English Premier League football club Chelsea has signed its first partnership with a watch company by announcing Rotary as its new global official timekeeper.
The Swiss company has agreed a four-year deal with the club, under which Chelsea legend Frank Lampard will become a Rotary brand ambassador for the 2013-14 season.
Under the terms of the partnership, two special-edition Rotary Chelsea FC watches will be available to buy and the official Chelsea website will carry a permanent Rotary clock. Chelsea’s badge and imagery will also be displayed in major international Rotary stores.
Rotary becomes the seventh addition to Chelsea’s global partner portfolio, which also includes the Sauber Formula One team, Audi, Gazprom, Delta, Singha and Hackett.
Rotary chief executive Victoria Campbell said: “Like us, Chelsea enjoys a long-standing heritage and operates on the world stage. We are committed to growing our brand awareness overseas particularly in South East Asia and Chelsea was our first choice given that their fan base in the region is huge.”