9 Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Watches Giving You A Green Hand
How can you keep track of time—without stealing it from the planet and future generations?
That is the matter at hand (err…wrist), which is why we’re talking about sustainable watches.
From using sustainable materials for the bands to designing extra long-lasting batteries, there are many things watchmakers can do to get their environmental practices on (c)lock.
So what is the most eco-friendly watch brand?
Only time will tell….fortunately not that much time 😉
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
Make Time for the Best Sustainable Watches
Like Solios and their innovative solar powered watches paired with consciously-chosen bands and bodies.
Nordgreen puts new meaning to the “green” in their name by refusing to use any toxic ingredients in their conflict-free, ethical watches.
If you prefer a pop of color on your wrist, Mondaine provides by turning recycled PET bottles into timepieces.
For you white rabbits checking your pocket watch and squealing, “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date”, hop to the end of the article to learn what criteria these sustainable eco-friendly watches ticked (and tocked).
The Full List Of Sustainable Watch Brands
- Nordgreen | Visit Store
- Solios | Visit Store
- Original Grain | Visit Store
- TRIWA | Visit Store
- Mondaine | Visit Store
- TIVC | Visit Store
- Tense | Visit Store
- Votch | Visit Store
- Decideandact | Visit Store
1. Nordgreen
About Nordgreen
Price Range: $169–$372
Nordgreen is a Danish eco-friendly watch brand founded by two friends and watch-enthusiasts.
Tired of searching for quality brands with sustainable design, they took time into their own hands and started creating sustainable watches for women and men.
Their sustainable luxury watches are for those looking for ultra-classic, timeless (well, you get the idea) styles, like linked metal or leather bands.
We were given the remendous opportunity to test out three of their watches and if you asked us which is our favorite, we simply couldn’t pick.
The Philosopher is perfect for those who durability and verstaility, thanks to its brushed metal body that doesn’t show wear and interchangable strap design. We went with the stainless steel mesh for its weatherproofing and are so pleased with how light and non-abrasive it feels.
For something a little more flashy and feminine, we’d suggest the Unika with a polished metal chain strap, while the Native with a white dial and brown leather strap combo is ideal for those looking for an absolultely timeless timepiece.
Nordgreen’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All Nordgreen sustainable ethical watches are made with conflict-free, non-toxic materials, meaning no phthalate plasticizers or heavy metal stabilizers.
Choose between interchangeable straps of either stainless steel mesh, stainless steel links, recycled microfiber vegan leather, rubber, and LWG-certified Italian leather (only navy, white, and gray leather straps are LWG-certified).
Supply chain & labor practices:
This Certified B Corp’s ethically made watches are manufactured in a Danish owned Chinese factory under European workforce standards.
Green business practices:
Nordgreen recaptures and reuses at least 99% of manufacturing solvents, ship in FSC-certified cardboard, and offset their plastic use through CleanHub.
They promote product circularity by allowing you to buy refurbished watches.
In addition to providing carbon neutral shipping, they have a carbon-neutral office in Copenhagen and over 90% of their team uses the trusty bicycle to commute to work.
Community & charitable giving:
Through the brand’s Giving Back Program, each watch sold means a generous contribution to one of three different NGOs located in the Central African Republic, India, and Latin America.
Customers may choose between providing clean water to those without, funding two months of education to underprivileged children, or preserving 200 square feet of rainforest.
They also create regular limited edition product collaborations to support other NGOs, like the Copenhagen Cartel collection that sees proceeds to Healthy Seas.
Also available on Nordgreen UK
2. Solios
About Solios
Price Range: $265–$355
Inspired by the forward-thinking city they’re based in—Montreal—Canada’s best eco-friendly watch brand Solios is driven by inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability.
Enter: eco-friendly solar watches with quartz mechanics that can run for six months on just a couple hours of sunlight or artificial UV light—total!
More than 300 million disposable watch batteries are produced every.single.year. If these batteries only last one or two years, that’s 300 million batteries hitting the landfill per annum.
Compare that to a Solios battery, rated to last 50 years.
We thought portable solar panels were something but these are a no-brainer.
You’d never guess such a powerful solar movement dwells within a dainty recycled stainless steel design like the Solar Mini.
Solios’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All of Solios’ solar powered watches feature either a metal mesh or PVC and PU-free Eco Leather (silicone) band.
They’re combined with a 100% recycled plastic microfiber inlay, 100% recyclable stainless steel body, and sapphire-coated glass face.
Their case is made of 316L stainless steel because it’s hypoallergenic, recycled and recyclable, and more durable and anti-corrosive than 314 stainless steel or other metals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Solios was the first ethical watch brand to become a Certified B Corp.
They personally audit all factories and enforce “responsible procurement” via their Supplier Code of Conduct for suppliers located in Canada, USA, Japan, Switzerland and Hong Kong.
Green business practices:
Solios allows you to recycle any watch in exchange for $50 of store credit.
The ionic plating process they use has been designed to be as sustainable as possible, limiting contamination of soil and water.
They’ve done away with styrofoam and plastic in the watch production and transportation process. Product packaging consists of 100% recycled and recyclable FSC-certified cardboard, natural ink, and organic glue.
They recycle their organic waste, carbon offset business trips, use hydroelectricity to power their office, and have also partnered with tentree in their Climate+ program.
Community & charitable giving:
For each watch sold, Solios restores an acre of the rainforest through Rainforest Trust.
They also partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and David Suzuki Foundation with donations, events, and limited edition watch collections.
3. Original Grain
About Original Grain
Price Range: $189–$639
No two watches are the same from Original Grain.
Why?
Because their wooden sustainable watches are made from unique and sustainable sources, like harvested wood burls or an old seat from Yankee Stadium.
For example, the Reclaimed Military watches are their version of eco-friendly military watches—in a much more literal sense considering they’re made of reclaimed ammo wood crates.
Original Grain’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Much of the wood used for each watch case is reclaimed, and sourced from the likes of oak beer barrels, ammo crates, bourbon barrel crates, tequila barrel wood, guitar wood, and retired MLB Stadium seats.
Their virgin woods—Ebony, rosewood, African Sapele wood, mahogany, oak, zebrawood, ashwood—are all FSC certified.
That’s paired with a 316L Stainless Steel frame, durable steel band, and a battery that lasts 2-3 years.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Original Grain high-quality wooden watches are assembled via handcrafting in China. We’ve reached out to learn more about what worker protections are in place at this factory but have yet to receive a reply.
Green business practices:
All eco-friendly watches come with a comprehensive one-year warranty.
Community & charitable giving:
Through a partnership with Trees for the Future in Senegal, they plant one tree for every watch sold.
4. TRIWA
About TRIWA
Price Range: $149–$299
TRIWA, short for Transforming the Industry of Watches, likes to think of themselves as “norm challengers and innovators in an industry that needs transforming.”
Combining Scandinavian simplicity with silhouettes, they offer both eco-friendly sports watches (with 5 to 10 ATM resistance) and sleeker ethical modern watches.
Shop four different collections of both quartz and solar powered watches: Time for Oceans, Time for Solar, Time for Peace, and Time to Talk.
We were fortunate enough to try one of their recycled watches. The Black Solar Recycled watch features a large face that strikes the prefect balance between being easy to read, while still looking elegant and minimalist. It features glow-in-the-dark hands and a VS22B Solar movement that runs for several months without charging (which it does on both artificial and natural light!).
We also love that the recycled plastic canvas strap is both comfortable enough to wear all day, while still being highly durable.
TRIWA’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
For their Humanium eco-friendly recycled watches, TRIWA’s uses Humanium metal, made from recycled illegal firearms sourced from local authorities in El Salvador and IM Sweden.
The Time for Oceans line creates both straps and cases from recycled ocean plastic.
While they use real leather for some of their straps, they source it from Swedish organic tannery Tärnsjӧ, known for its use of chrome-free vegetable tanning processes.
Other ranges include standard metal choices like polished silver, steel, and brass.
Supply chain & labor practices:
TRIWA’s ethically made recycled watches are designed and made in Sweden, using Miyota watch movements made in Japan.
Factories are visited twice a year to ensure TRIWA’s ethical standards are upheld.
Green business practices:
Aside from reducing waste through recycled materials, TRIWA also uses the smallest packaging sizes they can.
The first company to receive The 2030 Certification by Doconomy, each sustainable watch has a “cradle-to-gate” calculated carbon footprint score.
Community & charitable giving:
For each watch sold, they donate additional funds to IM Sweden. 15% of every watch in the Time for Peace collection currently supports IM’s work in Ukraine.
15% of every Ocean Plastic – Sea Shepherd recycled ocean plastic watch goes to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
5. Mondaine
About Mondaine
Price Range: $220–$795
Over half a century old, Mondaine might just be the oldest of all ethical watch brands.
They made the world’s first solar-powered analog wristwatch and have been utilizing recycled materials for three decades.
They have several collections of men’s and women’s recycled watches but their most eco-friendly watches are found in the Essence Collection.
Mondaine’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The Essence Collection features recycled PET bottles for straps, cork fabric lining, and a partial castor bean “wondertree” oil case. They come in a recycled PET case that doubles as a cell phone or eyeglass sleeve.
Most of Mondaine’s watches feature steel, the majority of which is recycled.
Some watch bands are made of leather, sourced as a byproduct of the meat industry and tanned with RoHS-compliant chrome-free methods.
They use no diamonds and only a few grams of gold per year.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All environmentally friendly watches are handcrafted in their own factory in Biberist, Switzerland.
By helping create jobs for the mentally impaired, they’ve been honored with the Social Star of Solothurn.
As for suppliers, they regularly monitor compliance to their ILO-approved Code of Conduct.
Green business practices:
Not only do the sustainable solar watches run on solar powered quartz movements, but are themselves made by solar powered machinery, powering 80% of their factory.
They’ve achieved carbon neutrality by supporting tropic reforestation projects of the Fairventures Organization to offset the entirety of their carbon footprint.
Mondaine offers repairs and a free metal watch recycling program (of any brand), the first brand in Switzerland to do so.
This member of the ecology-minded company leadership program öbu also has an energy efficient HQ, in-house recycling, uses sea freight shipping and FSC certified packaging, and more that can be found in their sustainability report.
Community & charitable giving:
Mondaine supports a variety of NGOs, including the Smiling Gecko Foundation, Water Foundation, Project Aware, and more.
6. TIVC
About TIVC
Price Range: $127–$147
TIVC stands for: Time IV Change.
They say it best: “Time is all we have – why not invest in the future?”
They fulfill this mission by handcrafting sustainable recycled watches that feature extra large, minimalist faces, in either gold, rose gold, or silver colors.
For a minimalist watch to go with your minimalist wardrobe, you can’t go wrong with the clean look of the Silver & White Piñatex watch.
At just over $100, are also some of the most affordable eco-friendly watches on this list.
TIVC’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
TIVC offers a range of recycled watches using upcycled synthetic eco suede and Piñatex.
The watch faces are made with stainless steel—most of which include up to 60% recycled metals.
All eco-friendly materials are cruelty-free and Peta-approved vegan, and free from Substances of Very High Concern meaning zero carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins.
Supply chain & labor practices:
These watches are manufactured in a Hong Kong factory that is SA8000 certified and audited by the TIVC change every 12-18 months.
Their suppliers must adhere to their Supplier Code of Conduct and the majority of those have third-party audits, too.
Green business practices:
Using 95% sustainable materials for packaging means most is compostable, recycled, or recyclable. The other 5% is reusable.
TIVC offsets all shipping to customers.
Community & charitable giving:
10% of TIVC’s annual profits are donated to various environmental and animal welfare organizations.
They also support other causes when the need arises (like the bushfires in Australia).
7. Tense
About Tense
Price Range: $160–$390
Tense’s makes us feel anything with their stunning collection of sustainable wood watches, which are fully customizable with laser engraving.
The Cambridge Chrono represents Tense’s unique range of mechanical eco-friendly watches. It features three sub-dials showing hours, seconds, and minutes.
For those who prefer digital sustainable watches, you can forget the movement and just buy Apple Watch compatible wooden straps.
Tense’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Sustainable AND recycled watches, Tense’s face frames are made from 100% recycled or reclaimed wood.
The most sustainable watch bands are also made out of this, but some feature Italian leather bands or vegan leather bands. They don’t specify what the vegan leather is made out of and have yet to respond to our inquiries on this. Because vegan leather can sometimes be made of less-than-sustainable types of plastic (like PVC) we recommend avoiding.
All feature a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face and corrosion-resistant surgical grade 316 stainless steel hardware.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Handmade in Canada, each sustainable watch comes from Tense’s own Vancouver workshop.
The premium movements are sourced from Switzerland (Rondo 6004D) and Japan (Miyota).
Green business practices:
Aside from being a certified carbon responsible business, each environmentally friendly watch comes with a two-year warranty and waterproof ratings up to 5 ATM.
Community & charitable giving:
Tense is a member of 1% for the Planet.
8. Votch
About Votch
Price Range: $145–$165
For a UK sustainable watch brand, Votch is the PETA-approved (and award winning) vegan one out to “show that you don’t need to be cruel to be cool.”
In classic round and unique square frames, these inexpensive eco-friendly watches bear minimalist faces and colorful, solid bands.
Time for something bold in your sustainable accesories arsenal?
The Aalto Black & Black With Black (aside from having a stellar name) and its big face and PVC-free vegan leather strap might be for you.
Votch’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Votch straps are made of either Piñatex (made from pineapple leaves), AppleSkin (made from apple scraps), stainless steel with PVD plating, or a PU and cotton woven microfiber vegan leather.
All vegan materials are PVC and phthalate-free.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Votch works with a select ethical factory in Shenzhen, China that pays their employees fairly.
Green business practices:
Because bands are interchangeable with appropriately sized watches, it’s like getting several sustainable ethical watches in one—reducing your need to buy more!
They’re packaged in recyclable materials with a low environmental impact.
Community & charitable giving:
Votch donates 10% of their profits to charity partners that switch every three months, but are generally focused on animals in need.
9. Decideandact
About Decideandact
Price Range: $229–$269
Swiss brand Decideandact, or d&a for short, creates “swisstainable” eco-friendly vegan watches in collections that help you stand for ecology, diversity, or peace.
With fun prints across a number of interchangeable (and reversible!) bands, you can mix and match for uniquely-you men’s and women’s sustainable watches.
Not only do these reversible bands mean you get twice the variety in one watch, but the designs are thematically coordinated with the overall focus of each collection.
Decideandact’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Each recycled ethical watch features a 316L stainless steel case (80% of which is recycled) in silver, gold, or rose gold tints.
That pairs with a PETA-approved vegan reversible strap made of cactus leather and GRS-certified recycled PET.
Powertech quartz movement is designed for low energy consumption allowing up to 10 years of battery life.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All fair trade watches are ethically made in Switzerland in an ISO-certified facility.
Green business practices:
Watches come with a two-year warranty and 3 ATM water resistance.
By using a single stamped monobloc watch case, they reduce carbon emissions during manufacturing.
Community & charitable giving:
For every purchase, 10% is donated to one (or all) of the following partners of your choice: Sea Shepherd, Jane Goodall Institute, World’s Children Prize, Heifer.
Decideandact also partners with changemakers like Siyabulela Mandela, among others.
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How We Found The Most Sustainable Watches
Regardless if it’s digital or analog, sometimes it’s difficult to tell the time when it comes to truly sustainable eco-friendly watches.
So what is a sustainable watch?
With any kind of sustainable and ethical jewelry, longevity and durability is key, which can be difficult to find in our world of planned obsolescence.
Beyond longevity, we referred to the following criteria:
Materials:
What is the most eco-friendly watch?
The best choice in materials are sustainable wood watches (recycled wood better still), as these can one day biodegrade if properly disassembled.
Other sustainable options include sustainable silicon watches, and those made of recycled materials (like certified recycled stainless steel and recycled plastic bottles), PVC-free vegan leather, and conflict-free metals.
If you’re asking, “How do watches affect the environment?” then be sure to keep their batteries in mind, as battery waste (and all the toxic chemicals that leach from them) is part of the largest impact area of watches.
For that reason, solar powered watches take the cake. Those with conventional batteries should be designed to last as long as possible (2-3 years seemed to be a common benchmark).
- Certifications: Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), Global Recycle Standard (GRS), Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), Leather Working Group (LWG)
Supply chain & labor practices:
The making of products is just as important as the product itself, so we took the time to explore what each brand is doing—from product conception to clocking time.
We looked at codes of conduct, talked to the sustainable watch brands about how they choose their factories, and ensured they aren’t involved in anything like child labor, unfair pay, or unsafe working conditions.
- Certifications: Social Accountability International (SA8000), B Corporation (B Corp), International Labour Organization (ILO), ISO, fair trade
Green business practices:
Here we look at how brands ensure their products can stand the test of time. Durable materials, repair and recycle programs, and long-lasting batteries prevent unnecessary landfill waste.
We also looked for brands that enacted workplace practices to greenify their operations (like carbon offset programs and recycled materials for packaging).
Community & charitable giving:
Aside from giving the gift of time, some of the best eco-friendly watches also give time back to the world by supporting organizations solving social and environmental problems.
Final Thoughts On Eco-Friendly Watches
If you’re in the market for a new timepiece, remember the most eco-friendly watches are those already on your wrist.
Or, if you don’t have a watch (or it’s no longer functional), have you considered an antique or vintage alternative?
Failing pre-loved timepieces, supporting one of these brands will certainly come in handy (er, wristy?).
Have a friend who could also use a green hand?
Share this list of the best sustainable watches with them so we can all extend the time for our planet instead of stealing it.
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