Cedric Bellon, watch designer and sustainability advocate, and Alon Ben Joseph, co-founder of ACE Jewelers, team up to create a limited edition watch which wants to be a call to action for the Swiss watch industry. A positive encouragement for all industry participants to work with the same objective and measurable sustainability criteria. A watch which embodies the wish to have a "Swiss Made" label that includes a minimum sustainability score.
This press release comes in the form of an open letter to the industry.
Open letter to the Watch Industry
Dear Colleagues and industry participants,
What is the next frontier for watchmaking?
Over the past century we’ve created watches to be worn across continents, to the highest mountain peaks, to the deepest depths of the oceans, and even on the surface of the Moon. We’ve created watches with near perfect accuracy, decorated them using our finest crafts and skills, and set them with the most precious gems available to men. We’ve created watches with complications and displays so complex it boggles the mind. So the question arises: what is next?
For us, the answer is simple: sustainability.
Because, let’s be frank for a minute. The watches we love and covet are luxury and craftmanship objects in their truest sense. They are, by any means, not necessities. As much as we crave them, we do not need them. In fact, we would be perfectly fine without them - and that would be pretty sustainable. But, naturally, a significant global industry with a centennial cultural and technical legacy, employing highly qualified individuals across the globe, must keep its craftsmanship and products relevant and desirable. That’s why we have to aim for the next best thing: watches with as little impact on the environment as possible.
Watches which are built according to measurable sustainable criteria; benchmarks that can be continuosly improved upon so that, year after year, the entire supply chain can progress until the majority of the volumes will be sustainably produced and at an affordable price. We are convinced that such score should one day become part of the Swiss Made criteria.
We know it’s possible, because with the CB01 GMT X ACE we’ve done just that, reaching an 87% sustainability score.
What is the CB01 ?
This watch is the brainchild of Cedric Bellon, who designed it from the ground up to minimise the environmental impact of its production. It’s manufactured circularly, efficiently and locally; thereby minimising component transports, C02 production, energy consumption and waste. It uses the mimimum parts necessary and has industrial finishes that eliminate the need for galvanic processes, paints, inks, glues and tanning chemicals. It’s case, dial and buckle are machined from 100% recycled, and certified stainless steel. It uses a repurposed mechanical movement encased in a timeless design made to be worn for a lifetime (or more). The result? A watch that not only looks the part, but is also twice as sustainable when compared to similarly priced Swiss made watch - and yes, we have the numbers to back that up!
So now we encourage you to achieve a better sustainability score with your new watch. For a responsible industry. For a new relevance of watchmaking craftsmanship. For the development of new skills. For a sustainable future.
How will you do better for your next watch?
Passionately yours,
Cedric Bellon (CB watches) Alon BEN JOSEPH (Ace Jewelers)
The Watch
The CB x ACE GMT is the archetype of the sustainable watch: mechanical, simple, reliable, repairable, timeless…made to stay out of fashion cycles. Naturally gorgeous in its simple function. Taking on a patina over time. Even more beautiful after years of use.
This special limited edition of the CB01 GMT for ACE Jewelers is dedicated to Amsterdam and its "wind and bicycle" powered sustainability culture. Therefore the watch features the black and red colour identity of Amsterdam, and the distinctive XXX symbol of Amsterdam is engraved on the case-back and dial.
We are very humbled and proud to have had the honour to be able to work with Cedric Bellon in the creation a collab watch that adds some ‘Amsterdam flavour’ to his extremely well balanced and sustainable watch design.
Alon BEN JOSEPH, Co-founder ACE Jewelers
87.59% Sustainability score
The CB01 GMT x ACE reaches a sustainability score of 87.59% which is about 2.09 times more than an equivalently priced Swiss made series watch.
The sustainability score variables
The sustainability score is a transparent and objective index which measures three variables for each watch component: circularity (degree of recycling and recyclability of materials), proximity (sourcing location and component transportation) and transformation (production techniques and processes). Each component of the watch is measured against these 3 variables and weighted according to the component weight as a proportion of the total weight of the watch.
The sustainability score for the CB X ACE is documented in the sustainability report of the watch.
The CB X ACE GMT
When I first approached the project, I thought that I just had to use recycled materials to succeed. Soon I've realised that a true sustainable project is much more than that. It's about finding what is needed from an existing “circle”, transform it into a new “circle” and, finally, made it ready for its future “circle”. In fact, to process in a cycle.
Cedric Bellon, founder of CB watches
Features
The 39mm CB X ACE GMT features a two piece case and a monolayer dial. The watch has been designed to reduce machining time because fast production means less energy consumption. Furthermore, only state-of-the art machinery, powered by Swiss "Nature Made Star" certified local hydroelectric, solar, wind and biomass energy, has been used for manufacturing the CB x ACE. Also, no stamping tool from foreign provenance have been used to produce the watch.
The CB x ACE features a case and dial made of 100% recycled and certified stainless steel
All its components are finished by machining or are left «raw». No environmentally damaging galvanic processes, paints, inks, varnishes or glues are used. The CB01 GMT encases a repurposed Soprod C125 automatic GMT movement sourced from a unused stock. Repurposed instead of manufactured.
Because the most effective way to reduce the C02 impact of watch production is to act locally and source materials and skills nearby, all CB01 GMT components are locally sourced and the watch is manufactured in-house in Switzerland by Watch Angels. Swiss watchmaking methods, social conditions and environmental regulations therefore apply.
Switzerland ranks in the top 5 countries of the EPI, the universally respected Environmental Performance Index by Yale University.
The CB X ACE GMT. Limited to 25pcs
“Besides that Cedric Bellon makes stunning and well-balanced designs in a very good quality, what really stands out that he wants to push the complete watch industry to rethink their carbon foot print and open dialogue to move together and create a more sustainable supply chain and therefore wristwatches.”
Alon BEN JOSEPH, Co-founder of Ace Jewelers
Specifications
Type of production: 100% Swiss made.
Case diameter: 39 mm.
Case material: 100% recycled and certified stainless steel, PuReSteel™ by Thyssen Krupp.
Case finishing: polished on top of bezel, circular brushed bezel, circular brushed on the lugs, vertical brushed on sides, polished chamfers on the lugs.
Screw-in crown and screw-in compressor case-back.
Water Resistance: 200M/660FT/20ATM
Movement: Soprod C125 automatic GMT. Hour, minutes, seconds, date and GMT. 28.800 bph, 25 jewels, 42h Power reserve.
Strap: Hand-made genuine leather strap. Natural tanning without any chemicals. Stitching with natural linen cord and water-based glues.
Sustainability index: 87,59% (2 times more sustainable than an average Swiss made series watch). Please refer to the sustainability report in the attachments.
Price, edition and sales information
The CB01 X ACE GMT will be produced in only 25pcs and is priced at CHF 1.690 CHF.
The watch will on sale on the Watch Angels platform on Thursday the 2nd of October at 8pm CET.
About Cedric Bellon
Cedric Bellon was born in Nantes. He grew up in a traditional middle-class caring and value-oriented family. From a young age he was fascinated by science, and throughout his academic path he explored geology, ecology and anthropology. His creative vein finally made him graduate in Product Design from the Nantes’s School of Design. At age 27, a personal health issue forced him to bed for several months. During this period, he developed a keen interest in Horology and, naively according to him, he put down a few of his watch ideas on paper and sent them to renown Brands (most of whom would initially not even reply). However, after a while, Bell & Ross and TAG Heuer became his first clients. In 2005, he founded Cedric Bellon & Partner making watch design a full-time career. Since then he has worked for many renown watch brands. He describes himself as the equivalent of a ghost writer for the Watchmaking industry. Among his clients: Longines, Bell & Ross, Hermès, Frederique Constant, Tag Heuer, Graham, Whitings, TechnoMarine, Alpina and others.
About ACE Jewelers
The Ace Jewelers Group is owned and run by the Ben Joseph Family and consists of a luxury boutique and an international eBoutique. The Ace & Dik luxury boutique is located in the Museum Quarter of Amsterdam in The Netherlands, offering an extensive collection of high - end fine jewelry and premium watch brands as authorized dealers, such as OMEGA, Tudor, Zenith, Bulgari, Christiaan van der Klaauw, NOMOS, Nanis and many more. Ace Fine Jewelry has been designed and handcrafted in Amsterdam. Since its foundation in 1975, Ace Jewelers also carries an extensive selection of high-end, certified pre-owned watches. In 2008 Ace Jewelers launched the eBoutique AceJewelers.com which turned Ace into a pioneering omni - channel retailer
About Watch Angels
Watch Angels is a leading Swiss watch manufacturer based in Mendrisio, Switzerland. It has developed the crowd manufacturing system and operates the watchangels.ch platform. On Watch Angels the watch community can fund watch manufacturing projects by independent creators and brands. The factory direct crowd manufacturing system offers more industrial value for money to watch enthusiasts than any other watchmaking and retail system.
