ny mention of sustainable watchmaking must include one of its most active proponents: ID Genève. Sustainability and the circular economy have been central to its message ever since the brand was launched, via crowdfunding, in 2020. This conviction was strong enough to attract Leonardo DiCaprio as an investor during a seed funding round in October 2023. At Geneva Watch Days, the startup debuted Elements, which is (only!) its second collection in four years – a rarity in a market that releases new models multiple times a year.

Elements is inspired by the shapes and colours of nature, and serves as a reminder of the fragility of the natural world. As part of ID Genève’s commitment to minimising its environmental impact, the watches are again made from 100% recycled steel, but the brand is now going further as co-founder Nicolas Freudiger explains: “We’re currently measuring our impacts across all three Scopes to then publish our sustainability report. We realise that growth means increasing our negative impacts but our goal is also to propose a new luxury narrative and the only way we can deliver that message is through growth. We envisage this as fertile growth, exploiting less and preserving what’s already there.”

“We realise that growth means increasing our negative impacts but our goal is also to propose a new luxury narrative.”

Eco-design as a foundation stone

Awake is another brand built on strong environmental principles, such as the recycled titanium used for the Mission to Earth collections launched at end 2018.

Chief Executive Lilian Thibault is clear about where the brand comes from: “Our mission is to awaken minds to the beauty of the world and the realisation that we absolutely have to preserve it. We live in an ultra-connected society. It’s hard for people to appreciate the simple beauty of nature. We integrate circularity through recycled materials but we want to fully embrace the notion of beauty as something that sparks an emotion and reconnects us with reality. We want to get this message to more and more people.” Desirability as a pathway to environmental awareness.

Cedric Bellon is another pioneer, having designed his CB01 tool watch for maximum sustainability. He talks about the origins of the brand: “My first project goes back 18 years. I contacted foundries to see if there were any way to make a watch from 100% recycled materials. No-one was interested. Thankfully, times have changed. When I came across [crowd manufacturing platform] Watch Angels, we talked about sustainability and they reviewed their production system to incorporate the eco-design criteria I showed them.”

“My first project goes back 18 years. No-one was interested. Thankfully, times have changed.”

His latest watch, for the brand’s fourth anniversary, is the CB01 Ti in titanium that has been repurposed from unused segments of bars left over from other productions. The calibre is a reconditioned ETA movement and the dial is 100% recycled steel. The brand works with suppliers that are as close to the production site as possible and the manufacturing system has been optimised: “We do everything we can to minimise impact at every level,” says Bellon.

Some startups are positioning themselves as champions of sustainability even before their first watch has officially launched, and pledge to reduce impacts to the absolute minimum. Among them, Pragma is one of the few to target the luxury segment.

Founder Christopher Wegener talks about the brand’s philosophy: “We sat down and thought about what was important to us and eco-design was the obvious answer. Our cases are made from recycled steel which is smelted in a solar-powered furnace, a process developed by Panatere. Our calibres, which are by Chronode, are manufactured with recycled titanium that has been smelted using the same technology. We aim to minimise our impacts at every level of production and maximise our use of new sustainable materials.”

Young voices drive changes

This commitment to sustainable practices includes brands whose origins go further back in time. Carl Suchy & Söhne, a recently revived Austrian brand with an illustrious past, has been awarded Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark in recognition of action taken to minimise its environmental impact.

Asked what prompted a small-scale brand such as Carl Suchy & Söhne to apply for this trust mark, Chief Executive Dr Robert Punkenhofer explains how “one of our younger employees has strong environmental convictions. She convinced us to engage in the certification process. We were reluctant at first as it means investing considerable resources, even just to collect the necessary data in-house and across our supply chain. It took over a year but we are delighted with this achievement.” The inclusion of the youth voice in internal governance could be one of the keys to a more sustainable watch industry.

“One of our younger employees has strong environmental convictions. She convinced us to engage in the certification process.”

Institutions are part of the movement

Brands aside, sustainability is becoming a more prominent theme for certain institutions, as illustrated by this year’s Geneva Watch Days.

One of the event’s panel discussions raised the question of the watch industry’s role in responding to sustainability challenges – proof of renewed interest in the theme from a theoretical standpoint at least, with limited mention of real-life solutions. Georges Kern is CEO of Breitling, which has one of the industry’s most ambitious ESG policies. He hit the nail on the head with this remark: “Nobody buys a watch just because it’s eco-friendly. On the other hand, nobody will buy one if it isn’t.”

Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, pointed to “growing demand among younger generations for greater sustainability and transparency.” Now it’s down to brands to incorporate this evolution into their strategy and take action.

“Nobody buys a watch just because it’s eco-friendly. On the other hand, nobody will buy one if it isn’t.” Georges Kern, CEO, Breitling

A partner to Geneva Watch Days, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has introduced a new award for Eco-Innovation, again confirming renewed focus on sustainability in the industry. Speaking at a press conference, Raymond Loretan, President of the GPHG Foundation, described the award as “a response to the importance of sustainability today.” Can we look forward to a separate category for the most sustainable watch? Wait and see.

In a similar vein, another partner to the event, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), invited members of the GPHG Academy to take part in an online study session titled ”Waking up to Sustainability” and revealingly subtitled “Why is this relevant to the watch industry?”.

The programme looked at impact measurement, risks and opportunities, transparency and traceability, and all-important collaborations and actions. In his summing-up, FHH Master Trainer Gianfranco Ritschel was clear about the scale of the task ahead: “We have to rethink our culture and put sustainability at the heart of our strategies.”

In conclusion, initiatives are regaining pace to establish ESG as a more present, more desirable and better understood force within brand strategies and make green – the colour of hope and new beginnings - more than just the latest dial trend.