ince time immemorial, castor beans – well they’re seeds actually – have been known for their medicinal properties, a source of fatty acids, with antihistaminic and anti-inflammatory benefits. They were even an unwelcome punishment for their ability to provoke a fast and robust intestinal transit when ingested!

But this rather amazing plant was also a well-known motor lubricant, used as early as the 1900’s. Remember Castrol? The famous motor oil brand comes from castor beans. It’s also a raw material for biodiesel.

And that’s where SevenFriday comes in. Always on the lookout for innovation, the brand was excited to discover that castor oil is actually used as the base to produce PA11, a vegetal based polymer. The material can be fed into a 3D printing machine, to obtain shapes, elements, and, indeed, watch components!

The material can be fed into a 3D printing machine, to obtain shapes, elements, and, indeed, watch components!

The advantages are easy to see: it’s light, with a high resistance to degradation and heat. But the real advantage lies in the not-so-obvious benefits, those that really matter to most people today: it’s sustainable. What does that mean really? Simply put, it’s about using resources for our own needs, without compromising those of future generations.

Castor oil is a non-toxic, environment-friendly and biodegradable plant product. It is a viable alternative to comparable petroleum-based products, not just in terms of its properties, but in cost too. And it provides a valuable commodity for agriculture.

That’s why SevenFriday’s new Free-D model packs an ecological punch as well as a technological one: it’s a Swiss made product that’s full of “goodness”. A bit like Swiss chocolate, where, guess what... you will find some castor oil too!

It’s a Swiss made product that’s full of “goodness”. A bit like Swiss chocolate, where, guess what... you will find some castor oil too!

Price: CHF 4,500 (excl. VAT)

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