IWC Schaffhausen is already known for being a carbon dioxide neutral manufacturer. But the company has taken things one step further with its recent partnership with adventurer David de Rothschild.
Leave it to them to find the perfect balance between adventure and environmentally friendly practices. De Rothschild voyaged over 8,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean (from San Francisco to Sydney) aboard what would seem to be an ordinary, run-of-the-mill catamaran. But that wasn’t quite the case; the boat’s hull was constructed from 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles. That’s a lot, considering that the vessel itself weighs 12 tonnes.
De Rothschild is on a quest to get the public to wake up regarding the environment and the tremendous amount of plastic with which we pollute it year after year. Yet he can’t do it alone, and his campaign brings to light the importance of having a corporate sponsor behind you. It’s even more beneficial when that corporate sponsor holds itself to such a high environmental standard, as IWC Schaffhausen does.
The rethinking of the possible uses of otherwise disposable plastic reveals what’s able to be achieved when one changes one’s perspective. This partnership certainly achieved this, and the chatter that it catalysed in the media may demonstrate the degree to which the public’s perspective shifted as well. Not only that, but the development of a particular piece will serve to encapsulate the success and raise even more money. The Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth Edition “Adventure Ecology” is absolutely gorgeous, and finished in platinum.
The “Plastiki” carries with it valuable lessons for everyone. Its message to reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink is one that must be carried to the public in order for any meaningful change to occur. But the voyage was an excellent start, an excellent sponsorship by IWC Schaffhausen Watches.
