Sustainable Watchmaking - What More Can Be Done?

Focus on smaller, simpler, hand-wound mechanical watches manufactured in their home market.

Forget those massive dive watches (too much material). Forget sophisticated complications (too many parts), or any complications for that matter. Forget automatics (extra parts and the rotor is usually a fair chunk). Forget anything battery-powered (obv). Forget overseas manufacturing (all that shipping probably represents the largest environmental impact of most watches).

Not that I think sustainability is really much of an issue for watchmakers, but if we want to do anything more than just CSR box-ticking those are the sorts of things we should be doing. Oh, and worrying about the employment ethics of manufacturing.

Edited to add ...

The most significant thing we can all do for sustainability is to consume less of everything. So maybe we should all aim for a one-watch "collection".

If we want to be serious about it, first, stop buying cheap mechanical watches that cost more to service and fix compared to quartz watches. Second, buying used is a much better option because the materials are already utilized, and you give life to a watch. Third, we need more watchmakers and somehow make regular watch servicing more affordable. Like it or not, Apple Watches are probably causing more damage, so we need to support the right to repair and force Apple to offer simple software downgrades to make their Apple Watches usable even if many features are disabled for security reasons, instead of becoming slow and clunky after a few years.

Probably much more can be done on "non-watch" segment ( traveling, shows, renewable sources of energy at HQ/factory, sponsoring true initiatives, producing locally, not hiring partners in third world that exploit workers ... ) and not so much on actual product. These greenwashing marketing bs helps close to 0

All the flights in and out of Watches and Wonders alone probably has a greater carbon footprint compared to production of the watches.

Transport.

In-house maybe involves less transport of components.

Higher quality more durable watches, rather than a plethora of cheaper more fragile stuff.

Like it or not China is the biggest pollution culprit, so avoid AliExpress & Microbrands .

That's how we as individuals can influence the industry, but won't happen because most like value for money and don't see the consequences of our "bargains".

Easy : stop buying new watches. Appreciate what you own and check pre owned retailers if the urge for another watch is too strong.

I like Jodi and his JOMW channel, but he and other influencers keep pouring fuel into the watch madness, making manufacturers big and small believe the market has unlimited depth and that always more watches are needed.

Buy a used watch. I mean if you're actually serious and not just virtue signaling. There are a gazillion watches already existing on the planet. Heck, half the people on this site have 35 of them.

Anyone that's not a poser will not buy a new watch in the next 15 years. All the watches I own now will outlive me. So anybody that buys a new watch and talks about sustainability is full of sh*t.

I fully agree. Still remember this Oris ProPilot launch in Shanghai a few years back, where tens of media people were flown across the world just to sit in a room being spoon fed corporate marketing non sense.

This wipes out a full century of Oris efforts in selling watches with straps made from recycled fishnets 🤦🏼

Consuming less! The most eco friendly way is to not buy anything.

The real answer is it makes no difference.

A person's watch is probably some 0.0001% of their overall footprint.

Unless they have thousands of watches and then it's still only maybe 0.001% of their overall footprint. (Assuming if they can afford that then they also can afford a car etc.)

It's just greenwashing bullshit. It's marketing.

The biggest things were can do are eating plant foods (rather than meat, dairy and eggs), not flying for holidays, buying used cars rather than new, living near our work, etc. (I'm sure I'm missing stuff.)

And even then, the vast majority of damage to the Earth is done by corporations that we have no control over - mostly in China where the government doesn't give a flying duck fuck about anyone or anything.

Their air is so bad they are even polluting the countries around them. Almost no birds or wildlife exist in China anymore. Almost no water there is usable (I think over 90% is so bad it can't even be cleaned) because factories dump anything they want right into the soil and rivers. It's nearing North Korea levels of government stupidity and abuse. (See YouTube channel China Fact Chasers)

I do not care.

You kids get off my lawn!

GenX has spoken.

Bravo!!