Time for Action: 5 Watch Brands Committed to Ocean Conservation
An increasing number of watch companies are combatting ocean pollution through their underwater timepieces
Waterman, £4,395, Bremont
To combat the rubbish accumulating in the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’, the largest of five global ocean garbage patches, Bremont has teamed up with free-diving, big-wave-surfing environmentalist Mark Healey and Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii to launch the Waterman dive watch. The timepiece’s open sapphire-backed 500m water-resistant case, helium release valve, anti-shock vibration mount and scratch-resistant sapphire uni-directional bezel have all been tested to the extreme by Healey. The timepiece is limited to just 300 pieces with a percentage of proceeds going to the grassroots, Hawaii-based local non-profit organisation.
Fifty Fathoms Grande Date, £12,810, Blancpain
A lead sponsor of the World Ocean Summit since 2012, Blancpain’s historical connection with diving goes back to 1953, when it developed the first modern diving watch: the Fifty Fathoms. Today, Blancpain donates proceeds from its Ocean Commitment Bathyscaphe Chronograph to organisations including Pristine Seas Expeditions and Laurent Ballesta’s Project Gombessa. This year, for the first time, Blancpain has brought its signature instant-change large date complication to the Fifty Fathoms, displayed in two windows located at 6 o’clock.
Superocean II 44, £3,250, Breitling
Last year, Breitling restructured its product offering into watches for ‘air’, ‘land’ and ‘sea’. This year, the brand demonstrates its commitment to the latter by partnering with Ocean Conservancy, an organisation dedicated to the global fight for healthy oceans and clean beaches. The brand will be donating part of the proceeds from sales of a limited-edition SuperOcean Héritage watch to the foundation.
Marine Alarme Musicale 5547, £21,500, Breguet
At Baselworld 2018, Breguet announced a partnership with Race for Water, a foundation dedicated to solutions that transform plastic waste into energy resources. Presently, Race for Water is committed to reducing small islands’ dependency on fossil fuels by promoting sun, water and wind energy. Part of Breguet’s Marine family, the Marine Alarm 5547 is equipped with a striking alarm function and a second time zone.
Aquatimer Chronograph ‘Galapagos Islands’ Edition, £8,650, IWC
Around 40 per cent of the wildlife found in the Galapagos Islands is unique to the archipelago. Yet human settlement, the introduction of foreign species and overfishing are posing a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem. IWC’s collaboration with the Charles Darwin Foundation began in 2009, with the watchmaker contributing an annual sum to the charity’s research station on the archipelago. The Aquatimer Chronograph ‘Galapagos Islands’ Edition features a rubber-coated stainless-steel case and a back engraved with an image of the Galapagos marine iguana.
