoke contemporary themes. And the unifying factor in all this is the ability of photographers around the world to follow their convictions. It is their work alone that allows such an emotionally charged record of the times we live in to emerge.”

Michiel Munneke, Managing Director of World Press Photo, says “I am excited about our cooperation. We share common values like excellence and authenticity. Maurice Lacroix creates a range of watches all characterized by designs reflecting the personalities of the designers. They push the boundaries of conventional design. Taking risks simply because they believe in it. The concept of ‘following your convictions’ perfectly applies to photojournalists. Commitment, dedication and staying true to what you really believe in, is what makes them cover the world for us. I am very pleased Maurice Lacroix is joining us in celebrating excellence in photojournalism by supporting our annual Awards Ceremony and enabling one award-winning photographer to following his or her convictions with a grant.”

The awards ceremony is preceded by a two-day programme of lectures, discussions and screenings of photography. The exhibition of prize-winning photography will be shown at the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam from 22 April to 19 June and will subsequently visit over 100 locations around the world.

About World Press Photo

World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organisation committed to supporting and advancing high standards in photojournalism and documentary photography worldwide. It strives to generate wide public interest and appreciation for the work of photographers and for the free exchange of information. From its office in Amsterdam it organises an annual contest, exhibitions, educational programs and a variety of publications. Since 1955, more then 2100 World Press Photo exhibitions have taken place in 450 cities in 115 countries around the globe.

About Maurice Lacroix



Since the launch of its first watch model in 1975, Maurice Lacroix has become a much sought-after brand. With its own workshops producing complex components for mechanical calibres, Maurice Lacroix joined the exclusive league of Swiss Watch Manufactures at the end of 2006. Thanks to continued innovative development in both technical fields and design, Maurice Lacroix has registered several patents and trademarks. Maurice Lacroix is one of the few independent watchmakers and employs more than 200 people worldwide, the majority of whom are based at the international head office in Zurich and the production facilities in Saignelégier and Montfaucon in Switzerland.

World Press Photo Awards: Some winning photographs

Many of the winning photographs for 2010 are from the work of travelling reporters and photographers brilliantly capturing in a single moment the hustle, bustle, unrest, strife and sheer trauma of life in war torn and disaster prone countries within the developing world. The winning picture by South African photographer Jodi Bieber shows exactly why the struggle to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban must continue.

Daily Life singles, first prize:
Omar Feisal from Somalia shows us a man carrying a shark through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, 23 September 2010

Daily Life stories, first prize:
Martin Roemers from the Netherlands won with his series Metropolis, about life in megacities

General News singles, first prize:
Riccardo Venturi from Italy shows us Old Iron Market burning in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 18 January 2010

Spot News stories, second prize:
Corentin Fohlen, a Fedephoto photographer based in France, won the category with this picture of anti-government riots in Bangkok, Thailand in May 2010

People in the News stories, first prize:
Daniel Berehulak won with his series in Pakistan. Flood victims scramble for food from a Pakistan army helicopter during relief operations in Dadu, Pakistan as they battle the downwash on 13 September 2010

World Press Photo Awards Picture of the Year 2010

The winning photograph this year will be seared on your memory for its graphic, disturbing imagery. Jodi Bieber, a South African photographer for Time magazine, won with this picture taken of Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old woman from Oruzgan province in Afghanistan. Aisha's story began when she fled back to her family after complaining of violent treatment from her husband. The Taliban arrived one night demanding that she face justice and Aisha's brother-in-law held her down while her husband sliced off her ears and then cut off her nose. Aisha was abandoned, but later rescued by aid workers and the US military. After time in a women's refuge in Kabul, she was taken to the US, where she now lives.

Jury chair David Burnett said about the photo: 'This could become one of those pictures – and we have maybe just 10 in our lifetime – where if somebody says "you know, that picture of a girl" you know exactly which one they're talking about'