145th YEAR
® SINCE 1876
SHORT SUPPLY ROUTES
JSH.SWISS 2021 / #02 / E SPECIAL ISSUE SHORT SUPPLY ROUTES ISSN 1422-9323 SUBSCR. CHF 18.76 / YEAR CHF 14.50 | € 12,91
A solar energy furnace in the Swiss Jura in 2022? A production of horological steel using the surrounding shavings? Waste that has become precious, offcuts of fennel, apples or grapes that are being converted into wristwatch straps? Science has a lot to do with it, as does consciousness. JSH® Magazine, thanks to its 145 years of history and its past as the official journal of major watchmaking institutions (SSC, Basel Fair), has a duty to advocate for the ultimate in excellence and luxury, that of virtue.
The age of
possibilists...
The mechanical watch itself is already eco-responsible! Who today makes a consumer good that will work while you sleep, that will last a lifetime and that can be repaired? Because, against the current of all our domestic engines, the timepiece and its caliber are the only ones without any on-off. How far away from any form of scheduled obsolescence is the watchmaking spirit that one of the founders of Piaget summed up in the formula of “doing better than necessary!” Today, like any other industrial sector the watch industry, is raising the right questions. Not because such questions are in the air, but rather because the quest for excellence cannot do without the well-being of the surrounding area, including human and natural resources. Then, beyond the consciousness that is awakening and mobilizing, there is also just pragmatism: resources are not infinite, minerals are going to dry up, bad practices to disappear. You who read me regularly know that I love new words. The ones that you just have to tickle and they naturally come up in our speeches. I found «possibilist» in an answer from Raphaël Broye, owner and director of Panatere SA! What if, after the era of influencers, full of followers and self-centeredly dizzy with their navel, a new generation was born, the “possibilists?” Those who, from a dream, a brainstorm or a burst of creativity, start without saving their efforts on the improbable roads of feasibility. The possibilists are thus ready to emerge, with concreteness and achievement in their crosshairs. They make progress possible, by dint of hard work and stubbornness. Whether we like it or
not, just because it is logical and because the initiator has added to the difficulty of his project the idea that his material will be economically competitive with the current market prices, one or more solar furnaces will be built in the Watch Valley. Shall we bet on it? What will the inevitable opponents who will once again come up against the implacable dialectic of reason be able to do? They are likely to be overwhelmed by emotions, as if they were under the impact of a sunburn. Emotion is one of the missions of a news magazine. With 145 years of heritage and renowned as the voice of the industry, the Swiss watchmaking journal JSH, as is its DNA, provides a voice for possibilists, for those who are advancing noble causes. Short supply routes? One day, the ultimate luxury, the real one, will be what the consumer will require, the one with the fewest blemishes. Purity of material? Not only! Also the cleanliness of its extraction, its transformation and, inexorably, its reuse. Joël A. Grandjean* / Editor in Chief
* To be followed also on Swiss-Watch-Passport.ch by JSH, French English watch magazine.
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Moments Kari Voutilainen
greennesses and heights
Taking the high dive! It is in the famous Chapeau de Napoléon, this haughty mansion overlooking the Val de Travers, that the niche watchmaker Kari Voutilainen has just tucked himself away. From among his 60-70 annual watches, here is a timepiece in a 12-piece numbered series with a case made of 100% recycled solar steel, carved from the first melt from the solar furnace in Mont-Louis (Pyrénées-Orientales). While an Observatory piece from his early days has just been auctioned off at three times its initial value of CHF 51,000.00, while gleaming old machines snatched from the oblivion of watchmaking history and handled by lucky young watchmakers
immersed in this permanent reservoir of knowledge transmission, the master of the house evokes this stainless steel foundry in his native country which on its own, not to mention its environmental pollution, swallows up 5% of Finnish electricity! Through a concrete commitment, he is expressing his awareness in addition to 900 references in house manufactured, which represent 16,000 annual components crafted and finished from steel, nickel silver, brass, silver, gold or titanium. Voutilainen initiates in his own way, the arrival of sustainable values in ultra-luxury. Time itself seems to have frozen up there, somewhere high above Fleurier. By Albert-J. de Buttes-LaCôte / TàG Press +41
The Chapeau de Napoléon is located on the eastern part of the mountain ending in Saint-Sulpice in Switzerland. Since 1894, its overhanging location offers a panoramic view of the entire Val-de-Travers. From the west of the valley, the mountain with its rocky ridge looks like the wing of a bicorn, the hat made famous by Napoleon. @Voutilainen Picture.
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A collector’s micro-series?
While he occasionally teases out materials as hazardous to work with as Tantalum or Niobium, the twelve 28SC-SB (Sun Bird) made by this award-winning watchmaker are just about as rare. They come from the first AISI 316L grade 4441 steel bar offered by Panatere, made from recycled wood shavings harvested in the Jura region and melted down using solar energy. On the inside, the famous Vingt-8 caliber, with its unique and innovative escapement and balance spring. Kari Voutilainen is promoting watchmaking at its most noble. His ultimate finishing is also expressed on this two-tone silver dial, hand-engraved with gold appliques. Until now, the master has been known for the uniqueness of his pieces, which are open to individualization. Here, the master is offering a fully assumed micro-series of 12 pieces. This is a premiere!
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CONTENTS Special Edition 2021 JSH® Magazine Official journal of JSH Archives & Patrimoine, an NGO association founded to revive the Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie (JSH), the oldest watchmaking magazine, and to digitize all its issues between 1876 and 2002. JSH Archives & Patrimoine PO Box 3238 – Etienne Dumont 5 CH-1211 Geneva 3, Switzerland www.journal-suisse-horlogerie.swiss English version of Circuits Courts special edition Partenaire Panatere SA, Saignelégier, Suisse info@panatere.com +41 32 427 00 00 Publisher and editor-in-chief Joël A. Grandjean, registered journalist jag@jsh.swiss m +41 76 328 03 79 | tel +41 44 586 79 27 Journalists Ollivier Broto, journalist, watch expert / TàG+41 obroto@tagpress41.info Isabelle Cerboneschi, journalist and editor All-I-C Magazine isabelle.cerboneschi@all-i-c.com Henri-Maxime Khedoud, journalist / TàG+41 hmkhedoud@gmail.com Albert-J. de Buttes-LaCôte, journalist / TàG+41 ajdlc@tagpress41.info Experts, editorial board Emmanuel Alder emmanuel.alder@gmail.com Cloe Biessy (DOTS Communications) c.biessy@dotscomms.com - +41 78 656 40 29 Raphaël Broye raphael.broye@panatere.com Liselotte Thuring liselotte.thuring@panatere.com Lee Warrien, reporter / TàG Press +41 lwarrien@tagpress41.info News Agencies: TàG Press +41, News Agency PO Box 3238 – Etienne Dumont 5 CH-1211 Geneva 3, Switzerland www.tagpress41.info ProWatCH Culture & Savoirs Horlogers Suisses presidence@prowatch.ch
Photographers, credits DR / Visuals & royalty-free images provided by the mentioned structures: Panerai, Panetere, Precycliing SA, ID Genève, Voutilainen, RTS, République et Canton du Jura, Promotion économique, All-I-C Magazine, FHS, Commune de Font-Romeu-OdeilloVia, France Copyrights: ©Malaika-InsideMag ©Tonatiuh-Daniela ©RTS-Screen-Captures ©Bigstock-TaGPress ©David-Olifson @JSH @ProWatCH ©TàGPress41
145th YEAR
® SINCE 1876
SHORT SUPPLY ROUTES
La une du Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie fondé en 1876.
Translation service St-LuSwiss, Shaniah Asha Gibson, president st.luswiss@gmail.com Special dedications Marie Demille, Peter G. Rebeiz, Dave-William, Ralf-Arnaud, Manon, Zoé
JSH.SWISS 2021 / #02 / E SPECIAL ISSUE SHORT SUPPLY ROUTES ISSN 1422-9323 SUBSCR. CHF 18.76 / YEAR CHF 14.50 | € 12,91
A solar energy furnace in the Swiss Jura in 2022? A production of horological steel using the surrounding shavings? Waste that has become precious, offcuts of fennel, apples or grapes that are being converted into wristwatch straps? Science has a lot to do with it, as does consciousness. JSH® Magazine, thanks to its 145 years of history and its past as the official journal of major watchmaking institutions (SSC, Basel Fair), has a duty to advocate for the ultimate in excellence and luxury, that of virtue.
Original layout Copyrights and author’s rights Bernard Marendaz On special cession to Joël A. Grandjean b.marendaz@optiproduction.com Press design & layout Gael Lugaz / Brandlift, graphic & press design hello@brandlift.ch Partnerships, Public Relations JSH, Archives & Patrimoine NGO Association adv-pr@jsh.swiss Philippe Perret du Cray (PPDC) General Secretary ppdc@jsh.swiss James Cambrésy Partnerships Supervisor james.cambresy@jsh.swiss Subscriptions & Support presidence@jsh.swiss Account CCP 15-269360-9 IBAN CH84 0900 0000 1526 9360 9 BIC/SWIFT POFICHBEXXX € Account on request Subscriptions Annual subscription CHF 18.76 abo@jsh.swiss / CHF 18.76/year JSH®, registered trademark Any reproduction, even partial, of articles, pictures and illustrations published in JSH® - Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie is encouraged in all forms, editorial or electronic, subject to prior request and authorization presidence@jsh.swiss
JSH® Magazine Special Issue, Circuits Courts (in French). The oldest Swiss Watch Journal founded in 1876 is committed to working with Panatere to facilitate the implementation of one or more solar furnaces in the Watch Valley.
Moments 03
Editorial
The Possibilists
8, 24
Straight Forward Interviews
Raphaël Broye, Expresso with... Update with Jean-Daniel Pasche, FHS’s President
30
They Are Saying
The Politician, the Instructor
Motion 11
The Quantis Study
How Does it Work? The Figures Verdict
Materials 14
Jura’s Black Gold
Cuttings Nobleness and Scraps Virtue
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The Revolutionists Classified vineyard at the wrist?
Careers 20
The Possibilists
Noëlla, Top Model. Mike, The Adventurer Talents: Conscience’s Garbage Collectors
Markets 6
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Fabrics, the Call of Virtue
Special Guest: Isabelle Cerboneschi
Solar furnace in 2022? Years 2017-2021
Implementation of a selective sorting system for stainless steel, organization of the supply chain. Collection of stainless steel in a 50 Km2 short circuit from 40 industrial partners. 100% recycled stainless steel: laboratory melting tests then 1000kg. Quality validation of the steel by an accredited laboratory. 100% recycled stainless steel: 50’000 kg melting Concept validation: melting test of 20kg of 100% recycled stainless steel and solar energy.
Years 2021-2022 and beyond
Industrialization study for the manufacturing of 100% recycled and solar stainless steel Construction of the CTSM (Centre de Traitement Solaire des Métaux) to manufacture 200 tons per year of 100% recycled and solar stainless steel by 2025.
Latest Events
EPHJ trade show, September 6, 2021 (10:00-11:30) at Geneva-Palexpo Participation of Raphaël Broye in the round table «Traceability and sustainability: the new requirements of the clock on suppliers». Moderation: Joël A. Grandjean, JSH Magazine
News from the Short Supply Routes Special Issue to follow on Swiss-Watch-Passport.ch (by JSH)
Some of the 2021 media coverage
July 5> Europa Star: Kari Voutilainen June 27> JSH Magazine, Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie: Solar steel from Jura? Heavy duty zero carbon at Panatere June 8> Europa Star: The multiple lives of watch steel June 14> MSM: Circular economy applied to watchmaking May> Europa Star: Recycled steel thanks to solar energy for watchmaking May 7> Le Temps: When watches hide to die May 7> RTS - Emission Couleurs Locales: 100% ecological watches April 8> Quotidien Jurassien: A pioneer company April 30> Innovator’s Guide Swit- zerland / Swiss Institute of Science: The first solar steel castings March> Objectif Emploi Jura: Panatere, a watchmaking pioneer in steel recycling March 18> Terre Nature: They recycle steel from the Jura March 3> Revue de la FHH (Fédération Horlogère Suisse): Recycling for better durability, a good ID February 15> ArcInfo: The dream of a zero waste watchmaking February 1> RTS, Swiss National Television: A watch made of 100% recycled steel January 26> RTS radio: «more than 100% recycled stainless steel... 20 January> EPHJ News: PANATERE, pioneer in the production of 100% recycled and recyclable stainless steel 19 January> Il Giornale degli orologi: Panatere, l’innovazione in tema di acciaio riciclato 12 January> Circular Economy Switzerland: Panatere tritt Circular Economy Switzerland bei
www.panatere.com
MOMENTS
Expresso with Raphaël Broye Owner of Panatere Interview by Joël A. Grandjean
Raphaël Broye: «Our bet is that hyper-globalisation will give way to regionalization” The interview took place on a terrace facing the Lake of Neuchâtel, there were the harbour water, so close. This adopted Jurassian from Nuvilly, a hamlet in Fribourg near Estavayer-le-Lac, almost opposite, then evokes images of his involvement at the head of Just For Smiles, a foundation that offers disabled people the chance to have fun on board a sailing boat. Pure happiness! This man seems to be inhabited by human values: 100% recycled steel that he will produce for the watchmaking industry in the Jura, with no damage to the environment. The principle of this interview is to ask straightforward, unabashed questions. Waste worth its weight in gold, one or more solar ovens in the Jura... Aren’t you a sweet dreamer? In my agenda of 100 things to do before I die, apart from the pilgrimage to Compostela, understanding abstract painting...., there is the priority of leaving a trace for the next generation. To leave my comfort zone, to do things differently... All the same, it took us 5 years and a lot of perspiration to make the concept operational and to get it validated by the market...
tors, engineers, experts in metallurgy, material physics, solar energy, meteorology and recycling have become a team of passionate «possibilists».
Doing things differently when everything has been invented? This is a world first that will revolutionize our way of doing things for good. With the recycling and chip sorting network operational and the laboratory tests validated, we are expecting the first solar oven to be ready in July 2022. This has already enabled us to achieve many goals with the help of the EPFL, the CNRS, the HES and the private sector. These doc-
Opportunism or conviction? How does one become a missionary of 100% recyclability? Let’s be honest, Panatere embarked on this process of recycling and local production because in reality I was not satisfied with the quality of the steel we were machining: blowholes, structural defects, and often in the end, wasted finishes. This need to acquire global control of our steels was therefore first born of a quality problem. And then our company
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What exactly is it about? As soon as we have produced our first ingot on our own solar furnace with waste from local companies, we can say that the dream has become reality. We will have created a new local production model in the circular economy.
had to reinvent itself in order to create a competitive advantage over its «private label» and case competitors. Of course it will cost more! Isn’t ecology a rich man’s sport? For the record, the global increase in the price of raw materials has given us a big boost: as I speak, we are offering better prices thanks to our stocks built up over the last two years. Of course, industrially we had to go through mini-castings in the laboratory that cost more than 20,000 Swiss francs per kilo! But we have progressively increased the quantities per
Wouldn’t doing something for the planet be like taking care of yourself? There are no winners or losers, it’s about agreeing to live together
MOMENTS A solar furnace? Practical issues There are already anti-wind turbine activists, so how does Raphaël Broye intend to deal with the inevitable opponents of the solar oven, beyond the usual discourse which consists of emphassing the exceptional opportunities for the region? «The fumes will be recovered to avoid the smells and the release of any form of particles. The operating noise level is limited to the pneumatic compressor used to move and orientate the reflectors. There will be no glare as this solar cooker focuses its radiation only on the hearth. Only two round trips per week by truck will be required to feed the solar oven and distribute the finished products. And he even mentions hydrogen-powered vehicles, just to be a little bit of a stickler for carbon values. As for the visual impact on the landscape? «We will choose a location accordingly. The solar oven represents the volume of two road trains, so the visual impact is very limited,» explains the man who, it is certain, is preparing to «scrupulously follow the procedures for requesting authorisations and putting the project under investigation» while not despairing of finding a commune enthusiastic about the idea of playing the pioneer... It is very possible that the rebellious spirit which sometimes makes the reputation of these independent regions will prove him right. _JAG
At the same time, you need everyone? The solar cooker project has attracted interest from all sides. Our priority is to get it up and running and to do it with our own money. To guarantee its sustainability, we are studying the scenarios of a cooperative or a foundation of public utility.
L’économie circulaire, le circuit court, les bons produits, un travail près de chez soi, une famille, du plaisir dans son quotidien
casting to bring the price of our steel down to market levels. How do you convince your competitors to supply you with their chips? Thanks to Precycling, Alexandre Haussener’s company, which has invested a lot of time in setting up a network of collectors and a secure storage system. The
materials and semi-finished products. Our bet is that hyper-globalisation will give way to regionalisation. We are filing patents for certain very specific developments because we expect a return on our investment. For the rest, our know-how will be our competitive edge because we have chosen to lead the way as a pioneer.
chip suppliers were very receptive to the values conveyed by our project and some forty entities willingly supported us. You seem to be moving forward in an open source way. Aren’t you in danger of being overtaken? Obviously, other manufacturers will also have to secure their supplies of raw
Recycling instead of digging in the basement? How many times? Experts agree that steel can be recycled ad infinitum. As far as recycling is concerned, we have tested 8 successive 100% recycled castings without any loss of performance. Switzerland imports more than 140,000 tonnes of stainless steel each year. In 2022-2023, we will process 200 tons in solar-recycled form. On a global scale, the recycling potential is therefore still intact, and if we assume that suppliers are getting better at sorting their steel grades, the volumes available can only increase. Take the example of paper and cardboard recycling: their selective sorting has greatly reduced the content of our rubbish bags.
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MOMENTS
In Saignelégier in the Swiss Jura, the Panatere factory acquires the global control of its steels
The circular economy, the short circuit, good products, a job close to home, a family, pleasure in one’s daily life What are the obstacles and enemies of your project? There are those who think that a zerocarbon project necessarily means greenwashing. There are those who are in the register of beliefs, with as many references as there are personal perceptions. This is the domain of the antitechnical, of emotion, and it is the most difficult. However, when you talk about novelty, you talk about risk analysis, tests, proofs, situations, accreditations, certifications, and standardisation. Do you have any allies? In addition to all the players involved, as far as the institutions are concerned, we have been able to obtain valuable support from the Confederation and two positive cantonal notices.
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One solar cooker or several? «The old generation of concentrating solar cookers were intended to be emblematic and to transfer technology. Panatere has chosen a nomadic, very compact design that can be deployed according to specific uses. It will not exceed 4.60 metres in height as long as its foundations can be buried,» explains Raphaël Broye.
Liselotte Thuring, project manager at Panatere, explains the concept of 100 % recycled steel via a solar oven to journalist Alexandre Bochatay, in the programme Couleurs Locales on RTS (Swiss national television).
And for the rational sceptics, does the missionary have a recipe? It’s a bit like a recipe: bring performance up to the level of customer requirements, demonstrate a 165-fold reduction in carbon footprint, mix it all up with revamped processes, sprinkle in regular validation by external auditors, add expertise, taste and adjust with a few more certificates, and voila, it’s ready to serve. And you think you can «convert» them this way? I tell them, to continue with the culinary metaphor: «You don’t have to dwell on the innumerable qualities of a frying pan anymore. You have to smell the undergrowth, show off that wonderful pan of mushrooms, let them hear the toast of the fresh butter. Not to mention the unique sensation of having picked them up this morning in the nearby forest. n https://www.panatere.com https://precyclingsa.ch https://circular-economy-switzerland.ch/
Motion Cradle to Cradle This sentence is the creed of the Circular Economy which favors shorter channels. In fact, once a product is recycled, it should give back the same product. The implementation of a regional solar furnace in the Watch Valley by the Panatere Company is rooted in this approach. Henri-Maxime Khedoud.
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MOTION
How to avoid
137 times around the earth?
By Henri-M. Khedoud / Journalist Former editor and writer of B2B Green Business magazine
I
nternationally acknowledged in sustainability consulting, the Swiss company Quantis has conducted a study to better understand all the benefits of such a furnace. Compared carbon footprints It can be observed that with the solar furnace scenario, 100% of the AISI 316L steel offcuts (watchmaking) are recycled, whereas in a conventional furnace, the percentage decreases significantly. For the transport of raw materials, there would be only forty kilometers to go to La-Chaux-de-Fonds against sometimes 856 km by road or even 12’100 km by boat from Shenzhen, China. With the solar furnace, the carbon footprint exceeds all expectations. It has a carbon footprint 165 times smaller than the standard scenario: 6.8 kg CO2-eq. In addition,
The Swiss consultancy Quantis has just carried out a study on the carbon footprint of steel recycled from a solar furnace. Several possible options have been considered. the use of a local solar furnace reduces the use of raw materials (89% reduction in carbon footprint), fossil energy by almost 7% and transportation by 4%. Emissions reduced Here is an example to better measure the efficiency of this solar furnace in reducing CO2 emissions. Melting 265 tons of recycled steel, using conventional processes, would result in the emission of nearly 1800 tons of CO2-eq. That is the same emissions as those of 660 people flying from Geneva to New York and back or 137 times the earth’s circumference. The study analyzes the carbon footprint of three types of recycled steel foundries. The standard foundry, the 100% recycled steel
«This solar furnace would reduce the carbon footprint by 165 times compared to standard steel, making it carbon neutral while offering similar raw material prices to standard steel producers.» foundry and finally the recycled steel scenario with the solar furnace. The figures are clear for the last option. Truck transport, the main carbon emitter, only represents 20% compared to 65% in the standard scenario. This carbon footprint could be further reduced by using less carbon-intensive means of transport such as trains. Short supply routes The study conducted by Quantis, a leading European company in this field, highlights, among other things, that sorting grades reduces the carbon footprint of cast steel by a factor of 10 compared to standard recycling that requires the addition of extra ore. The use of a solar furnace reduces the carbon footprint of cast steel by an additional factor of 15, compared to an electric arc furnace (using electricity and gas). Solar furnace steel production would reduce the carbon footprint by 165 times compared to standard production without solar energy and requiring the addition of primary ores. Panatere is committed to working with local partners to implement this innovative solution in the French speaking part of Switzerland. n https://quantis-intl.com/
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Energy Lab.
Join the Energy Lab ecosystem to stimulate, connect and support Swiss innovation in the energy field, and become part of the solution! Visit www.energylab.site or contact Ludger Fischer at energy@hslu.ch to know more about SEED funding and further opportunities.
Materials Are steel shavings the new Jura black gold?
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Virtuous luxury, Swiss Made One day soon, not so far away in fact, waste will become raw material. And therefore no longer the source of costs linked to their transport and destruction, but kilos to be monetised. Already, when Panatere, a Jura SME, undertakes to federate some forty companies in its vicinity in order to recover their steel shavings with the aim of creating 100% recycled - and recyclable - steel, the future becomes the current time. Of course, it had took years of intense research to solve the problems of logistics, sorting and, above all, purification. The formula works, up to eight times. The black gold from the Jura is a high quality steel, suitable for watchmaking and medical applications. Ethical and responsible, clean in fact. Joël A. Grandjean
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MATERIALS
Solar steel from the Jura?
Heavy stuff from Panatere, sure, but heavy with zero carbon!
By Joël A. Grandjean / JSH® Magazine
Imagine receiving a rather heavy package in your mailbox, like more than 100 CEOs in the watchmaking sector: the operation conducted by Panatere allowed me to weigh up some sustainable steel...
T
o join words to deeds, such was the rather well perceived approach of this SME already well established for 10 years in the watchmaking-jewellery landscape and related sectors, notably other microtechnologies. A company established as a true pioneer in the field of sustainable solutions. Inside this regional wooden box received at home, three steel samples. For the first time in my life, I weigh with one hand a 100% recycled steel disc, and with the other a piece of solar steel... The highest luxury, it’s ethics Sharing half a day with Raphaël Broye, founder of this SME located in the heart of the Watch Valley and therefore right in the navel of the world watchmaking industry, makes you realise that we are well beyond trendy speeches and marketing pretences. For several years now, he has been putting all his human and entrepreneurial resources at the service of a reality that is about to catch up with fiction. During the interview, the few slices of «clean» steel that pass through my hands are next to the organic pleasure of the touch of high-end bracelets made from bio-components, based on grape or fennel residues for example... What if the steel used in watchmaking and medical applications finally came from specific castings, and not from steelmakers more concerned with serving large volumes than the quantities of a less tonnage-intensive watchmaking industry? And what if this steel, of which we are talking here about the quality AISI 316L grade 4441, was a recycled and recyclable material? And what if, finally, 200 tonnes of this steel could come from a furnace located within a
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radius of 50 kilometres, which, moreover, was solar-powered ? These wishes are real horses to allow beggars to ride, they are the daily reality of Panatere, they are its roadmap. By 2022, a solar oven in the Jura Paris wasn’t buid in a day! Similarly, the 100% recycled watchmaking quality steel that Panatere is able to generate today is the result of an effort that, after several years of research and logistical ingenuity, already represents some fifty tonnes! It comes, and this is a huge leap in terms of carbon footprint, from steelmakers located within a radius of 250 kilometres. This tour de force was made possible thanks to the resonance of some forty neighbouring companies that regularly deliver their steel shavings and waste. Years of studying how to completely remove unwanted materials
such as the «grease» inherent in oil milling, for example, in order to remelt them. The cycle can be repeated eight times without any loss of quality. So much for the first step. And because it is sheer conviction that drives him, against all odds, Raphaël Broye does not intend to stop there. Fully aware of the systemic nature of this approach, his project manager Liselotte Thuring confirms about this future industrial solar steel: «PANATERE took years to find the recipe for this AISI 316L grade 4441 stainless steel, which is 100% recycled and can be reused at the end of its life cycle. We are proud to be able to contribute to the local economy, in a short circuit coupled with the circular economy.» She is referring to the planned installation of the first solar oven in the heart of the Swiss Jura.
MATERIALS
The die has been cast, the race against time has begun. The research institutes and scientific experts called in as reinforcements confirm it: in the long term, a healthy supply for the watchmaking and medical sectors, in the light of this steel ingot that Raphaël Broye presents to me. He obtained it from his 100% recycled steel, thanks to the complicity of another solar furnace, that of Mont-Louis, alias «the city of the sun-king». A local industrial tool, in the Pyrenees Orientales, which has become the stronghold of the CRNS... n https://www.panatere.com Article to be read in several languages on EPHJ.ch (the news) as well as on Swiss-Watch-Passport.ch/en/. Order the special issue of JSH Magazine dedicated to short supply chaines, published in September 2021 (reserved for subscribers and EPHJ 2021 visitors)
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Société de Recyclage Eco Circulaire
DESTRUCTIONS CONFIDENTIELLES AFIN D’ÉVITER LE MARCHÉ GRIS OU LA CONTREFAÇON. –––––– RECYCLAGE DE COMPOSANTS HORLOGERS, MÉDICAUX ET AUTOMOBILES. –––––– MISE EN PLACE DE PROCÉDURES ECOSYSTÈME. –––––– LOGISTIQUE ADAPTÉE EN SUISSE ET À L’ÉTRANGER. –––––– PRÉSERVER LES RESSOURCES NATURELLES.
Precycling SA Rue du Moulin 56 – 2732 Reconvilier info@precyclingsa.ch – +41 32 552 30 60 www.precyclingsa.ch
MATERIALS
The Nobleness of Waste
Fennel peels and zinc dusts
Interview by Joël A. Grandjean
A
rpanization (in reference to Yvan Arpa) is an off word that is circulating in the trendy circles of patent communicators.
Unusual buzz, ethical buzz Ever since he used fragments of steel from the Titanic in his watches, ever since he made fossilized dinosaur poop (coprolite) a selling argument, the rebellious Simon Templar of watchmaking has inspired the whole sector: burnt rubber from victorious Pirelli tires in Roger Dubuis watches, cigar leaf at Delacour, Jura slate at Paul Picot, antique gun barrels at François-Paul Journe, cheese at H. Moser & Cie... And the list goes on! Today, environmental awareness is pushing for less futile recycling. According to the guidelines that the owner and director of Panatere has fixed to himself, we go further than just the watch case. «We worked on each component and the watch straps were part of our global vision» says Raphaël Broye. And his inventory is not farfetched: «fennel scraps, apple peelings or A grand cru classé on the wrist? This is currently being studied and is now possible by using grape waste from the same vineyard
Arpanization (in reference to Yvan Arpa) is an off word that is circulating in the trendy circles of patent communicators. residues, wood chips and sawdust, grape stalks and seeds...» He is echoed by Nicolas Freudiger, co-founder of ID Geneva, the first circular watch brand: «Our packaging is a recycled cardboard shipping box, with a mushroom interior protection. At home, a 100% compostable box and when traveling, a grape leather pouch». Science and technology coming into play Beyond the fennel, which is particularly popular in the world of biodegradables because of its stringy texture, the search for such bracelets does not avoid the famous watchmaking tests in use: accelerated aging, resistance to various types of sweat... This is a quest full of trials and tribulations which, according to Jérôme Cavadini, head of the Panerai Manufature, involves science when it is a matter of making a sapphire crystal from glass scraps or luminescent indexes from SuperLuminova residues.
Raphaël Broye: «there can be nobility in many wastes»
Titanium is also part of this ongoing quest, notably when a company in Saint-Georges de Mons, France, collects titanium scrap from the aeronautics industry to supply Panerai with EcoTitanium®. And the same battle for 100% recycled materials is being pursued for rubber, brass, carbon and even gold. As Raphaël Broye confirms, «100% recycled titanium should be ready in October 2021. Already today, an alloy from the washing of the fumes from our garbage bags is available in many measurements.» And he concludes, «Other revolutionary materials are coming...» n #JournalSuisseHorlogerie JSH 2021 / #02
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Careers Pioneers, explorers,
the new «possibilists» Sublissima Noëlla, the impact maker I met at Baselworld She was on the launch podium for ethical gold according to Chopard in 2018 at Baselworld. Cypriot-Congolese top model Noëlla Coursaris Munsuka is the founding soul of Malaika Foundation - angel in Swahili. This fashion photographer’s muse dedicates her fame to the education of young girls in Congo. She is the embodiment of international figureheads who are committed. Her resolute and gentle voice is an awareness of one of the most chilling contemporary realities: as a gold producer, her country is full of children who survive in poverty and destitution. His moving message became even more concrete. For beyond this gold that not everyone can afford, there is also cobalt, which can be found in any cell phone and of which his native Congo is overflowing. And if finally, thanks in particular to Chopard’s connections with the world’s red carpets, the ultimate luxury in watchmaking or jewelry could be achieved through greater respect for materials. _JAG - https://malaika.org
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All of them embody an inspiring human journey. Visionary boss, missionary industrialist, enlightened start-upper or manufacturing technician, professional in recycling, sorting and harvesting waste, Manufacture director, young founder of a new brand or initiator of a solar furnace... Their public exposure shapes tomorrow’s potentials, including training and specific expertise. Some good examples, careers in the making… By the editorial team of JSH® Magazine
A souvenir: Mike Horn, Panerai’s ambassador and adventurer of the extreme, crossed paths with him during a stopover in Monaco while he was sailing around the world for four years to raise environmental awareness among young people. While the famous explorer continues his quest, the Richemont Group brand is also pursuing the sustainable watchmaking path by launching its Submersible eLAB-ID concept watch, made from 98.6% recycled materials. #JournalSuisseHorlogerie JSH 2021 / #02
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CAREERS
Sustainability Skills for the future By HM Khedoud - Ollivier Broto / TàG Press +41 - JAG
Announcements come and go. While greenwashing is having a field day, and the environmental guarantee is on everyone’s lips, certain human paths are leading the way.
S
ome people use the concept of sustainable development to promote themselves. Others preach through their actions and set an example.
Meeting with a recycler When Raphaël Broye de Panatere drew up his roadmap for the installation of a solar furnace in the Jura, when he became involved in the production of recycled steel, he found a major ally in Reconvilier. «His project meets environmental expectations. It provides new ecological solutions to enhance the value of the products to be recycled,» explains Precycling director Gilles Fischer, who has been a recognised player in recycling for several years. «We validate the products supplied to the foundry by setting up the logistics to recover the scrap. We analyse the quality and prepare homogeneous batches in order to facilitate reworking and guarantee the finished product. plicable to waste in Switzerland. Our job is to meet these requirements. We are regularly audited by the Office des Eaux et des Déchets to validate our operating permit. Success depends above all on the means given to people and companies who care about the environment.
Is the awareness of private individuals and companies evolving, and what about the laws? «Reports such as those of Swiss Recycling show the evolution of recycled materials in percentages. The guidelines have been in existence since 1986 and deal with the basic principles and objectives ap-
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Sorting, recovery, transport, all this costs and pollutes? «The costs potentially linked to the methodology of sorting products at the origin of production are very low. The costs of control and sorting depend on the origin and the discipline. Recycling is a product resource for the industry. It is our duty to limit the nuisance and Precycling uses its resources and knowledge to reduce the environmental impact. Our recycling is the implementation of eco-cyclical projects that preserve natural resources.»
ID Genève, more than just a watch, an ecosystem This Geneva-based watch brand is playing at being a start-up. «It’s an identity that goes beyond the product and responds to all the circular considerations,» says Nicolas Freudiger, co-founder of what should be considered the very first laboratory for a circular brand. In fact, the first collec-
CAREERS
Jérôme Cavadini, Operational Director Manufacture Panerai
tion is called Circular 1 and it «meets the requirements of the circular economy, with recycled and recyclable materials as well as coherent production circuits», explains the man who, like his associates, worked in the watchmaking industry and dreamed of a «positive change» that is much more than a generational sensitivity. «The generational barrier, if it exists, will be completely erased because it is more a question of economic and political interests. If ID Geneva can serve as a circular ‘model’, it will be a great victory.» And there is no question of skimping on quality: «There is often a trade-off between quality and recycled materials, we make no compromises in terms of quality, all materials are tested according to the standards of the watch industry.» n www.panerai.com www.precyclingsa.ch www.IDwatch.ch
The brand, known for its links with the underwater world, is forging strong ties with its aficionados and taking them to sublime and mysterious territories to explore. In addition to its visuals, which evoke the great escape to the vast natural expanses of adventure, the preservation of the seabed and virgin exploration, Officine Panerai is making its mark on the watch industry with the launch of its Luminor Marina eSteel, and its concept timepiece, the Subsmersible eLAB-ID. «With 98.6% of its weight in recycled materials, this watch is a model of sustainable watchmaking» boasts the press release. Why on earth did they choose to base it on weight? «Calculating this percentage by value and not by weight would have no connection with the environment. Weight was the most objective, because you can weigh everything and determine a recycling rate,» explains the man who has spent more than 25 years in the watchmaking industry. «In terms of recycling, we aim for the maximum number of elements, luminova, glass, etc. For sapphire glass alone, it took us 6-8 months of research: ice, purity of the cores (editor’s note: long silica bar). Jérôme Cavadini is convincing when
he details, for the watch crystal alone, all the recycling processes that had to be mastered. From the initial scraps of material, the reworking and shaping to be able to make watch glasses: «breaking our teeth on the impurities, finding properties similar to the raw material, mastering the cutting...». Assuming that everything has been weighed, including the strap, the buckle, the crystal and the hands, it seems obvious that the initial roadmap, and therefore the wishes of the ebullient CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué, should aim for 100%? «Obviously, a boss has optimal expectations! In theory we could achieve this. But that would involve crazy energy consumption and waste of resources, which would make the objective meaningless and damage the very nature of the project. The coherence argument was therefore favoured. Like the choice of EcoTitanium, a clean metal made from titanium scraps from the aerospace industry and the recovery of its scraps... Like the very trendy posture, finally (!), which consists of playing the game of total transparency and exposing the virtuous circle of all the suppliers - the co-contractors, as I have renamed them - who participated in the adventure.
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MOMENTS
The Swiss Watchmaking Federation, a privileged observer
An update from its president, Jean-Daniel Pasche
Interview by Joël A. Grandjean, Editor-in-Chief
N
ot everyone can write the word waterproof on a watch face or in an instruction manual. The thing is regulated and, since the safety and the life of the diver can depend on the waterproofness, any affixing of the kind must be measurable and tested. Will the same thing happen one day, perhaps simply because consumers demand it, with the terms “recyclable, recycled “and all sorts of vocabulary linked to these new data? Beyond international legislation, ISO and other accepted standards, there are the standards of the Swiss watch industry. Is the FHS considering standards relating to the concept of recycling? The creation or revision of watchmaking standards is the responsibility of the Swiss Watch Industry Standards Committee, one of the FH commissions (Swiss NIHS standards and international ISO standards). At present, there are no watchmaking standardisation projects at this stage. It must be said that national legislation is emerging on this subject (environment, recycling, waste disposal, sustainability) almost everywhere, particularly in France. Our priority is to inform companies about this legislation and help them prepare for it. It is difficult to standardise on a private level when standards do not have the force of law.
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As the term industrial begins to flourish with common names related to recycling, environmental ethics and carbon footprint measurement, the question of standardisation or regulation arises...
Watchmaking standards The head of the NIHS department (Swiss watch industry standard) is Patrick Lötscher. Raphaël Schwarz is in charge of technical regulatory affairs in the FH legal department (REACH, RoHS, substances, materials, batteries... Download the standards: https:// www.fhs.swiss/fre/standards.html
Is there any such reflection at European level (ISO standards for example, or other)? There is a committee dealing with this subject (ISO/TC 323) under the aegis of France but it concerns the whole economy and does not specifically concern watchmaking. We are not aware of any results at this stage. In the same way that the word «watertight» belongs to the domain of legislation, will there one day be directives for the use of all these words that are increasingly widespread without control (eco-responsibility, recyclable, etc.)? There are already regulations, particularly
Appointed President of the Swiss Watchmaking Federation in 2002, he had already been its Director since 1993. Re-elected in June 2021 for a final term of office, JeanDaniel Pasche will continue to support the industry’s challenges.
MOMENTS
Participants in Marseille in 2019 at the ISO TC 114 congress (watchmaking), whose president is Swiss: Silvano Freti, 2nd row-1st row standing, 4th from the left (white hair, light jacket). In 2021, this congress was held by videoconference. in the EU, France and the USA, concerning terms related to ecology, either precise definitions of words, or directives concerning the use of certain words (restriction of use, coefficients, percentages, etc.). It is certain that this legislative evolution will continue in order to avoid abuse and confusion. However, this type of regulation goes beyond watchmaking, as it concerns all industrial sectors.
At the level of the markets, do the brands tell you that they have particular expectations regarding these new parameters? We feel that watchmaking companies are increasingly interested in these concerns, which are often questioned by their customers or by consumers. They are expressing expectations that need to be met. The pandemic has accentuated these phenomena.
What would you say about a solar oven in the Jura? Is it a utopia? Without wishing to prejudge the technical feasibility, it is not a utopia in principle insofar as such a project would be part of the search for sustainability and local supply, two notions that are becoming increasingly important with the energy challenges. n https://www.fhs.swiss/
Every gold alloy has its own colour! The FHS therefore has a standard reference box for checking and guaranteeing the manufacturers’ specifications.
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Markets
Haute Couture
fashion master Julien Fournié:
«Today, we only order what we need» 26
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MARKETS
Fashion business,
a sector in quest of virtue By Isabelle Cerboneschi, editor-in-chief and publisher of All-I-C magazine
T
he world is only now discovering the polluting reality of this industry. Thanks to eco-warriors, investigations, scandals, and also thanks to Covid. At the same time and for a long time, some small fashion brands have been choosing a business model that respects people and the environment. But before 2020, they remained quite confidential.
Fashion is the most polluting industry in the world! The industry has always known this. The confinement, the lack of supply of cheap raw materials manufactured at the opposite end of the world, has highlighted the deficiencies.
Isabelle Cerboneschi: «small ethical brands are on the rise and large groups are trying to redeem their conscience»
Generation Z seduction operation at Gucci.
The young fashion designer Marine Serre, hailed by Karl Lagerfeld, is using recycled materials and personifying upcycling. Ethical startups The most famous was Stella McCartney: no leather in the collections of this vegetarian believer. Her name, which came from her father, one of the Beatles, has allowed her to impose her beliefs. The other designers, have grown in her shadow until they reach the light. #JournalSuisseHorlogerie JSH 2021 / #02
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MARKETS
Like Marine Serre, for example. This young designer, who uses reclaimed materials (upcycling) to create her collections, was raised to the pinnacle when she won the LVMH award in 2017 presented by Karl Lagerfeld, himself. The movement was underway. Recycling ventures into glamour At the end of 2019 the City of Paris Fashion Grand Prix was awarded to Valentine Gauthier, who studied geo-ethnology and fashion design at the Chardon Savard school and in the studios of Maison Martin Margiela. In 2007, after winning a prize at the International Festival of Young Fashion Designers in Dinard, she decided to create her own brand. She wanted it to be ethical, choosing raw materials according to their carbon footprint, and having her designs made in the country of production, according to her sketches and instructions. She was ahead of her time, maybe too much so. She had to wait 10 years before she could be recognized.
«We are constantly working on implementing new materials, renewable energies and technologies capable of changing our production processes,» Gucci’s CEO said. 28
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Isabelle Cerboneschi, thunderstorms in the world of imagination «The fact is that the power remains with the buyer: we also have the power to make things change, by not feeding a system that does not suit us,» points out this journalist renowned for her expertise and her independence. Published in major national news media, she is also the editor of her own print and online magazine, All-I-C: « The study of Law leads to everything, and it brought me to Journalism. I’ve never left. I wrote for all the columns before opting for those wonderful fields where you meet personalities who create: art, fashion, watchmaking, jewelry, architecture, perfumes, beauty,» confesses she who, for 17 years, was the editor-in-chief of the Le Temps daily newspaper’s Hors-Séries, going from fashion shows to watch fairs, artists’ studios to craftsmen’s workshops. She was fortunate enough to meet the greatest couturiers and designers, namely Azzedine Alaïa, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquière..., artists and photographers, such as Helmut Newton or Roy Liechtenstein... And the list is endless. _ JAG
Such examples are numerous. Swiss designer Kevin Germanier also made his name with his couture made from recycled materials. This approach was not based on ethical but on economic concerns: when he was studying in London at the famous fashion school Central Saint Martins, the young aspiring designer had no money to make his own collections. So he used vintage clothes and old sheets at low cost. This eventually became his signature and a business model that earned him the encouragement of LVMH. Since 2018, he has been running his own house and has managed to make recycling glamorous.
Haute-couture, groups and ‘Z’ generation Even traditional haute couture is going the sustainable path. «In the past, you had to order a minimum yardage to develop an exclusive print,» says top fashion designer Julien Fournié. «We needed fifteen meters and ended up with 60 meters! We stored the surplus hoping to use it and then one day we had to destroy it. Today, some manufacturers are more accommodating to houses that manufacture by the unit like mine and agree to produce in smaller quantities. We only order what we need. Every meter saved is important: it saves unnecessary costs and waste.»
MARKETS
The groups, major polluters, have become aware of the need to redeem themselves if they want to seduce their favorite target: generation Z. Gucci, the favorite brand of this generation, is making great strides towards a more socially responsible fashion. Last June, it released its first Equilibrium Impact report, which showed that this year it achieved its 2025 goals of reducing its environmental footprint by 40% compared to 2015. Greenhouse gas emissions dropped 47%, with a goal of a 50% reduction by 2025. «Leading [brands] have a duty to set a positive example,» Gucci president and CEO Marco Bizzarri recently commented to Vogue.
Fast fashion lagging behind It remains to convert the fast fashion, Zara first, whose model is far from being virtuous: creators’ models copied, production chains outsourced in the poorest countries, child labor, the brand is all wrong and is being begged to be a little more fair. n Actress Audrey Fleurot shows in haute couture for Julien Fournié
https://all-i-c.com/
#JSH1876 #JournalSuisseHorlogerie ABO@JSH.SWISS JSH® Magazine, prochaine parution Fin 2021 abonnement CHF 18.76*/an abo@jsh.swiss | donations presidence@jsh.swiss *1876, année de création du Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie
MOMENTS
They are telling…
Lionel Socchi, Delegate for the Economic Promotion of the Jura Interview by Joël A. Grandjean Could our waste one day become raw material?
It is not so utopian. With all the channels involved in recycling, we are already producing raw materials. Apart from the waste that every household recycles, we can also see the recycling of other materials in areas such as construction, for example recycled concrete, organic waste for biogas or other fuels for energy production.
«Our industry is conducting a real hunt for waste, which is often also synonymous with cost reductions»
Regularly, on social networks, this representative of the Republic and Canton of Jura boosts the posts of deserving local companies, re-launches calls for applications for innovative projects... Meet him. Is ecology, not in the political sense, a sport for the rich and a concern for the wealthy?
Of course, ecological concerns may differ according to social level. However, in Switzerland at least, we have reached a general awareness (...) We are all thinking about finding solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, whether it be in our travels, our consumption habits or even when we have to renovate our homes.
Does environmental responsibility among economic players today go beyond the stage of marketing speeches or good conscience?
I can see several phenomena: firstly, at local level and in our fabric, most large companies have integrated these notions into their way of operating. Machine manufacturers are bringing out products that consume less energy, watchmaking subcontractors are offering more and more components made from recycled materials, and our industry is conducting a real hunt for waste, which is also often synonymous with cost reductions. I am more sceptical about the mass retail sector, for example (...), which prides itself on a certain ecological awareness when its product ranges generate as much or more waste than before. (...). And the creation of new taxes to ease one’s conscience also has its limits.
A solar oven in the Watch Valley? What do you think? An ambitious project if ever there was one, the technology exists and is being used in France. I applaud it, but I have some reservations. It is becoming increasingly difficult in Switzerland to develop projects that could impact the landscape. We want alternative solutions, but not under our window.
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Watch shredding cycle
Christian Piller, trainer On several occasions, his scheduled courses at the FSRM, a foundation in Neuchâtel in charge of continuing education, have been postponed. This is a pity, as his 25 years of competence in recycling (CP Recycling Management) enable him to accompany companies which, because of the recent pandemic crisis, have sometimes been revived in their environmental awareness. «The recycling optimization concept that we propose can generate savings of between 10 and 35% compared to current costs”. Any questions? _JAG www.recycling-management.ch
Just look at the wind turbines. Imagine the reactions if we came up today with dam projects like those built in the 60s and 70s, especially in Valais! As for the solar oven, I hope I’m wrong because this project has the merit of launching the debate on recycling and the use of short circuits in the watchmaking world. n
Prenez part au mouvement ! www.circular-economy-switzerland.ch
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