Why luxury brands from Rolex to La Mer are jumping on the eco-friendly wagon
Blancpain, IWC, Audemars Piguet and Rolex are contributing to conservation projects in line with their brand identity
For luxury brands, green is quickly becoming the new black. Watch brands are taking the lead, looking far more into the future than just their precise split-second functions.
Regardless of which sector they come from or which client demographic they cater to, brands have jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon, with each touting itself as an eco-warrior in its own right.
Some watch brands are going beyond simply setting up recycling stations in their headquarters. They are going the extra mile by dedicating themselves to conserving and preserving the planet for future generations by partnering with non-profit organisations or setting up their own foundations – or both.
Blancpain is known for its Blancpain Ocean Commitment (BOC), a global effort to raise awareness of marine wildlife by supporting scientific expeditions. A highlight of the brand’s commitment is its Pristine Seas Expeditions, which it supported from May 2011 to May 2016 as a founding partner.
Since 2013, Blancpain has also been the principal partner of the Gombessa Project, led by marine scientist Laurent Ballesta, which studies and takes photographs of elusive marine creatures.
“Since its debut 15 years ago, the Blancpain Ocean Commitment has provided tangible results by contributing to doubling the surface of marine protected areas around the world, with the addition of more than four million square kilometres,” says Marc A. Hayek, president and CEO of Blancpain.
The brand is also the founding partner of the World Ocean Summit – a global summit started in 2012 and hosted by The Economist – whose members include government leaders, international organisations, NGOs and universities. For Hayek, exploration is a key step in the path to conservation. “What you realise when you look closer at the oceans is that humans have only visited a very small part of them and are ignorant about so many things. Thus, exploration is crucial.”
Educating the public is necessary. “People often don’t know that the oceans are fundamental to human well-being on the entire planet,” Hayek explains. “The oceans regulate our climate, drive weather patterns and reduce the impact of climate change by absorbing 25 per cent of the carbon dioxide released by human activities.”
