With concerns about climate change sweeping the globe and back again, it’s probably no surprise to hear that the issue has permeated the watch industry. The time when all that mattered to consumers was the finished product has come and gone. Now it seems that everyone is worried about how green their possessions are, whether it’s locally grown food or the car they drive.

And when you think about it, why should the watch industry be any different? Watchmakers thrive on the attention to detail they put into their watch movements and cases to ensure accuracy and good looks. Now there’s another factor you can weigh in on and brag about: how carbon neutral they are.

This is not as simple as it seems. Although the factories that assemble watches can be environmentally friendly (IWC Schaffhausen, for example, is located on the banks of the Rhine and its factory is hydroelectrically powered), the act of extracting minerals and melting them down to make the required metal is decidedly more difficult. to achieve. check. On top of this, many watch houses buy parts made around the world and assemble them on site, meaning they have no control over how eco-friendly their components will be.

But the problem is one that an increasing number of watchmakers will want to solve, because now the green agenda is something that everyone is talking about. Being able to boast that the watch on your wrist was not only made by a luxury brand but also eco-friendly could certainly give you an edge when it comes to garden parties this summer.

Major watch houses won’t launch completely carbon-neutral watches right away. While factories in Switzerland are already quite green thanks to the efforts of Swiss government legislation, how are components made in China regulated? And how far back do you go down the line? Arguments over whether to include metal mining and smelting, or just making the parts, could be what’s holding the watch world back.

It will not be for long. Many factories are already being redesigned: Rolex has rooftop gardens and glass facades, Jaeger LeCoultre has a bus service for its workers and an incentive to carpool. And carbon offsetting means that factors that cannot be changed, such as emissions from the production and transportation of components, can be balanced. Tree planting schemes and carbon and methane sequestration projects mean any damage done to the environment is undone elsewhere.

Watches that don’t require batteries are already more environmentally friendly than their quartz counterparts. By counteracting the effects of producing them, the watch houses are making an even stronger product.