Oris X Bracenet watch has a dial made from ocean plastic

Oris x Bracenet watch on a jar full of water

Oris x Bracenet, a new edition of the Oris Aquis Date diver’s model

(Image credit: Neil Godwin at Future Studios for Wallpaper*)

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California, is the world’s largest accumulation of ocean plastic, and almost half of it is made up of ghost nets (lost or discarded fishing nets). German social enterprise Bracenet, which reuses the nets to create colourful bracelets, recently partnered with Swiss watch brand Oris in a rethink of their function.

Oris x Bracenet, a net gain for sustainability

The Oris X Bracenet, a new edition of the Oris Aquis Date diver’s model, features a hypnotising dial made from white, blue and green ghost net offcuts. These are first warmed so they melt together and, once cooled, the material is cut to size and sanded down, avoiding the need for glue or additives, and ensuring each watch is unique.

The initiative is the latest in Oris’ Change for the Better campaign, which aims to bring greater sustainability to the watch industry (last year, it partnered with Swiss brand Cervo Volante to create chic, sustainably sourced, deer-leather straps).

‘When Oris approached us, we saw an opportunity to do something more,’ says Bracenet co-founder Benjamin Wenke. ‘When we cut the nets, there are always offcuts. We thought, what if we turned some of these into watch dials? This would basically mean that the nets used for the dials have been upcycled twice.’

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This article appears in the November 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.