In the last five years or so, environmental concerns have multiplied exponentially in most industries. Watch brands are no different and alignment with sustainability and eco-friendly practises has become an important concern for many of them.
There are three main avenues along which watch firms demonstrate their green credentials. First is the co-branding of a specific watch with a designated charity or environmental cause, so that a percentage of each purchase, for the limited edition, is donated. Second, the adoption and integration of sustainability principles throughout the manufacturing process and third, the overall financing of eco-friendly projects.
If your dad is into watches and both of you have a green conscience, here we present you with six pieces across a number of price points, which contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly future in different ways. I hope you find here the ideal gift.
CERTINA DS-2 TURNING BEZEL STC
In the 1960s, the forerunners of the DS-2 Turning Bezel set the standard for robust construction and fashionable style. The new collection is their equal in every respect. The tonneau-shaped case (42 x 41 mm) features a unidirectional turning bezel. While the regular models appear in classic stainless steel, the Sea Turtle Conservancy Edition is made of ultra-light titanium.
The Certina DS-2 Turning Bezel STC is worn with a striped grey-blue fabric strap made from #tide ocean material®.
The matt black dial is a perfect match with its rectangular hands and Super-LumiNova® coated indexes. This special edition is worn with a striped grey-blue fabric strap made from #tide ocean material® and fitted with a titanium closure. The stainless-steel models come with two interchangeable straps. £880. Find it HERE.
EBEL 1911 GENT DIAL GREEN
In 2022, Ebel partnered up with Treedom to replant forests and fruit species trees. Their first 200 trees are followed by another 200 this year in Africa and South America, in an on-going commitment that the company believes is very much aligned with their values of “beauty marries function.”
The Ebel 1911 Gent with a green galvanic dial comes with an additional fabric strap made with upcycled ocean-bound plastic.
The EBEL 1911 with its green dial and additional strap made with upcycled ocean-bound plastic, is one of the watches in their range that best embodies this commitment. The 42mm stainless steel case, houses a dial featuring applied indexes with Super-LumiNova®, date window at 6 o’clock,sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment and comes originally in a stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp. Swiss quartz movement, water-resistant to 100 metres. £1,645. Find it HERE.
ROLEX EXPLORER 40
Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative is one of the best known by the general public, probably because the highly coveted Swiss watch brand has been associated with exploration and protecting the wilderness since the 1950s, when they developed watches for extreme conditions, either up on the mountains or deep into the oceans.
With its Explorer 40 watches, Rolex encourages exploration as a way to preserve the natural world.
The diversity of the projects supported by Perpetual Planet ranges from the Himalayan Trust and the Tenzing Norgay Sherpa Foundation that promote education and conservation around Mount Everest to Mission Blue, that is establishing change through a global network of “Hope Spots”, a series of marine-protected areas of critical vulnerability. Learn more about the Perpetual Planet HERE.
Find your Rolex Explorer 40, £6,450 HERE.
IWC PORTUGIESER CHRONOGRAPH
According to Bain & Co, IWC have the highest sustainability credentials in the industry when it comes to their carbon footprint on the planet. Under the guidance of Franziska Gsell, Chief Marketing Officer and Chair of the Sustainability Committee (read our interview with her HERE ), along with Gisele Bündchen, IWC’s newly appointed Environmental & Community Projects Advisor, the company has a series of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. From the use of 100 percent renewable energy purchased globally, to biodiversity projects, such as restoring Posidonia Oceanica (Neptune grass) in the seas off the Costa Brava, Spain.
The Portugieser Chronograph with a TimberTex watch strap in black.
On the other hand, sustainable materials are being introduced in the manufacturing process. An excellent example is TimberTex, a fully compostable paper-based material made of 80 percent plant-based fibres, from which IWC is making straps. They are available on many of their watches, such as the above Portugieser Chronograph (£7,600)/ Find it HERE.
HUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO NESPRESSO ORIGIN
In a related manner, Hublot has joined the eco-friendly initiative with a partnership with Nespresso for a 200 pieces limited-edition watch made of recycled coffee grounds and capsules.
Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso (£20,800) with case, bezel, crown and pushers made of recycled aluminium capsules.
As part of the manufacture, Hublot and Nespresso have developed methods to transform discarded material into rubber watch straps. A second Velcro fabric version has been created in collaboration with SINGTEX, one of Nespresso’s partners, who was already using recycled coffee grounds to produce a fabric called S.Café. The recycled aluminium capsules are reconstituted in the case, bezel, crown, and pushers at Hublot’s own foundry. Truly the art of fusing environmental concerns with innovative horology. Get yours HERE.
BLANCPAIN FIFTY FATHOMS TECH GOMBESSA
The makers of arguably the first dive watch commercially available, Blancpain has been supporting marine conservation for quite a long time through their Ocean Commitment programme. Since the launch of the first Fifty Fathoms, the firm has been forging connections with the world’s communities dedicated to ocean preservation.
Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa (£24,700), launched for the 70th anniversary of the original dive watch.
Blancpain devotes substantial resources to the initiative, from a new partnership with the Biopixel Oceans Foundation, supporting scientific research and innovative restoration solutions, to the Great Barrier Reef and the promotion of the diversity of ocean life through photographic competitions. This year, the brand launched a new 70th anniversary Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa (read more HERE)
in association with Laurent Ballesta’s project that focuses on studying some of the rarest, most elusive marine creatures and phenomena on Earth. To date, there have been six major Gombessa expeditions, all underwritten by Blancpain. Find out more about Blancpain’s Ocean commitment HERE and your Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa HERE.
Words: Dr Andrew Hildreth
Opening image: WikiImages, Pixabay.
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