Leading Watchmaking Toward Sustainability,
Fondation haute horlogerie (FHH)
Context
The luxury watchmaking industry faces increasing pressure for transparency and ethical practices. Today’s consumers, aware of the ecological crisis, demand traceability and respect for both people and the planet. While the agro-food sector has addressed these challenges for over a decade, the 2020s are a defining moment for Swiss watch brands to showcase their excellence through sustainability.
Despite progress by pioneers like IWC, Chopard, Richemont Group, and Kering, critical challenges remain. Mining, a key part of the value chain, often involves untraceable sourcing, environmental degradation, and exploitative labor conditions. Manufacturing also lags in sustainability, relying on toxic chemicals, excessive water use, and energy-intensive processes.
As a global symbol of Swiss craftsmanship, the watchmaking industry must urgently address these issues to align with the values of an increasingly conscientious consumer base.
Solution
Newelement partnered with FHH to tackle the fragmented sustainability efforts among its member watchmaking brands and groups. By crafting a transformative and unifying ESG strategy, Newelement supported FHH in embedding sustainability into its role as the guardian of Swiss excellence in watchmaking. The strategy was built around three key pillars: engaging top management to make sustainability a core priority, uniting the watchmaking ecosystem to foster collective action, and creating a clear and cohesive communication framework that redefines excellence through sustainable practices. This holistic approach positions the industry as a global leader in ethical and environmental stewardship, ensuring its legacy reflects meaningful and transformative impact.
Impact
The initiatives led by NewElement produced impactful results across these projects:
1
Renewed Leadership and Vision, Unifying a Common Cause
Establishing a new vision and purpose to position FHH as a forward-thinking leader in sustainability, bringing together the diverse brands and groups within FHH under a shared mission, and progressively steering watchmaking toward a more sustainable luxury industry.
2
Sharing the Experience Through Meaningful Communication
Embedding these new values into the public and retail experience, fostering engagement and creating meaningful connections with audiences.
3
Building a Stakeholder Engagement Platform to Drive Collective Action
Creating a dedicated platform to align and involve all stakeholders in FHH’s sustainability journey, while encouraging brands to develop collaborative initiatives that amplify sustainability impacts across the industry.
4
Integrating Sustainability into Watches & Wonders
Developing strategies and actionable plans to embed sustainable practices into the annual Watches & Wonders event, showcasing leadership in action.
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