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Following a shocking Swiss Television report on the unacceptable conditions associated with the procurement of exotic animal leathers, the Executive Management of the Swatch Group has adopted the following measures: The Swatch Group FEPS (Far Eastern Procurement Service) Division will immediately attempt to determine if leather from the Far East is used and, should this prove to be the case, will undertake on-site inspections of all sources. Products from such doubtful sources as those described by Swiss Television have no place in the Swatch Group product offering. With its FEPS, Swatch Group has for many years maintained an efficient control group whose responsibility is to examine and monitor all suppliers to the Group (of packaging, accessories and equipment of all kinds, etc.) at regular intervals to ensure they are in conformance with Swatch Group requirements. The criteria to be enforced include, among others, the exclusion of child labor, acceptable social and environmental conditions at the relevant supplier companies, and, with immediate effect, acceptable handling and sourcing of animals by suppliers of leather and their local sources �C irrespective of the fact that exotic leathers comprise only a very small proportion of the leathers used by the Group and that nearly one hundred percent of the latter is sourced from controlled animal breeders in the United States.

Swatch watches has paid tribute to its late chairman Nicolas G Hayek, following his death at the age of 82.The company said Mr Hayek, who died yesterday of heart failure, had an "extraordinary vision" that helped him create a strong and sustainable watch*** enterprise.Swatch said he is "rightly recognised" as one of Switzerland's foremost entrepreneurs as a result of his success."Mr Hayek's greatest merit was his enormous contribution to the saving of the Swiss watch industry and the foundation and commercial development of the Swatch Group," it commented.The manufacturer added that his ideas and beliefs will live on through the company, which has guaranteed continuity for managers, directors and company shareholders.Mr Hayek was born in 1928 and is credited with turning the Swiss watch industry around at a time when it faced strong competition from Japan.Indeed, the company has hailed its response to the crisis - the Swatch-a-slim plastic watch - as the most successful wrist watch in history.