Pressure builds on the watch industry over green claims

Pressure builds on the watch industry over green claims

Luxury watch companies have made a big play of partnerships with leading conservation agencies. Hublot is helping to save the rhino. And Omega is trying to protect the oceans, as well as clearing up space junk. Close ties to non-profits have a positive effect on consumers — and the bottom line. Being good is good for business.

Research published by consultancy Accenture and the World Economic Forum in September found that 66 per cent of consumers were planning to make “more sustainable/ethical purchases” over the following six months.

But pressure is growing on brands to come clean about their sponsorship deals with conservation charities. Accusations of companies making misleading claims about their environmental credentials — so-called greenwashing — are never far away.

The watch industry is a latecomer to green activities. In 2018, the charity WWF published a damning report indicating the Swiss watch industry fell short of environmental standards. Many brands had failed to declare their environmental impact or partnerships, the report said. It concluded the industry “does not meet good environmental standards” and had “a great responsibility . . . to generate a positive impact on society, nature and the economy”.

“Not to calculate and publicise your impact is so 1980s,” says Damian Oettli, head of