7 of the best sustainable watches helping the environment

Borna Bošnjak

Wherever you look these days, brands will be happy to tell you how “green” their products are, hoping that you’ll cut them some slack for ruining the environment previously and coming up with a fresh new marketing term for “plastic”. Much of watchmaking is the same – drop-shipped AliExpress specials that cut out the middle man but happen to use an “unethical” vegan leather (read: terrible quality, but hey we can get away with it more easily now) strap claiming they’re eco-friendly are a personal favourite. If we’re to get further into the semantics of it, any mechanical watch could be considered sustainable. There are no batteries to pollute the environment, and all it takes is a service every five years or so – provided the service centre doesn’t just discard the old movement and swap in a new one for the sake of saving on labour costs. As that would’ve been a bit of a cop-out, here are some watches that are made with sustainable materials, or that were made by brands dedicated to environmental conservation, or both.

Triwa Sub Ocean Plastic

We start with Triwa, a brand that has made its mission all about sustainability, whether it’s using recycled ocean plastic for the watches like the Sub, or producing watches out of steel whose production produces negligible carbon emissions. Our pick for this list is the former, a chunky, fun diver with a case and strap fully made from recycled plastic. It’s powered by a Miyota 2015 quartz, but its 100-metre water resistance and low cost of admission make it a sensible option. Price: US$159

Mondaine Essence

Before you even get to look at your new Mondaine Essence, you’ll find it shipped to you in a pouch made from recycled plastic bottles, which Mondaine is hoping you’ll upcycle as a phone or glasses case. The watch itself is cased in a castor oil and glass powder composite, containing a classic Mondaine dial with a red lollipop seconds hand. The case is mounted on a recycled rubber strap, though the movement is only a quartz, meaning a new battery every few years. Mondaine’s eco-friendly efforts do not end with just its products, as the entire manufacture is carbon neutral, being the very first watch manufacturer to achieve that goal. It also support reforestation programs via the GulaGula Forest Program, Fairventures Worldwide, and Oak. Price: US$275

Pretty much any Seiko Save the Ocean

While the watches are not necessarily as directly eco-friendly as some others on this list, we’d be remiss not to mention Seiko’s Save the Ocean initiative and all of its branches. By donating parts of the proceeds from sales of the Save the Ocean collection, Seiko is supporting projects such as the PADI Marine Debris Program – a citizen science movement that has compiled the most comprehensive database on seafloor debris. Furthermore, Seiko as a corporation is taking strides to become carbon-neutral by 2050, recently installing huge solar panel arrays in its Sendai and Navanakorn factories, the latter being the largest CO2 producer in all of Seiko Group. And the beautiful thing is that you can spend as little as US$525 on a Save the Ocean Monster, around US$1,200 for a mid-range Prospex model, or as much as US$4,600 for the above, high-end SLA055 with a Seiko-branded GS movement. Price: starting from US$525

Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide

I’ll be the first to admit, when I saw that Maurice Lacroix is launching a plastic-cased watch mere months after the MoonSwatch, I was sceptical of it being anything other than just that – an affordable(ish) plastic watch. It’s safe to say that I, too, am human, and therefore err from time to time. This was one such time. The Aikon #tide launched as part of a collaboration with another Swiss company, #tide, concerning themselves with cleaning up the oceans of plastic, and turning it into useful materials. Collecting bottles in the seas surrounding Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, #tide shred, wash and compact them before turning them into a useful granulated plastic. As part of this collaboration, Maurice Lacroix has made a commitment of cleaning up 10 million plastic bottles from the ocean by way of collection activities. For more information on the material – Buffy has done you the favour of writing an excellent overview. Price: starting from US$760

Alpina Seastrong Diver Gyre

The Seastrong Diver Gyre collection is actually a result of a collaborative effort between Alpina and Gyre, a Kickstarter brand dreamt up by Bernard Werk, the owner of Watching magazine. The Dutch brand created its first watch in 2020, inspired by the five great ocean gyres that collect all the trash we dump in it. Alpina wanted to get in on the action, and is using the recycled plastic and glass fibre material for the case, but swapping out the solar Seiko movement for a Sellita automatic, and is available in either 36mm or 44mm sizes. Price: US$1,595

Oris Aquis Date Upcycle

Oris is far from being one of Switzerland’s biggest manufacturers, but it’s been at the forefront of the eco-friendly charge when it comes to luxury watches. Notable for the Upcycle and New York Harbor editions of the Aquis dive watch, Oris was proud to announce the publishing of its first sustainability report in 2022, marking the brand becoming a climate-neutral company. Rather than resting on its laurels, Oris is committed to reducing the brand’s carbon footprint by 10% over the next three years. Price: US$2,800 (Sellita), US$4,200 (Calibre 400)

Ulysse Nardin Diver Net

Though it’s not the first ones to experiment with watches fully made from recycled materials, Ulysse Nardin has taken things a step further. The Diver Net was a concept watch introduced in 2020, with a recycled fishing net case, PET plastic strap, and a crystal made of transparent ceramic, rather than sapphire, as it uses less energy in manufacturing. Expanding its impact to the field too, Ulysse Nardin is sponsoring the Plastic Odyssey ship. The vessel, currently on a three-year journey, will cover 40,000 miles and stop in countries most affected by plastic pollution.

The next step was taken recently, when the brand introduced the Diver Net Azure and OPS models, follow-ups to the concept piece with composite cases utilising numerous recycled materials. And, they’re watches you can actually buy! Price: US$13,300

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: any vintage (mechanical) watch

You saw this one coming, right? Without having to make any specific recommendations, a watch that has already contributed its carbon footprint in the past is the best choice for your next purchase. This is a common theme with people wanting to buy more sustainable clothing, but I feel like it’s even more applicable to watches – and especially those from the luxury segment – considering they’re meant to last a lifetime and be passed down for generations. In a similar vein, if you happen to buy a mechanical watch, you’ll also won’t have to worry about replacing batteries, lessening the environmental impact even more. And no, it doesn’t have to be a unique Patek Philippe 1518.