Is our hobby terrible for the environment?

[tobywatches]

Generally speaking I like to think I don't do too much harm to the environment with my lifestyle.

Recently I've been analysing this - no doubt fuelled by the birth of my first child and thinking about her future - and started thinking about watches.

Panerai's newest ( https://forums.timezone.com/index.ph...=0#msg_7692557 ) makes a big thing about being better for the environment than any other they've produced. Breitling also recently changed their packaging to try and be more sustainable.

So my question is how much damage do these luxury products do to the world? Is their production a disaster? Has there ever been any research on this? Has anyone ever investigated it? I can't find any articles about it really and would be keen to know more.

Any info anyone?

[kevkojak]

Out of interest, would it make any difference?
All goods have a carbon footprint, whether shipping bananas from South America or driving milk from the local dairy.
Luxury goods are, by definition, not essential. If it makes you feel good then I guess you could cut all none essentials out of your life and ease your conscience some. Will it stop them being made and shipped across the world? Nope.

I can't imagine a study on the environmental factors of watch production has ever been carried out... Life is simply too short.

Good points on the Breitling packaging I guess (Gucci offer an alternative, too) but I suspect that's just because plastic waste is the hot topic at the moment, they are just offering a biodegradable option.

[walkerwek1958]

Rather than considering the carbon footprint of watches, cast a thought to the carbon footprint of your firstborn! The amount of toys and stuff bought for kids, predominantly made from plastic and shipped from China, is mind- boggling. All these items will be manufactured from plastics in China, shipped to the UK, have a short useful life, then end up in land- fill.

Think about it, your kid (or rather the plastic crap that you and everyone buys for it) will do more environmental harm than any watch you might care to own.

[M4tt]

You want to do the planet a favour - buy secondhand. With watches, that couldn't be easier.

[endo]

I think keeping up with latest tech the past decade has probably caused more environmental damage than the entire history of watchmaking.

Plus at the rate folk flip on here, a whole lot of recycling is going on.

[bedlam]

An affluent lifestyle is bad for the environment. Watches may be a component of that for some but its far from being the biggest issue.

[ollipekka]

At least omega doesn't seem to think microplastics are an issue:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omeg...-i-know.92402/

[chrisparker]

An affluent lifestyle is bad for the environment. Watches may be a component of that for some but its far from being the biggest issue.

It doesn't need to be if you focus on quality over quantity. Often a quality item is repairable, cheap usually means disposable.

[robert75]

Rather than considering the carbon footprint of watches, cast a thought to the carbon footprint of your firstborn! The amount of toys and stuff bought for kids, predominantly made from plastic and shipped from China, is mind- boggling. All these items will be manufactured from plastics in China, shipped to the UK, have a short useful life, then end up in land- fill.

Think about it, your kid (or rather the plastic crap that you and everyone buys for it) will do more environmental harm than any watch you might care to own.

Sell a child buy a watch?

[MartynJC (UK)]

The advent of barcodes on food had an explosion on plastic wraps - all land fill. Even a bunch of bananas is wrapped in plastic ffs. We are killing the planet - no wonder nature is fighting back against us parasites. “One day Man who thought he had dominion over all the animals and the earth caught a cold and died”.

Three days without electricity and we would be all back to the dark ages and morality would be gone. Wouldn’t take long.

I don’t think watches contribute didley squat in the scheme of things. On a personal level - if you are concerned them don’t by luxury goods.

(sorry guys - woke up with a bad headache today - normal service will be shortly resumed)

[Mick P]

I think you could buy 1000 watches and do less damage to the environment than by just taking one flight abroad.

The problem with going green is that we ignore driving around in cars and flying aircraft and compensate by buying less plastic. We also think nothing of buying cheap stuff from China where pollution, appalling working conditions and cheap labour are rife. So cheap stores sell clothes are are intended to be worn once and then discarded. Sadly the main buyers of this are young girls who may well continue the habit for years.

One advantage of lockdown is that you can actually start breathing clean air.

[gbn13]

The advent of barcodes on food had an explosion on plastic wraps - all land fill. Even a bunch of bananas is wrapped in plastic ffs. We are killing the planet - no wonder nature is fighting back against us parasites. “One day Man who thought he had dominion over all the animals and the earth caught a cold and died”.

Three days without electricity and we would be all back to the dark ages and morality would be gone. Wouldn’t take long.

I don’t think watches contribute didley squat in the scheme of things. On a personal level - if you are concerned them don’t by luxury goods.

(sorry guys - woke up with a bad headache today - normal service will be shortly resumed)

Martyn you don’t want a headache today - you will likely have a self induced one when you wake tomorrow. Do you have your costume sorted for this evening?😀

[robert75]

The advent of barcodes on food had an explosion on plastic wraps - all land fill. Even a bunch of bananas is wrapped in plastic ffs. We are killing the planet - no wonder nature is fighting back against us parasites. “One day Man who thought he had dominion over all the animals and the earth caught a cold and died”.

Three days without electricity and we would be all back to the dark ages and morality would be gone. Wouldn’t take long.

I don’t think watches contribute didley squat in the scheme of things. On a personal level - if you are concerned them don’t by luxury goods.

(sorry guys - woke up with a bad headache today - normal service will be shortly resumed)

More importantly do you have more honey to sell?

[barbusg60]

Rather than considering the carbon footprint of watches, cast a thought to the carbon footprint of your firstborn! The amount of toys and stuff bought for kids, predominantly made from plastic and shipped from China, is mind- boggling. All these items will be manufactured from plastics in China, shipped to the UK, have a short useful life, then end up in land- fill.

Think about it, your kid (or rather the plastic crap that you and everyone buys for it) will do more environmental harm than any watch you might care to own.

So true, the amount of absolute crap my two have had in their lives is terrible when you look back. And where is it now? As stated, in landfill somewhere.
Younger members of our family starting out are going for more wooden, traditional type toys again.

[ac11111]

I would say watches are good for the environment since the money is not otherwise spent on more holidays and cars

[Christian]

I think there are more effective ways to save the environment than worry that watches are bad for it. I understand the theory that every little helps, but unless we are 100% committing to regressing to live in caves and live a totally natural animalistic life as cavemen, it must pale into total insignificance compared to a lot of other things humans do.

[verv]

I would say watches are good for the environment since the money is not otherwise spent on more holidays and cars

good point.

[Mick P]

The plain truth is that hardly anything is good for the environment. If nothing else, the factory staff have to travel to work by rail or car.

About 10 years ago I attended a function and got chatting with a senior buyer for Selfridges. Evidently every supplier of every product has to pass a severe scrutiny test for ethical manufacture. The system is not perfect but it is damn good.

Therefore I now tend to buy nearly all of my clothing from Selfridges in order to relieve my guilt of buying tat that originates from sweat shops. When you see cheap jeans, shirts and jeans up for sale in the SC, just think where they are coming from.

However I am a total fool because I have to travel up to London to make this ethical purchase, So I am probably deluding myself that I am doing anything to save the planet.

[Montello]

The big issue is over population.

If people want to do anything to save the planet then they need to stop breeding; especially children in the developed world who have a huge carbon footprint ... unfortunately the OP has already done the worst thing possible any human can do (for the planet) which is add to the population ...

[Mick P]

The big issue is over population.

If people want to do anything to save the planet then they need to stop breeding; especially children in the developed world who have a huge carbon footprint ... unfortunately the OP has already done the worth thing possible any human can do (for the planet) which is add to the population ...

On that basis, do the decent thing and terminate your life.

PS No cremation, think of the smoke.

[Itsguy]

On the plus side, quality watches are products that last a lifetime, can be repaired and are widely recycled. So from that point of view they’re a model of the kinds of products we should make. On the minus side we all have boxes full of them.

[monogroover]

Generally speaking I like to think I don't do too much harm to the environment with my lifestyle.

Recently I've been analysing this - no doubt fuelled by the birth of my first child and thinking about her future - and started thinking about watches.

Hm, interesting one, not sure. But every time I see Greta Thunberg on my television I set fire to a bucket of petrol in the garden, so I may not be the best person to comment.

[Wallasey Runner]

Our hobby must be good for the Royal Mail and other couriers though. When I think of the number of watches I have taken to the Post Office over the years, the cumulative bill for that lot is easily in four figures now and times that by the number of watches and on here and other places being flipped and moving around. Bad for the environment, but good for business.

[Mick P]

Our hobby must be good for the Royal Mail and other couriers though. When I think of the number of watches I have taken to the Post Office over the years, the cumulative bill for that lot is easily in four figures now and times that by the number of watches and on here and other places being flipped and moving around. Bad for the environment, but good for business.

I thank you for funding my Royal Mail Pension. It is much appreciated.