Have you heard of ocean gyres? It is in these vast whirlpools formed by different currents that pile up the 8 to 10 million tonnes of plastic waste that ends up every year in the oceans, floating on the surface of the waves or broken down into microplastics in the depths.
Waste ghost fishing nets
To draw attention to this ecological drama, and help the Surfrider Foundation Europe, the Swiss watch manufacturer Alpina has teamed up with the start-up Gyre Watch, specialist in recycled materials, to create an eco-friendly Seastrong Diver Gyre Automatic.
In fact, of these five automatic diving watches, 70% of the case and 100% of the bracelet are made from waste marine nets. This plastic waste comes from "ghost" fishing nets collected in the Indian Ocean. Gyre Watch uses recycled “ghost” fishing nets from the Indian Ocean. Local fishermen collect the fishing nets from the sea, and deliver them to the recycler. For this, they receive a fee, Gyre thus contributing to the local economy. The nets are then cleaned and transformed into pellets to make the watch case. In order to guarantee the final resistance of the case of this Seastrong, it has been reinforced with 30% fiberglass.
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A case and bracelet made from recycled fishing nets. ERIC ROSSIER
This new Seastrong Diver Gyre Automatic line in a limited series of 1883 pieces (reference to the year of creation of Alpina) was unveiled on June 8, on the occasion of World Ocean Day. Water-resistant to 300 meters, it is available in five versions, with three dial finishes evoking marine reflections. The three male models (44 mm) display a gradient of blues or turquoise while the two female models (36 mm) offer a gradient of blues or tinted mother-of-pearl. They are powered by an automatic three-hand and date movement AL-525 offering 38 hours of power reserve.
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Divers require, these certified watches waterproof to 300 meters have a unidirectional bezel, and offered on two-tone NATO type bracelets, made from recycled plastic bottles. Alpina also offers each male model an additional bracelet in black vegetable leather, made from recycled apple waste. These watches are also offered in an eco-friendly box entirely made of recycled plastic, the instructions for use being dematerialized and accessible via a QR code.