Blackbird Watch Manual Vol.9

In the ninth volume of Blackbird Watch Manual, we dedicate the scope of features to the global matter of sustainability, and how the watchmaking industry perceives, adjusts, and adapts its structure for the future.

We begin with Chopard and their pioneering take on sustainability to heart, as they proceed to ensure that all the materials are sourced responsibly and ethically, and with a deep concern for the effect they’re having on the people and the environment. Through the initiative of using Lucent Steel in all Chopard watches from now on, the maison is stating that the terms are indissociable, especially if we want to think of sustainability in the broadest sense, not only for the environment, but for the generational aspect.

As to how sustainability is very often linked to a particular passion, Blancpain CEO Marc Hayek has demonstrated that he is very personally concerned with building awareness of our oceanic environment, and the recent 70th anniversary of the brand’s Fifty Fathoms has undoubtedly brought the issue to the fore, with the focus on the importance of ocean conservation for the entire planet.

We also take a peek into the IWC Manufakturzentrum and discover the design and implementations of the facility that streamlined the manufacturing process with sustainability in mind. In retrospect, it is certainly worth discussing Walter Lange and his efforts on sustainability focused on ensuring that his great-grandfather’s legacy would flourish in modern times, and the watchmaking values he learned from a young age would be transmitted through an educational facility that now bears his name.

Beyond watchmaking, our exploration of the theme broadens to cover a wide array of topics including gastronomy and its relationships with agriculture, fisheries, and food production; the concurrent trend of EV and possibilities of other technologies in development; the initiatives of Bill Gates as well as the legacy of Pininfarina; and even the space industry, of how satellites help with monitoring global warming and the developments on space travel and exploration.