Roland has teamed up with Depeche Mode, Swiss watchmaker Hublot and charity: water in a fundraising effort to provide clean drinking water to those residing in underdeveloped nations. To date, the organizations have raised a total of $1.7 million toward the cause.
In lieu of Depeche Mode’s Global Spirit Tour, the companies released 55 one-of-a-kind watches, each featuring exclusive artwork representative of one of the band’s 55 singles. Aptly titled “The Singles,” these collectible watches came packaged in a presentation road case, containing the watch and a Roland JP-08 synthesizer module. A limited-edition module from Roland’s Boutique Series, this piece is able to recreate the sound of the JUPITER-8 synthesizer used by Depeche Mode.
On Wednesday, June 6, Depeche Mode held a ceremony prior to their set at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center. The band members, along with Hubplot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, presented charity: water with a check for $1.7 million. The watch collaboration clearly paid off, and these proceeds will now aid charity: water in supplying people around the world with safe drinking water.
“This collaboration demonstrates what commitment and creativity can do — not just in music, but when concerned people get together to help those less fortunate than us,” said Brian Alli, Roland’s vice president of Global Influencer Relations.