VietNamNet Bridge - Candino (Switzerland) has produced 1,888 special-edition watches (388 units for women, 1,500 for men) with the message "Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) & Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) belong to Vietnam".

This is the idea of Bui Tan Minh, a 35-year-old Vietnamese businessman.

Minh is director of the Hai Minh import export company, which distributes luxury watches in Vietnam.

Minh said it took a lot of time to convince the Swiss partner to launch this special edition.

The special edition watches arrived in Vietnam in January 2015, two years since the idea flashed.

Minh explained: "We asked the Swiss partner to manufacture 1,888 watches because 1888 was the year the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks were completed. They have been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage documentary and they are also the priceless heritage of the people of Vietnam. This official history faithfully recorded the activities of the Nguyen Dynasty on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos (Paracel and Spratly Islands). It is important evidence for Vietnam’s indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa."

Previously, Hai Minh cooperated with Candino to produce 1,000 special-edition watches for the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Switzerland (2011).

Zing