Photo: Canva
Timex Introduces the World’s First Sustainable Watch Program
Timex has just announced its new sustainability program, claiming to be the first of its kind in the world, and it seeks to help promote more eco-friendly change. Currently limited to the United States, “ReWound” allows consumers wanting to get rid of their old watches to send them to Timex instead of throwing them away.
All someone needs to do is fill out a form, and they will receive a free prepaid label. From there, they can package up their old watch and bring it to a post office. Once received, Timex will inspect the watch — which can be from any brand — and do its best to “expertly clean and restore it.” Afterward, Timex will sell the restored piece on its specialized ReWound online shop.
For a watch that is too badly damaged or unrepairable, Timex “will ground it down and use it as material for a new watch or other product.”
Timex promises those who participate in this program that “zero items from the watches you send back will end up in landfill. Any items that do not make it to resale will be disassembled and entered into their proper recycling stream to be imagined into new items.”
The ReWound program is promising since we produce over 2 billion tons of waste each year, and “99% of it ends up in a landfill,” according to Timex. “Watch materials like stainless-steel and plastic can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.”
From Timex’s current shop listings, it’s apparent that many of its watches sell out quickly. This is most likely due to the fact that each restored timepiece for sale feels like a limited edition and exclusive product. The refurbished watches may be rare or vintage models that are no longer produced.
Prices seem to be in line with a fair value of what each watch’s worth would be, taking into consideration its original price, condition, and overall perceived value.
“By 2025, Timex’s goal is to have 50% of its watches made with eco-friendly components as a stepping stone to halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving net-Zero by 2050,” according to WATCHPRO.
Trend Hunter adds that “Timex ReWound is a first-of-its-kind circular program for watches, inviting everyone to ship their pre-loved watches so that they can be upcycled or find a new owner.”
And ReWound is not Timex’s only sustainable practice. The company already advertises that many of its watches are “made in partnership with #tide™. Plastic is collected from the coastlines and then sent to Switzerland via carbon neutral transportation to be upcycled, resulting in a premium, sustainable material.”
Additionally, many Timex watches are “crafted from ocean-plastics to apple peels,” and these “upcycled and natural materials with battery-free movements” are paving the way for quality products that make sustainability easier.
There’s no better time to present disruptive innovation aimed at environmentally conscious consumers who prioritize the reduction of the Earth’s resource consumption. This also promotes environmental technology, more consumer recycling, and a growing sustainable fashion industry.
Fortunately, this program has arrived in the nick of time.
Discussion Questions
Do you think Timex’s new program is a huge game changer for the world of timepiece retail? Will this impact your decisions on what watches you buy for yourself or others?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Oliver Guy
Global Industry Architect, Microsoft Retail
Brian Cluster
Director of Industry Strategy - CPG & Retail, Stibo Systems
I think this is a great initiative that taps into the consumer desire for resale as well as sustainability. I am not sure it will be a huge game changer in the industry or in terms of how people buy and what brands they choose, but it’s a step in the right direction. And for higher-end brands, resale is already big business in watches.
This initiative potentially ticks so many boxes for consumers – sustainability and the trend for retro items being two big appeals combined with the desire for something very unique.
It is great to see this in the budget market – in the luxury watch market Rolex launched their certified approved programme last year.
In clothing, Patagonia have a similar program and there are various companies who specialise in selling refurbished electronics such as smart phones.
It would be amazing to see similar initiatives in other product areas – and from other organisations – would be amazing to capitalise on consumer desires.
And sustainability is THAT big a reason to buy a cheap watch? Not feeling it.
I love this. Every brand that sits adjacent to luxury should do something like this.
Love this. The main “hurdle” if you could call it that, is wearing watches, while making a small comeback, remains a fashion outlier. But for those of us in the market for a new watch, yes, absolutely a great play by Timex here!
I’m inclined to ask “What’s a watch?” Kind of like asking what a fax machine is. Haven’t worn a watch in more than a decade though there was a time when an expensive razor-thin gold watch was irrefutable evidence of my brilliant and unparalleled success! Timex does ‘keep on ticking’ and if, like me, you recognize that no one cares what, if any, watch you wear…Timex will always be the best value for the money.
This is not a huge game change in the world of watches at retail but Timex has become a first mover and can be considered innovative in launching this sustainability program. No other brand can be the first to have a circular program for watches, a claim that is hard to come by in this competitive market.
Consumers’ approach to purchasing things is changing. In the past price/value, fit, look and even brand alignment were the checkboxes in their purchasing. However, a new one called ‘impact’ is now common. A growing segment of consumers are thinking about the long-term environmental impact. As a brand or retailer, it is important to know the size of this segment among your customers and find ways to be relevant in the criteria of impact.
“No” to all the above. While there’s nothing wrong with this idea, I just don’t think it’s going to make much impact: watch waste is surely among the world’s lesser concerns.
Love the idea of old watch restoration, and can see this catching on with anyone collecting or wanting to have yet another piece of history. Hopefully it gets old ones out of storage and into the hands of people who appreciate vintage. Levis has done well in reselling vintage 501’s and previously worn jeans. Not sure if Timex is a must have brand, but the idea is there.
What a smart and responsible initiative by Timex. Its hard to read about these sustainable efforts and not be inspired or at least curious about the ReWound program.
Still, there have been past watch outs for brands who promise 100% of donated items will be upcycled and not ultimately find their way to landfills. Timex would be wise to ensure they are fully living up to this promise since sustanability is not only nice to have but a core value for an increasing number of consumers.