Upcycled & Recycled Materials
As sustainability becomes increasingly important, some watch brands are looking for creative ways to lessen their impact on the environment. As such, watches can include components made of either upcycled or recycled materials. For instance, dials can be fashioned from melted-down fishing nets or recycled plastic bottles. Alternatively, there are watch companies that use alloys composed of metal scraps for cases and bracelets or rely on recycled nylons and other fabrics for straps.
Ceramic Ceramics in watches does not refer to fragile clay-based pottery but rather, high-tech materials that can be shaped and then hardened by heating to high temperatures. Although ceramic has been used in watches for decades, its popularity has picked up tremendously lately, due largely to advancements in manufacturing. High-tech ceramic is resistant to both scratching and fading, relatively lightweight, and hypoallergenic—all good things for watches. Plus, the sleek look of ceramic makes it ideal for components such as bezels, cases, and bracelets. $2,600
$4,200
Gold Alloys One way that some watch companies like to flaunt their material mastery is by developing secret formulas to create proprietary gold alloys. Mixing in other metals, such as copper, palladium, platinum, silver, zinc, and others, produces different colors and degrees of hardness. However, to remain 18 karat gold, the formula must consist of at least 75% pure gold.
$32,100
$4,975
29 DAVIS JEWELERS
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