It has a Datejust vibe (without the date) that’s timeless, yet the color and flecks give the game away. The Timex Waterbury Ocean was not a watch on my radar, but recently, I’ve learned to appreciate its design direction. There’s also a choice of colors and 100-meter water resistance for €289. GYRE recognized this and created the solar-powered SeaCleaner encased in the reclaimed plastic. This pollution is far more damaging to marine life than plastic straws. According to the film, 46% of plastic pollution is discarded fishing lines and nets. If you’ve seen the brilliant yet controversial Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, you’ll know the biggest threat to the sealife ecosystem is not necessarily disposable plastic products. The young watch doesn’t focus as much on the flotsam and jetsam washing up on our shores, but rather, on the tangled web of discarded fishing nets plaguing our seabed. The SeaCleaner was a 2020 launch just as the pandemic took hold but saw a soft relaunch in 2022 to highlight its mission. Indeed, it must be said that GYRE is the pioneer. Maurice Lacroix is not the only one reclaiming waste for upcycling. To match the credentials, the Aikon #tide has 100 meters of water resistance for €690. It’s a simultaneous method of ridding the seas of the non-biodegradable receptacles and creating a low-key quartz piece. The reclaimed plastic waste materials used in this watch are ground into granules and injection-molded into the Aikon case along with a glass fiber for rigidity. The #tide organization proudly uses the symbol as part of its logo to spread the word on social media. This is due to the collaboration (another one for 2022) between Maurice Lacroix and #tide. And no, the “#” symbol is not a typo - that’s in the name. It feels wrong to praise plastics considering the oceans’ plight, but the Maurice Lacroix Aikon #Tide is produced from waste recovered from them. I’m on such a plastic drive because of the renewable sources now on offer.
However, after a few days, the staining stopped, and it hasn’t returned in the months since then. Before you ask, yes, the deep blue Neptune model left blue staining on my wrist - within two minutes. The lines are slowly dissipating, though, so keep trying. That is, if you’re at the right time and place to collect one. The watch stand in the picture was also a gift from Omega to celebrate ten years of the #SpeedyTuesday hashtag and enthusiastic community. RJ graciously picked it up in Geneva and passed it on to me in Biel at the Swatch factory while attending the first #SpeedyTuesday event since 2019. This particular model is the Mission to Neptune, representing the most distant planet in our Solar System. Is the regular Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch so revered that an official cut-price collaborative copy becomes as hyped as a steel Patek Philippe Nautilus? Maybe, but I suspect even Swatch was surprised by the enormous crowds and high demand for what is essentially a plastic quartz chronograph made by ETA (with a “phantom” date-setting position to boot). To this day, I cannot fathom why these were so popular.
By only releasing the non-limited collection of Bioceramic (ceramic with castor-oil-based plastic instead of crude oil) Speedmasters in Swatch boutiques, the Swiss brand received both fever and furor. The Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch caused quite the commotion in March 2022. Let’s start with possibly the most obvious choice. As we’ve seen from this year, plenty of plastic options are available, and many are budget-friendly. And as a wristwatch is a great way to perk up the mood at any price point, here are some of my favorite watch releases for 2022 rendered in plastic. The nature of time as a healer gives us solace that no matter how bad things get, time keeps on ticking. While life may hand us higher priorities from time to time, it’s reassuring about the steadfast watch industry. That doesn’t mean these economical timepieces offer any less excitement, and as we’ve seen with some releases, hype and hysteria remain high. But as plastic is ubiquitous in our daily lives, we know what’s plastic and what’s not. Plastic is an extensive term as you’ll see from this compilation, there are many different forms. This list compiles watches made of a material with a bad rep but one that is making a resurgence. Today, I’ll be focussing on another development this year - plastic. But if one aspect defines the 2022 watch trend, it’s the sheer number of brand collaborations - Omega × Swatch, Bremont × Bamford, and Fears × Garrick, to name a few. As we’re nearing the halfway point, how has the 2022 watch landscape shaped up so far? I feel there’s been an exciting blend of high-end and low-end offerings.
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