The ID Geneve watch brand, based in Geneva, is pushing the boundaries in the field of sustainable luxury watches with materials such as plant-based leather and recycled stainless steel, melted together in solar-powered furnaces.
Founded in 2020, this small business is committed to producing premium watches with an innovative production approach that prioritizes climate- and eco-friendly solutions while also not disregarding traditional materials.
Nicolas Freudiger, the 35-year-old co-founder, emphasized the brand’s stance against unsustainable materials, such as the use of wood from the Amazon region in packaging. Instead, the company uses compostable packaging made from algae.
ID Geneve watches are available for purchase between 3,600 and 5,000 Swiss francs (approximately 1,050,000 and 1,450,000 Hungarian forints). Their reputation received a significant boost when Leonardo DiCaprio joined them as an investor in October.
An Authentic Luxury Alternative
Nicolas Freudiger teamed up with his childhood friend, Cedric Mulhauser, a skilled watchmaker from the renowned watch brand Vacheron Constantin, and designer Singal Depery Moesch to create an “authentic luxury alternative,” Freudiger said.
Their first model, the Circular 1, is made from recycled stainless steel sourced from leftovers produced during the manufacturing of watches and medical devices. Additionally, they purchased surplus watches from larger brands that were originally destined for disposal to salvage parts from them.
They collaborated with an Italian company for the straps, which are made from plant-based leather crafted from grapevine and green waste collected from parks.
The three-member team tested the solar oven and melted recycled steel alloys without the use of fossil fuels in the French Pyrenees. Their goal is to relocate this manufacturing segment to Switzerland. They plan to install a new solar oven in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the northwestern part of the Jura Mountains.
At the ChangeNow innovation fair in Paris in March 2023, they discovered a revolutionary composite technology developed by doctoral students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
These students, founders of the startup CompPair, presented a method for the simple and rapid restoration of carbon fiber materials in aerospace, wind energy, and sports equipment.
ID Geneve and CompPair formed a partnership and utilized recycled carbon fiber materials from wind turbine manufacturing to create dials that can be repaired with a heat gun if scratched or bent, without the use of chemical agents.
Sustainability is “sexy”
“Our goal is to prove that a watch made with CompPair technology can be just as impressive as wearing one made of 18-carat rose gold. Currently, it seems that these watches attract corporate executives and environmentally conscious engineers who seek a symbol that reflects their principles,” noted Freudiger.
Industry analysts suggest that ID Geneve has likely found a profitable market segment.
“There is certainly demand for these types of products. Studies consistently show that luxury consumers are increasingly interested in products sourced from sustainable origins,” said Jon Cox, industry analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux financial firm.
“We have never been as conscious as the new generation of buyers,” wrote Watches of Switzerland.
The watches have received significant attention in both Europe and North America. According to the company, shortly after the launch, the watches sold out.
Luca Solca, luxury goods analyst at Bernstein wealth management firm, praised the company’s “innovative and stylish attempt to differentiate.”
While ID Geneve may face growing competition as others, including major established brands, begin to employ similar strategies, it may already stabilize its position and carve out its own market segment by then, Solca added.
The company’s production is steadily expanding, with the goal of manufacturing 1000 watches this year.
