I applaud the effort by watch manufacturers to minimize their contributions to climate change. Globally, we've made some progress towards "bending the curve" of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the good news. This figure from climateactiontracker.org shows that, even under an optimistic scenario, some increase in global temperatures is unavoidable.The bad news is that we clearly need to do a whole lot more to get to a point where we halt the growing cost of environmental degradation. As the graph I've presented here shows, existing policies are not enough to ensure a healthy planet for our children, their children, and all future generations.
As Elizabeth Doer's outstanding coverage on Quill and Pad shows, the watch industry is discussing the challenges ahead and developing contributions to the fight against climate change. These include the use of recycled and recovered materials in manufacturing as well as requiring transparency in how raw materials are sourced.
We like to imagine that the simple act of buying a traditional mechanical watch is good for the environment. Supposedly, a traditional mechanical watch lasts a long time and it is not "disposable." This is a reasonable point. However, when it comes to information, collectors and buyers will struggle to learn the exact environmental impact of any particular watch purchase. A WWF assesment of watch brand environmental friendliness. The image here comes from a 2018 WWF report on the jewelry and watch industry. The report author rated the majority of watch brands as "latecomers" and "non-transparent."
When we turn to the Apple Watch, a supposedly "disposable" bit of kit, we discover that Apple is actually ahead of most of the luxury watch industry when it comes to disclosure. On their web page, after a fair bit of digging, you can find a report offering carbon footprint figures for the Apple watch, calculated according to an international set of standards (ISO 14040 and 14044). I tried to find similar environmental disclosure statements for major Swiss watch brands and I got nowhere (although this Rolex infographic by some undergraduates is pretty cool and interesting). I do believe it is still likely that a Swiss mechanical watch is more environmentally friendly than a smartwatch. For example, a smartwatch requires electricity, the production of which almost always casts off greenhouse gases. A mechanical watch involves converting caloric intake into stored energy through a wound spring. That caloric energy is either recovered as you move about (automatic winding) or you "exert" yourself to wind the watch. In either case, my guess is that the greenhouse gas emissions from winding a mainspring is negligible compared to the energy used in charging an Apple Watch.
But why am I left to guess about this? If I really do care about the future of the planet and I want to compare the carbon footprint of a mechanical watch to an Apple Watch, why is the traditional watch industry making it so hard to do so? Fortunately, every collector has a readymade solution to this conundrum: buy preowned or vintage. Such watches do not require mining or shipping about of raw materials. They don't require consumption of energy in a manufacture in order to create the timepiece. That energy use took place at some point in the past. Therefore, the carbon footprint for a preowned or vintage watch is necessarily lower than the footprint for a brand new watch walking straight out of an authorized dealer's door. Prefer an untouched case? Consider buying a watch from a manufacturer who upcycles components, such as watchmaker Colin de Tonnac at Semper & Adhuc. At least then you'll reduce the environmental impact of a watch that is mostly new.
I have bought my own fair share of brand new watches. However, I have also bought preowned. Since buying a "used" watch is almost certainly better for the environment, I generally feel better about my "secondhand" purchases. Going forward, knowing that the preowned path is greener may well shape my buying patterns.
My book on the history of Rolex marketing is now available on Amazon! It debuted as the #1 New Release in its category. You can find it here.
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Today, I learned a new term from an Instagram post by @ebaywatches. That term is "closet currency." No, this doesn't refer to someone stacking bills in some dark corner of their wardrobe. Instead, closet currency is the value that is stored in items that you put in your closet. At least, that's what I think it means. I arrived at this conclusion since eBay's post featured YouTuber Jose Zeniga describing the monetary value of different luxury watches. Zeniga also described a "luxury exchange" that eBay set up in NYC. In essence, you could take something out of your closet, go to the exchange, get an appraisal value, and then use your item and its appraisal to purchase another item that was available on the exchange. The formal definition of money is anything that is generally accepted as payment. In essense, eBay set up a NYC micro-economy in which almost any closet item could be used as money. Money is actually a pretty complex topic. It took a lo
An inflatable rat in front of a Rolex property in New York City, source: Google Maps. While following up on a recent Instagram post, I spent some time reviewing properties owned by Rolex in the New York City metropolitan area. One property, in particular, caught my interest because it seemed to be "off the beaten track." In order to learn more about it, I used street view in Google Maps to access some pictures of the building. As I virtually strolled down the middle of the street, I approached the building's main entrance. Surprise doesn't even begin to describe my reaction when I saw an inflatible rat positioned on the sidewalk facing the door. This thing was big, maybe 12 feet tall. A carnival-esque rodent was the last thing I expected to see near the entrance to a Rolex building. There were three people standing nearby, one wearing something like a construction hat. Having seen a number of labor-related demonstrations in the recent past, my gut told me th
When we purchase preowned or vintage goods, we are essentially extending the lifespan of these items. This means fewer new items need to be produced, leading to a reduction in the waste generated by manufacturing, packaging, and transportation.This is a good things and this beneficial to the people.If some one have interested to buy mba dissertation help service,so feel free to contact with me.I will give you the best solution.
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ReplyDeleteA very excellent blog post. I am thankful for your blog post. I have found a lot of approaches after visiting your post.If you are looking the best phd proposal help service turn out to the thesis writing help for all the academic task.
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating how Apple's environmental transparency sets them apart in the watch world. However, the comparison of smartwatches and mechanical watches in terms of environmental impact is fascinating. but currently I am busy with my assignment and I am looking for a kfc swot analysis. If someone knows my subject well, please guide me professionally.
ReplyDeleteWriting in academics plays an important role. If you are struggling with academic writing, then visit my latest blog about academic writing dos and don'ts on my website.
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