Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, Italian architect Rodolfo Dordoni, and Belgian fashion designer Kris VanAssche, each created a unique piece for the Le Méridien Bento series of eccentric timepieces. It will be auctioned online and the sales proceeds will be donated to the charity chosen by the three designers.
New interpretation of award-winning design
    In 2010, Le Méridien and Wallpaper * jointly launched their first collaboration project with designers Gwenaël Nicolas, Arik Levy and Neil Barrett, reinterpreting the 2007 Red Dot Design Award-winning entry for the Bentao Series Eccentric Time Watch.
    In 2011, the three designers reinterpreted this classic watch in their own way, while retaining the original essence of the watch, and pouring their own personality into it.
European Design Force
   In this year’s collaborative project, Le Méridien and Wallpaper * are looking for designers who can always assert their convictions, inject personal style into their work, and at the same time have no compromises. The end result is this impressive trio: Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, Italian architect Rodolfo Dordoni, and Belgian fashion designer Kris Van Assche.
    Each designer gave a unique interpretation of the Bento series eccentric time watch. These three watches will be exhibited at the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show in March 2011, and then will be auctioned online from June 1 to 22, 2011. The auction results will be donated to the three designers Selected charity.
    ‘My principle is to be as rational and rigorous as possible. This is due to my identity as an architect. The design concept of this timepiece is to exude a lively and cheerful atmosphere from a concise and refined.
‘Caldera’-the Penta series eccentric time watch created by designer and architect Patricia Urquiola.
    In Patricia Urquiola’s eyes, a watch is not just a chronograph tool. This is especially reflected in her carefully designed Bentao series eccentric time watches. After her reinterpretation, the watch is restrained and lively. Proceeds from Patricia Urquiola’s watches will be donated to the Global Diversity Foundation.
    ‘My goal is to incorporate Le Méridien, Wallpaper * and my style into a stainless steel watch. According to this standard, I have redesigned the impeccable Le Méridien Bento series eccentric watch.’

‘Stainless’-The Penta series eccentric time watch created by designer and architect Rodolfo Dordoni.
    Rodolfo Dordoni’s interpretation of the Bento series eccentric two-time watch includes displaying the time with an engraved date device and polished graduations. Each of his designs has a distinctive self-style. Proceeds from auctions of watches designed by Rodolfo Dordoni will be donated to the European Institute of Oncology: www.ieo.it/inglese.
   ‘Designing a watch is a lot of fun. Watches are important status symbols, so I take this job as a challenge. I know that watches need to be crafted-if you want to produce a watch, you have to make sure it is a premium product. ‘

‘Rough Conviction’-a Pentium eccentric timepiece created by KRISVANASSCHE creative director Kris Van Assche.
    Van Assche’s watch is a combination of distressed texture and stainless steel, a detail that reflects his insistence on men’s fashionable masculinity. ‘Whether it’s designing men’s shoes, belts, jewelry or watches, it must not be too fancy,’ said Kris Van Assche. Proceeds from Kris Van Assche’s watch auction will be donated to Sidaction: www.sidaction.org
    Since the introduction of its first watch in 1975, Le Méridien has been a popular watch brand. Le Méridien is dedicated to the production of in-house movements as well as various complex parts of mechanical movements. At the end of 2006, Le Méridien was among the top Swiss watch manufacturers. Through continuous innovation and development in the field of technology and design, several patents and trademarks have been registered. Le Méridien is one of the few independent watch factories in Switzerland with more than 200 employees worldwide, most of whom work at its international headquarters in Zurich and production sites in Saignelégier and Montfaucon, Switzerland.

Patricia Ugula-Biography

   Patricia Uguola, born in Oviedo, Spain in 1961, first studied architectural art at the Madrid School of Architecture, then transferred to the Politecnico di Milano, and graduated in 1989. The thesis supervisor was Achilles Cass Tillioni. From 1990 to 1992, she worked as a teaching assistant at the Politecnico di Milano and the National Institute of Industrial Design in Paris. In 1991, Patricia worked at the Milan furniture company De Padova as director of product development. Here she worked with Vico Magistretti to design her earliest furniture pieces. From 1993 to 96, she and two friends opened a studio, mainly engaged in architectural design, interior design, exhibition hall design and hotel decoration design. From 1996 to 2000, she became the manager of Lissoni Associati Design Company. In 2001, she set up her own studio in Milan, focusing on product design, display design and architectural design. Her reputation for her line of products for Moroso. Ugula has won numerous design awards and participated in academic seminars at international universities. Her most recent work has been in various design projects for companies such as Depadova, Moroso, Agape, B & B, Alessi, Driade, Foscarini, Kartell, Flos, Molteni, Artelano, and others.

Rudolph Dodoni-Biography

   Rudolph Dodoni, architect and designer, was born in Milan in 1954 and graduated in architecture in 1979.
He has served as an art director for companies such as Artemide’s glass collection, Cappellini (1979-1989), Fontana Arte furniture collection, Foscarini lamps, Minotti (since 1998) and Roda (since 2006). Currently Artemid, Cassina, Dornbracht, Driade, Emu, Ernestomeda, Fiam Italia, Flos, Flou, Fontana Arte, Foscarini, Jab, MatteoGrassi, Minotti, Molteni, Moroso, Olivari, Pamar, Roda, RB Rossana, Sambonet, Serralunga, The Rug Company and Venini, among others, are designing. Rudolph collaborated with architects Alessandro Acerbi and Luca Zannipoli, who had worked in their studios for many years, to create DORDONI ARCHITETTI Architects. Designed many residential buildings and industrial and commercial buildings, such as office buildings, factory buildings, exhibition halls, restaurants and hotels, etc., and also designed for companies in different fields.

Chris Wanais-Biography

   Chris Wanis, born in Belgium in 1976, graduated from the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Internship at YSL in 1998 with Eddie Slimman as his trainee director. In 2003, Eddie Slimman joined Dior Homme, and Chris Wanis was invited to accompany him, launching his own collection two years later. In just two years, Chris Wanis replaced his mentor, Slimman, as the creative director of the reputable Dior Homme brand. After working under Eddie Slimman for seven years, Chris Wanis launched his own menswear brand in 2005 and then launched his womenswear collection in 2008. The friendly Belgian style is not as avant-garde as the ‘Six Antwerp Gentlemen’, but it still has unique beauty.