admin Want more insider watch coverage? Get Box + Papers, GQ’s newsletter devoted to the watch world, sent to your inbox every Friday. Sign up here.
Leonardo DiCaprio may not rank among the Ed Sheerans and Steve Harveys of the watch collecting world, but when he sports a new timepiece, he tends to make it count. Back in 2021, the Killers of the Flower Moon star and UN climate advocate was spotted wearing the Insta-grail Patek Philippe Nautilus with a Tiffany-blue dial, a watch that helped to raise $6.5 million for the Nature Conservancy. This week Leo upheld his reputation as a lover of all things stylish and eco-friendly by leading a round of investment in sustainability-focused Swiss watchmaker ID Genève.
Following the announcement, DiCaprio was seen in New York wearing the certified B Corp’s latest release, the CIRCULAR S, a limited-edition sports watch with a case made from recycled stainless steel. In addition to being 100% recycled, the steel used in the CIRCULAR S is also forged in a solar-powered furnace, giving the watch a carbon footprint 165 times lower than one made from conventional metal. These bona fides, along with a strap made from green waste and compostable packaging made from fungal threads and seaweed, are just the beginning of ID Genève’s ambitions to make luxury watches more sustainable.
Getty Images
ID Genève has dreamed of working with DiCaprio in some capacity for years. “It was 2021 and we had just launched our first collection when I was asked about potential ambassadors for ID Genève. I said our dream would be to see Leonardo DiCaprio in that role in three years’ time” Nicolas Freudiger, co-founder of ID Genève, said in a statement.
Founded in 2020, ID Genève is unique among the world’s luxury watch brands in its commitment to circular manufacturing, using only ethically sourced and recycled materials, and aiming for the lowest possible carbon footprint at every stage of the watchmaking process. Its latest release is the Circular C, a watch with a carbon bezel made from recycled wind turbine manufacturing waste, a 100% recycled steel case, and a petrochemical-free natural rubber strap. Limited to just 20 pieces and available for pre-order through the brand’s website, the Circular C is a watch that accomplishes what DiCaprio and other A-list activists have spent the better part of two decades working towards: It makes caring about the planet look really good.
