Omega promotes social responsibility with GoodPlanet wristwatch

Swiss watchmaker Omega is lending support to ocean sustainability through its ongoing partnership with the GoodPlanet Foundation.

Following the partnership's beginning in 2011, the watchmaker produced a documentary film, “Planet Ocean,” the following year that examines the issues facing the world’s oceans. Currently, the partners are working together on two three-year projects in Indonesia that focus on restoring marine biodiversity and teaching local communities how they can make a difference.

Oceans of support
The watchmaker has pledged a portion of the proceeds from sales of its Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M GoodPlanet GMT wristwatch. Omega donates this money as the watchmaker sees this contribution as a “tribute” to the positive work the GoodPlanet Foundation does for the environment and marine ecosystems.

Proceeds from the timepiece will go toward the partner’s two ongoing projects. The first helps to preserve mangroves and sea grasses in Bahoi, Indonesia while the second project educates the local population of Tanakeke Island, Indonesia, about the conservation of natural resources, such as fresh water. Consumers can learn more about these projects on Omega's Web site.

Omega’s dedicated watch for the partnership links consumers to the philanthropic mission by including the local Indonesian time with a Central GMT minute hand.

Omega's Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M GoodPlanet GMT

The watchmaker is further involving its enthusiasts with a push on social media where the brand has shared content regarding its social engagement programs. On Omega’s Web page for the partnership with GoodPlanet, the brand also encourages consumers to download the foundation’s mobile application for purchasing responsible, sustainable fish or to make a stand-alone donation.

Watchmakers often work with charity foundations to support worldwide causes.

For instance, Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre lent its support to the (RED) Foundation by including two custom timepieces that were part of a collection auctioned off at Sotheby’s New York on Nov. 23.

Part of a larger capsule collection containing 44 items, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s contributions were customized by Sir Jonathan Ives, senior vice president of design at Apple, and industrial designer Marc Newson. Curated collections for charity initiatives are likely to entice affluent bidders due to the limited availability of the items and the degree of authenticity imparted by the theme (see story).