The next movement in watchmaking? Going green. We don’t mean the colours on the dial, of course, but more of how watchmakers like Swatch are adapting to eco-friendly, sustainable solutions, while aiming to reduce their carbon footprint in the midst of a looming climate crisis. That’s a good thing too, since more of us are increasingly conscious about our fashion choices too.
The best part is, Swatch’s latest foray isn’t just another watch made of recycled plastic, which seems to be the way most brands are courting the eco-conscious market. Instead, they’ve gone above and beyond on innovation, and invented a new material — BIOCERAMIC. Made of two-thirds ceramic, alongside bio-sourced plastic derived from the seeds of the castor plant, the material debuts on the BIG BOLD watch series, and is said to roll out across more lines by the end of 2021.
ABOVE: BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC — C-blue.
ABOVE: BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC — C-grey.
What’s immediately apparent about BIOCERAMIC, especially across the ample surface of the BIG BOLD watches, is its refined, soft and powdery touch. This is clearly an elevated material we’re talking about, and a step up from the brand’s usual (funky) plastic watches, both in terms of feel and its properties.
With ceramic, often associated with luxury timepieces, the watch is now more durable, sturdy and scratch-resistant than before. The incorporation of bio-sourced plastic then helps with the potential brittleness of ceramic, enabling the pieces to withstand hard knocks without shattering; essentially, the best of both worlds.
The innovation also continues Swatch’s efforts in sourcing for sustainable materials, which started from their first line of bio-sourced plastic Swatch watches, launched September last year.
ABOVE: BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC — C-pink.
ABOVE: BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC — c-white and c-black.
As for the popular BIG BOLD silhouette, known for its unisex 47mm diameter case, it couldn’t be more apt. You can be assured that this “Swiss Made” timepiece comes with Swatch’s exacting precision, while also marvelling at the range of styles it offers. We think it has something to do with the striking oversized watch face and its dynamic design, which is versatile enough to go from minimalist, everyday styles to taking on colour palettes that are bright, contrasting and, well, bold.
The first series of the BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC focuses on classic colours of black and white, as well as pastel shades of sky-blue, light pink, and a soft dove grey. These feature a transparent watch face, where the architectural structure of the case makes for a compelling design that catches the eye. Its case, bezel and crown are made of the BIOCERAMIC material, while the bracelet, glass and loops are made from bio-sourced plastic.
A more recent Summer drop sees the watch dial up on the sunny vibes with fresher pops of colour and contrasting shades. “BLITE” has refreshing pops of light blue and orange on a white base, “LIMY” takes on blue and grey though with lime accents for a playful touch, “ORACK” features a bold orange and black palette, while “DIVERSIPINK” is especially pleasing to the eye, with pink, grey, and blue detailing.
Check out the current line-up of BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC watches here:
[click on the images to expand.]
Swatch has also just launched an additional colour to this stellar line-up — C-LIME, a happy neon shade. This launches 22 July as an online-exclusive, only on swatch.com!
ABOVE: BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC — c-lime.
Swatch BIG BOLD BIOCERAMIC watch, $194 each. Available at Swatch stores and online at swatch.com.
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