© Cedric Bellon

Cedric Bellon designs a sustainable Crowdmanufactured tool watch

The first sustainably crowdmanufactured tool watch is here.

Watch Angels is a Swiss watch manufacturer based in Mendrisio, Switzerland. It has developed the Crowdmanufacturing system and operates the watchangels.ch tool watch community platform. It executes the Crowdmanufacturing projects on behalf of the creator and acts as the contractual party to the buyer. More than 40 years of experience in the industry, working for the most renown brand names, confirm its relevance within the Swiss watch industry.

“Back in 1972, the Meadows Report warned us on the impact of globalisation on ecosystems. A few years later, in 1988, James Hansen’s testimony before the US Senate paved the way to an increased awareness in political circles, making it an increasingly prominent topic which, nowadays, no one can ignore — we can act, and so much can be done.

This project aims at pushing the watchmaking industry to consider working in a more virtuous way. For this, changes are needed. And possible.”
-Cedric Bellon, watch designer.

The watch has been purposely designed to be efficiently and affordably made, according to the three sustainability principles:

  • Sustainable manufacturing
  • Repurposing and recycling
  • CO2 reduction

The movements

Mr Bellon is using two repurposed movements. The first was commissioned to Dubois Dépraz by a brand, but then ended up being used in very few watches. It features a small second’s module at 12 o’clock on a Sellita SW300 base. The second is an automatic PO24 Automatic coming from the  pre-series production by Soprod. Buyers will have the choice to buy the watch with either the one or the other movement. 

tool watch

The case

The 40mm diameter case is made from 100% recycled and certified stainless steel. The 200M water-resistance is assured by “Compressor” system for the case-back. The bi-directional dual time turning bezel is fixed with by the crown to avoid the energy intensive production of tooling’s that are necessary for a turning bezel.

The strap

A hand made genuine leather strap. Natural tanned without any chemicals and stitched with natural linen cord and water-based glue.

The 3 sustainability principles

Most of the aspects of the chain have been revisited, from design to engineering, sourcing, materials, transportation, packaging, papers and logistics. The watch is made according to three principles:

1. Sustainable manufacturing
100% Production in Switzerland (3rd in the EPI 2020) where labour laws, salary levels and social conditions for workers are best-in-class; and where there are advanced ecological regulations for companies. Latest generation machines that are efficient, need less energy and entail low yield loss. Designing and engineering the watch for fast production to reduce energy consumption. Technical solutions aimed at avoiding chemical processes and the use of plastic as much as possible. Maximising in-house production to avoid intercontinental and inter-company components travel. Local, national or European sourcing whenever reasonably possible, meaning when it does not affect the aesthetics or specifications a tool watch requires. Produce only order in order to avoid stocks and therefore waste. No new tooling’s to avoid the significant energy consumption of producing them.

2. Repurposing and recycling
The materials used, wherever reasonably possible, have to originate from recycling or repurposing. Equally important is that such materials themselves have to be recyclable, therefore positively contributing to the materials cycle.

3. Minimization of CO2
Elimination of the globalised watch supply chain which creates astronomical transport distances. Proximity sourcing and in-house production reduces the the number of KM a watch has to travel before it lands on the wrist of the owner. The mimimisation of  CO2 released in the atmosphere by watch production is the “low hanging fruit” to improve the sustainability of watch production.

100% Swiss made

The watch is 100% developed, produced and assembled by hand in Switzerland. 

87% Sustainability score

By designing, engineering and manufacturing the watch according to the three principles an 87% sustainability score has been achieved. This is an index which compares how the watch has been produced and sourced with the average Swiss made watch. According to this score it is 2.07 times more sustainable than any traditionally produced and sourced Swiss made series watch.

Design

tool watch

When Cedric Bellon started to design this project, it became obvious to him that it had to be a tool-watch. More than any other watch, tool-watches are made to be used, to age and endure time. Simplicity, reliability, usability, timelessness and sustainability were therefore his design guidelines. Decreasing or even removing the environmental impact of each component and process influenced the design and execution, and he thinks it enhanced the concept.

The result is a “naked” and “raw” machine and hand finished watch, design under the influence of functionality, technical and environmental specifications and, obviously, a bit of style.

Price

The CB01-14060, encasing the Dubois Depraz movement, starts at 750 CHF  during Angels pre-sale, while the CB01-024, encasing the Soprod Automatic, starts at 495 CHF during the Angels pre-sale. The prices during the public pre-sale will be, respectively, of 975 CHF and 695 CHF. These prices represent the wholesale price, the price at which in traditional watchmaking a brand sells to its distributors, whom then sell it to retailers.

All watches (50 CB01-14060 and 100 CB01-P024) offered for sale at cost price during the Angel pre-sale campaign have found their Angel within 14 days and thus the community has activated the project! The creation phase, started on  1.12.2020, now allows the community to determine the final design and the public pre-sale will start on 15.12.2020 until 15.01.2021. 

Technical specifications

Ref: CB01-024Ref: CB01 – 14060
CASE
Diameter: 40 mm
Case material: 100% recycled and certified stainless steel.
Case finishing: circular brushed on top, horizontal brushed on sides
Crown: Screw-in
Case-back: Screw-in with compressor system
Bezel: Bi-directional 2nd time zone turning bezel with crown locking system 
Water resistance: 200M/20ATM
Dial: Stainless Steel brushed “naked” dial, no galvanic / chemical treatment
Hands: Brushed brass, no rhodium platting, Swiss Super-LumiNova®
CASE
Diameter: 40 mm
Case material: 100% recycled and certified stainless steel.
Case finishing: circular brushed on top, horizontal brushed on sides
Crown: Screw-in
Case-back: Screw-in with compressor system
Bezel: Bi-directional 2nd time zone turning bezel with crown locking system 
Water resistance: 200M/20ATM
Dial: Stainless Steel brushed “naked” dial, no galvanic / chemical treatment
Hands: Brushed brass, no rhodium platting, Swiss Super-LumiNova®
MOVEMENT
Soprod P024 automatic 3 hands date. 28.8000bph, 25 ewels 38h Power reserve
MOVEMENT
Dubois Depraz small seconds at 12 o’clock automatic (base SW300), repurposed. 28.800 bph, 29 Jewels, 44h Power reserve
STRAP
Hand-made genuine leather strap. Natural tanning without any chemicals. Stitching with natural linen cord and water-based glue
STRAP
Hand-made genuine leather strap. Natural tanning without any chemicals. Stitching with natural linen cord and water-based glue
SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
87% (2.07 times more sustainable than an average Swiss made series watch).
SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
87% (2.07 times more sustainable than an average Swiss made series watch).
ANGELS PRE-ORDER PRICE
495 CHF. Price includes shipping, VAT and Duties. Available only at www.watchangels.ch
ANGELS PRE-ORDER PRICE
750 CHF. Price includes shipping, VAT and Duties. Available only at www.watchangels.ch
EDITION SIZE
1499 pcs (limited by the movement quantity)
EDITION SIZE
499 pcs (limited by the movement quantity)
DESIGN
Concept and design intention as depicted. Final design after community creation phase.
DESIGN
Concept and design intention as depicted. Final design after community design phase.

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