The Eco-Watch Report
The watch industry is showing that real craftsmanship and real responsibility can coexist, and that’s a much better kind of luxury.
For a long time, the luxury watch industry felt a bit exempt from the green movement. We often viewed mechanical watches as inherently sustainable because they are designed to last for decades and do not use disposable batteries.
But recently, the conversation has shifted. It is no longer enough for a watch to just last a long time; collectors now care about what it is made of and the footprint it leaves behind before it ever reaches a wrist.
One of the biggest changes is happening in the metals themselves. Brands like Chopard and Panerai are moving away from traditional mining and instead using recycled steel and titanium.
Panerai has even experimented with cases made almost entirely from recycled materials, including the SuperLuminova on the dial.
There is also a huge push toward recycled steel alloys that have the same high polish and strength as "new" metal but require much less energy to produce. It is a win for the environment that does not require the buyer to compromise on that luxury shine.
The straps are also getting a major makeover. Traditional leather tanning is famously hard on the planet, so we are seeing a wave of creative alternatives.
Some brands are using apple skin or grape waste from the wine industry to create materials that look and feel like leather but are completely plant-based.
Others are turning to upcycled ocean plastic or old fishing nets to create rugged and stylish fabric straps. These materials give the watch a modern and conscious story that feels much more relevant today than old-school exotic skins.
Even the packaging is being stripped back. The massive and heavy wooden boxes that used to sit in the back of a closet are being replaced by smaller and lightweight containers made from recycled paper or even algae.
These new boxes often double as travel pouches, making them actually useful instead of just being beautiful waste. At the end of the day, the eco watch movement is about making sure that the industry we love can keep ticking for another hundred years without costing the earth.
