The identify Alex Frei could also be comparatively unknown outdoors of Swiss soccer circles, however with 85 appearances for the nationwide staff during which he scored a document 42 targets, he’s a nationwide treasure, significantly within the Basel area the place he performed for 5 years onwards performed at FB Basel and joined the administration staff.
Now, on the age of 44, he’s getting into the Swiss watch business and taking on the administration of DuBois et Fils, one of many oldest corporations within the nation.
DuBois was based in Le Locle in 1785 and right this moment produces three product strains: diving, pilot and traditional three-hand automated watches with remanufactured twentieth century actions.
The corporate additionally registers every of its watches on the blockchain in order that they are often tracked and authenticated all through their lifespan.
It’s this mixture of historical past and modernity that seems to have attracted Mr. Frei to take a task at DuBois.
“I’m fascinated by the best way they mix conventional watchmaking with fashionable know-how. “These watches have that sure one thing,” he says.
This is not the primary time DuBois has labored with well-known footballers.
For a 12 months now, the corporate has been creating so-called NFT diaries during which well-known faces doc what a month of their lives seems to be like.
These journals are personal however are open to a DuBois buyer who purchases a particular version watch.
It is a bit like paying for a personalised celeb video message, also called cameos, from a well-known face.
FC Barcelona’s João Cancelo and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero took half together with Alexandra Kosteniuk, world chess champion, and Amandine Albisson, prima ballerina on the Paris Opera.
At the moment up for public sale is a DuBois DBF007-03-17 containing an NFT diary from Cristian Romero. On-line bidding ends on January 18th and is at the moment at CHF 6,200.