Maurice Lacroix Commits To Upcycling 10 Million Bottles Taken From The Oceans With New Watch Line

Maurice Lacroix  teams with #Tide, to create watches made of plastic waste composite, as it aims to help keep our oceans clean and to give today’s customers the environmentally friendly products it wants.  The all new Maurice Lacroix collection features cases made entirely from recycled plastics taken from the world’s oceans. The funky new watches, the Aikon #Tide collection, is all about bold and bright watches that are helping to make the oceans a little cleaner.

To create the watches, Maurice Lacroix has teamed with #tide, which collects plastic bottles from the seas round Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Maurice Lacroix has pledge to using 10 million bottles, and each watch takes 17 bottles to make. The company plans to sponsor plastic collection activities, help pay for warehouses and to fund educational programs.

To create the special composite material, plastic bottles are collected, washed, sorted, shredded into flakes and then compacted so they can be transported to #tide in Switzerland, where the flakes are converted to smaller granules, combined with glass fiber and other “undisclosed” materials to yield the upcycled plastic composite.

The case, case back, bezel, crown and buckle are all formed using #tide upcycled  #tide composite that is twice as hard as standard plastic and five times more resistant than standard plastic. Additionally, its carbon footprint is six times less than PET.

For the new series of watches, Maurice Lacroix selected its Aikon case – a line that has enjoyed great success since its launch in 2016. The 40mm watch features an ocean inspired motif on the dial and a sapphire crystal. Thanks to the screwed crown and case back, it is water resistant to 100 meters.

Versions of the 10-model collection include pale pink, sky blue, and mint green, as well as bold blue, lemon yellow, orange and bright green. There  is also a black version for those who want to make a conservative ocean statement. Some models even boast diamond markers. Another plus: the Easy Strap Exchange system that allows the wearer to change the strap without needing tools. Later this year, Maurice Lacroix will release a version with a #tide material bracelet.

The watches are powered by quartz movements and are backed by a 5-year warranty.  Each watch is sold in  packaging is also made of #tide material.  They retail for $750 and $950 depending on the model.