One to Watch: ID Genève

In 2023, ID Genève burst onto the watch world’s radar in spectacular fashion — announcing a 2 million CHF seed funding round from Cape Capital, which included the involvement of none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. The powerhouse Hollywood actor has previously been a global ambassador for major Swiss brands, so why is he involved with a small start-up watch brand founded in 2020? 

The answer is surprisingly simple. ID Genève is not like other watch brands. It’s a luxury brand made to fight climate change, and to have a positive social and environmental impact. It’s for this reason that DiCaprio, a dedicated environmental advocate, has attached his name to the ID Genève brand. 

Sustainability has definitely been on the agenda of the watch industry for some time, but ID Genève, founded by Nicolas Freudiger, Cédric Mulhauser and Singal Depéry, goes well beyond the level of corporate social responsibility initiatives found in many larger brands. At Dubai Watch Week 2023, Nicolas Freudiger, ID Genève’s CEO, spoke at the Super League of Sustainability Creative Hub event, explaining the circular approach to watchmaking and how it makes for a better business, as well as a better world. 

We recently caught up with Nicolas to find out how sustainability and luxury work together and what drives ID Genève and the natural place to start is, well, the beginning. “We launched the brand in December 2020, and we felt a responsibility to launch a product with impact at its centre.  I firmly believe that in the future, nine out of 10 unicorn companies will be focused on climate technologies or solutions.” Freudiger goes on to explain how sustainability and luxury watches make for a perfect pairing. “Yes, a luxury timepiece is already sustainable because you will most likely pass it on to a new generation. We should push it further, we want the luxury industry to be at the centre of the ecological transition. The new aspirational role of luxury should be about having the least impact possible and supporting credible climate solutions.”

As far as circular credentials in the watchmaking space, it would be hard to improve on ID Genève. One of their most impressive feats is the use of solar-forged steel on some of their models. In order to lessen the impact of the energy-intense process of forging steel, the brand has partnered with Panatere, a French company that makes solar-melted steel. Their Circular C uses regenerative carbon, using carbon sourced from wind turbine waste. The straps are made from byproducts from the wine industry. One of the most challenging elements for the brand to create sustainably is the complex calibres, so to power their creations, ID Genève uses fully refurbished ETA 2824 movements. Even the packaging is made from sustainable seaweed and mushroom sources. 

But they’re certainly not the only watchmaker to embrace the circular economy. In recent years, watchmakers across the industry have shown off their sustainable initiatives, with recycled PET plastic straps and ethically sourced gold becoming matters of daily discussion. And Freudiger is confident that this change isn’t merely an example of big brands following trends that will quickly be cast aside: “Green initiatives are here to stay. With the challenges ahead of the decarbonization of the value chain, it will definitely be a key topic – no matter what. In my opinion, 2024 is a special year, going back to the basics for most of the brands.” Indeed, Freudiger believes that this renewed interest in circularity and sustainability is just the start. “I would encourage all brands to communicate more about their efforts; there are a lot of good things out there! 

Transparency and traceability will be key for purchase criteria, and the current interest in sustainability is a great opportunity for brands.” Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing; Freudiger notes that there are some ingrained attitudes about luxury and sustainability; “When you think of sustainability, people often think that there is a tradeoff between recyclability and quality. It is not the case; we don’t compromise on quality; we make beautiful watches with aesthetics and quality in mind.” 

However, the watches of ID Genève quickly quiet any questions as to whether or not circularity and luxury can co-exist. Take a look at their latest limited edition, the Circular 1 ‘Nisiar’ — with a strap made from NISIAR, a sustainable material made here from Chateauneuf-du-Pape grapes, and a steel case made from recycled steel; the design is the sporty-modern shape that has defined the Circular collection, with a rich red dial inspired by the wine industry that allows the Nisiar material to exist. Equally important as all this is how sophisticated the watch looks, proving that looking good and doing good aren’t mutually exclusive. Leo DiCaprio gets it.