The Swiss luxury watch industry is characterised by sustainable attributes like limited production, longevity and artisanal craftsmanship and so it’s environmental and social impact is rarely questioned. Yet sustainability is moving up the agenda for the industry worth ₣26.7 billion in 2023 ($30.1 billion).
On 13 November the Grand Prix d’Haute Horlogerie, which anyone in the watch industry will be quick to tell you is its version of the Oscars, presented an award for eco innovation for the first time.
Chopard picked up the honor for its L.U.C Qualité Fleurier watch. It’s the first watch in the brand’s L.U.C. range to be made with its trademarked Lucent Steel, which contains a minimum of 80% recycled metal from a local, circular manufacturing loop within 1000km of Chopard’s manufacturing unit in Switzerland.
Chopard became the first luxury maison to join Climate Group’s SteelZero in 2023 which, according to the organization’s website, uses its collective purchasing power and influence to “send a strong demand signal to shift global markets and policies towards responsible production and sourcing of steel.”
Collecting the award, co-president of Chopard, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, told the audience: “I am surprised that you created this prize, because it’s very close to our hearts.” He went on to recall a meeting in 2010 with WWF when Chopard wanted to collaborate on a collection showcasing endangered animals and the charity challenged them on what they were doing for the planet. Scheufele said this was the start of a journey to sustainable luxury that has included renovating its manufacturing facilities in accordance with Minergie eco-friendly construction standards, committing to science-based climate targets and working exclusively with ethically mined gold since 2018.
Scheufele went on to say in his speech: “I think what is the greatest thing about our efforts is that a lot of companies have taken it up, because at the end of the day, it’s very simple, we only have one planet.”
As small items produced in relatively low quantities, watches may not be as resource intensive as fashion or cars, but it does share supply chains with these industries and can play a role in influencing wider practices.
Ulysse Nardin has just launched what it calls “the most sustainable watch the company has ever made”. The Diver Net Vendée Globe is made almost entirely from recycled materials.
Speaking with me in an interview, chief product officer Jean-Christophe Sabatier admits that he was skeptical when Ulysse Nardin’s CEO Patrick Pruniaux first asked him to create more sustainable products because he felt they already had a low footprint. He says, however, that he has realized the brand has an opportunity to “lead by example.”
“We have demonstrated that a luxury product can be made with sustainable materials and also, we have moved the needle. The suppliers that work with us, they see what we are doing, and then they apply it. All these people, they are engineers, they are technicians, and also our competitors. Everybody is seeing that something is moving,” he says.
“It’s step-by-step and it’s a modest and progressive approach, but in the meantime, it brings results. If you consider what has been done in the last four years, and you try to extrapolate what could be done in the next 40 years, I believe that it can be significant.”
A sustainable luxury Swiss watch might not be accessible to everyone, with the Diver Net Vendée Globe retailing at ₣13,500 ($14,200), but Sabatier tells me that sharing the sustainability attributes of its products with a wealthy audience, many of whom are in leadership positions, can also drive advocacy in a demographic who can make a real difference.
Both Chopard and Ulysse Nardin were founded in the 19th century. Like many in the sector, they have a rich heritage and cultural cachet but changing processes, practices and mindsets can take time. A new cohort of watch brands is, instead, playing to its strengths of agility and disruptive thinking to bring about sustainable change.
Launched in December 2020, ID Genève calls itself an “impact native” luxury watch brand. It is the first brand in the sector to be B Corp certified, a programme which verifies companies with high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
After mapping the impact of watchmaking, metal extraction came out as a top priority for the brand to tackle. While precious metals like gold might traditionally hold prestige in watches, cofounder Nicolas Freudiger, says that they’re proud of the high quality, locally sourced recycled steel it sources from its supplier Panatere and values need to shift.
“We call it the new gold of Switzerland,” he said in an interview. “The idea of ID Genève is to change the narrative. In the end, it’s all a narrative. The underlying narrative that we should have a golden watch, or diamond jewelry. We want to offer new storytelling. The way that we collect and we process [materials], this is the new identity of luxury.”
The brand is also working with plant-based strap materials, ink-free etching techniques and modular design for ease of repairs. Its unique offering has attracted the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio who has invested in the brand.
Freudiger adds: “We are partnering with climate solutions, climate heroes, and harnessing the power of Swiss made for the good of the transition and to accelerate the transition towards better sustainability.” It also sees a huge opportunity to collaborate with heritage names in the industry.
“They have so much know-how, the established brands. They have labs that have been built for 100 years, and they have R&D teams. How do we make good use of it with our expertise with eco materials? To connect that, that’s going to be a big next step for us.”
Luxury Swiss watches might be a niche industry but its circle of influence through the supply chain and through a high-net-worth client base is perhaps more integral to the climate crisis than many in the industry have realised until now. It’s time to embrace it.
