PARIS — Breitling is making a bold move on the sustainability front with the launch of a watch made entirely of lab-grown diamonds and responsibly sourced “artisanal” gold.
The Swiss watchmaker’s chief executive officer, Georges Kern, described the Super Chronomat Automatic 38 Origins as “just the beginning” and “one step on a transformative journey.”
“Our roadmap begins here with the proof-of-concept Super Chronomat Origins,” the executive said in a statement unveiling the 38-mm red gold and diamond timepiece backed with independent third-party supply chain verification.
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For this “traceable watch,” diamonds have been sourced from New York City-headquartered company Fenix Diamonds, which grows type IIa single-crystal diamonds and uses offsets for all its energy consumption to achieve carbon neutrality.
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In an effort to offset the loss of income to diamond-producing communities, an argument often used by mined diamond producers to discourage brands and consumers from moving to lab-grown alternatives, Breitling has also revealed it would match every carat sold with a contribution to a social impact fund supporting these communities.
Likewise, the gold used for the new watch was sourced at the artisanal Touchstone mine in Colombia, which is accredited by the Swiss Better Gold Association.
This organization aims to improve working, living and environmental conditions for artisanal and small-scale (or ASM) gold mining communities in a bid to foster a responsible supply chain for the precious metal in the Swiss market.
The watchmaker indicated it was aiming to source all its gold through selected ASM mines by 2025.
Better traceability after purchase is also a feature of the Super Chronomat Origins, congruent with Breitling’s 2020 announcement of digital passports for all new timepieces, based on the Arianee protocol and connected to the company’s digital warranty program run by Dentsu Tracking. This time, traceability starting at the raw materials has been included in the certificate.
Available immediately, the watch retails for $19,500 with a rubber strap and $19,950 for the alligator strap.
The Super Chronomat Origins is part of a wider launch in the Chronomat range introduced in 2020, with novelties including the Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 and ceramic versions of the 38-mm Super Chronomat.
Matching these new pieces are four ambassadors, dubbed Breitling’s “All-star Squad” and described as “representing a new superlative in each of their games.” They are Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland; basketballer Giannis Antetokounmpo, the only under-30 player to rank in the NBA’s top 10 earners; quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and two-time Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding Chloe Kim, who is representing the Super Chronomat Origins.