ID Genève, which describes itself as the world’s most sustainable watch brand, has been given a toe hold in the UK and United States with Watches of Switzerland.
The retailer will stock the brand at its Battersea Power Station multibrand showroom and at a new store opening within American Dream, a large retail destination in New Jersey.
Nicolas Freudiger, co-founder and CEO of ID Genève, is delighted. “It’s a privilege working with Watches of Switzerland in a partnership born from our shared values. Retailers are an essential part of our eco-system and we are delighted are glad to start building the ID Genève brand together,” he says.
Given the difficulty most brands have at getting listed with Watches of Switzerland, it has to be the environmental credentials of ID Genève that sealed the deal.
ID Genève watches use upcycled ETA movements, and are priced at around £5,000, which is a pretty tough sell unless your customers put a considerable premium on sustainability.
Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches of Switzerland says adding ID Genève into its product range demonstrates the company’s commitment to promoting circular design and innovation.
The retailer’s head of sustainability, Kesah Trowell, adds: “It’s fantastic to be introducing exciting new brands, such as ID – a watch manufacturer with a production chain based entirely on sustainable development and the integration of materials with a lower carbon footprint.”
ID Genève goes further than most in making its watches sustainable. They are made from recycled steel, use upcycled movements and environmentally friendly straps.
Its Circular S, Circular 1 Minerals and Circular 1 collections use packaging from the Magical Mushroom Company; Biophilica manufactures industrially compostable watch straps and Notpla provides the first packaging to be made of seaweed that is fully soluble in water and can be used as a plant fertiliser.
