DEKAT DIGITAL 2019 - 2020

THE CARTIER LIBRE TANK CHINOISE RED IS A STRENGTHENED VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL WATCH
There’s no escaping it. Sustainability + profitability = longevity. One can’t exist without the other.
Not today. Not for anybody with a conscience. But what looks like a simple formula on paper
is probably the biggest challenge for anyone in business now, not the least of which are those
in haute horlogerie.
“The watch and jewellery sector has made a significant contribution to social prosperity and
economic growth in Switzerland and is an important representative of the country’s culture and
history, with its pioneering spirit, precision and long-lasting tradition,” says Dr Gianina Viglino-
Caviezel, an expert in sustainability management, and author of the foreword to the WWF
Watch and Jewellery Report 2018. “In its role as one of Switzerland’s flagship industries, the
position of the Swiss watch and jewellery sector is one of great responsibility, which provides those within the
sector the opportunity to consciously generate a positive impact on society, nature and the economy – something
that is essential if broader development objectives (ie the UN Sustainable Development Goals) are to be achieved.”
According to the WWF report, Switzerland is the global leader in the gold refining market. Around half of the
largest luxury watch brands are Swiss and between 60% and 70% of globally mined gold physically travels
through Switzerland to be refined (around 2 400 tonnes in 2017). “The industry uses over 50% of annual gold
production (more than 2 000 tonnes), and in most cases the companies are not able to demonstrate where their
raw materials come from and that they were not responsible for dramatic environmental degradation and human
rights violations.”
The good news is that in WWF Switzerland’s review examining the environmental impact of leading Swiss
watch companies and how transparently these efforts are communicated, IWC Schaffhausen came out on
top. “IWC has been working for many years to ensure our watches are made to the highest standards, with
careful consideration of our social and environmental impact. We recognise that there is more work to be done,
and our efforts continue to evolve,” says CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr.
182