Sustainability in watchmaking is an issue that is having an interesting following in 2022, despite the fact that several brands have started well before with initiatives for the protection of the Planet.
Some manufacturers are standing out for their commitment to creating new sustainability standards. With IWS today we are deepening 10 initiatives of the brands in our sector, which are committed to a substantial change both in business practices (procurement, production, etc.) and in the protection of the external environment.
1. Blancpain Ocean Commitment
The Blancpain Ocean Commitment program deals with the preservation and exploration of the oceans, as well as spreading and sensitizing people to their protection. The brand relies on the best diving experts, scientists and underwater photographers. Blancpain played an instrumental role in being involved in Laurent Ballesta’s Gombessa project, dedicated to studying some of the rarest and most difficult to observe marine creatures and phenomena.
Before the summer we had the pleasure of seeing a beautiful documentary filmed during the pandemic right in Italy, between Panarea, Vulcano, Capri and other truly suggestive places. To date, thanks to the Blancpain Ocean Commitment, 4.7 million square kilometers of ocean have been protected and this number is constantly growing.
2. Rolex Mission Blue
Rolex’s Perpetual Planet program extends to different types of initiatives, including Mission Blue, founded by marine explorer Sylvia Earle. The goal of this initiative is to create Hope Spots, which are marine protected areas as they are very vulnerable.
Hope Spots are scattered throughout the oceans from Antarctica to the Pacific atolls. Anyone can designate an area for Hope Spot status, in fact new ones are added every year, flooding the world with support points for ocean conservation. Requests are evaluated by the Mission Blue committee.
3. Chopard Sustainability Program
Chopard has created an important sustainability program based on 4 main pillars: responsible sourcing, environmental management, investment in its resources, awareness and commitment.
Sustainability in watchmaking must not stop at the impact of production alone, but must take these very important aspects into account. In 2013 Chopard started its “journey towards sustainable luxury”. In the case of responsible procurement, a very high level of control of this supply chain is aimed at. What does it mean? Each material that is used has a provenance and an impact on the environment or local communities, Chopard therefore uses metals whose origin is traced and which are 100% ethical, as in the case of the gold used by the brand.
4. Breitling SUGi
Breitling and sustainability are two names that go hand in hand today. In the communication of the brand, we particularly notice the commitment they are putting into solving problems of various kinds, from the exploitation of some populations to unsustainable procurement.
The Maison takes care of various initiatives, but in the case of this article we have chosen SUGi. It is a global platform dedicated to the creation of mini-forests in urbanized areas, but it is not about conventional reforestation. SUGi are 100% indigenous, 30 times denser and 100 times richer in biodiversity than conventional tree plantations. They also capture 16 times the carbon!
All of this comes together with Breitling’s ultimate goal of reducing its CO2 emissions to zero.
5. Omega & Goodplanet Foundation
Omega’s initiatives include the collaboration with the Goodplanet Foundation, with which the brand has launched two important projects to restore the Indonesian coast. The idea is to collaborate with local organizations and activists with these three-year projects, which include a part dedicated to education and awareness.
6. Oris Change For The Better
With Change For The Better, the Oris brand teams up with organizations around the world to heal and protect the planet. The initiatives are not trivial: Billion Oyster Project wants to repopulate the port of New York with oysters.
With “E ‘In Gioco La Nostra Pelle” the brand has joined with Cervo Volante, a company founded in 2017 with the aim of collecting waste products, in particular deer skins, and then transforming them into effectively usable products. like the straps. The intent, however, is to use as much material as possible from these leathers, without going to discard any parts with defects.
Of course, Oris’s commitment does not end there, do you remember their timepiece in the article about the 3 sustainable watches we talked about?
7. Panerai Ocean Literacy
For Panerai, whose tradition is inseparable from exploration, improving the health of the oceans is fundamental.
The commitment to the state of the marine environment has led to collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, with the aim of promoting the “Ocean Literacy” program, in the Decade of Ocean Science for development proclaimed by the United Nations.
8. Ulysse Nardin Racing With Purpose
Ulysse Nardin’s (now independent) manufacture follows the 17 goals set by the United Nations and is estimated to be achieved in 2030. The Racing With Purpose initiative harnesses the potential of The Ocean Race to intelligently and promptly educate to respect and to environmental protection.
The Ocean Race’s teams collect important data on the state of the oceans and on the level of diffusion of microplastics. This data is then reworked by leading ocean research institutes to create monitoring and conservation programs.
9. Zenith Horiz-on
The meaning of innovation for Zenith is equal to that of sustainability. The three pillars of the brand can be summarized in inclusion / diversity, sustainability and worker well-being.
To protect all this, the brand relies on external experts, under the guidance of a new committee dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Zenith’s initiatives we’ve seen also include Extreme-E races, Zenith Icons watches (certified vintage pieces that are sold directly by the brand), and finally Dreamhers, which connects ambitious women around the world.
10. IWC Sustainability
IWC’s manufacture is a great example of sustainability. Do you know why? The entire production is powered by 100% renewable energy sources, which greatly reduces the environmental impact that the watches sold by the brand have.
In addition to this, IWC is particularly committed to the traceability and transparency of the origin of its diamonds, as well as of its gold. The steel is 70% recycled and its alligator straps follow strict parameters (CITES) that ensure the preservation of the species and their habitat.
Sustainability in watchmaking can have a positive impact on other sectors as well
As Breitling’s CEO said in a speech some time ago, watchmaking doesn’t have the same brand-awareness as some giants in other industries, but it can be a trend-setter for positive change. The luxury market can take important steps and set an example for other realities.
Final take
Often and willingly there are people who turn away when it comes to sustainability issues, sometimes because they don’t feel close to change or just don’t feel the need for it. What do you think of the sustainability issue in watchmaking?
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