American actor Leonardo DiCaprio invests in Geneva watch company “It’s actually very simple: I want to be treated with the same respect”

The young and little-known Swiss watch brand ID Genève has secured an illustrious financier: the American star actor Leonardo DiCaprio. He is one of a group of investors who have provided the company with a total of two million francs.

The brand, which was founded almost three years ago, wants to invest the money in the further development of its watches and future growth, according to a press release published on Tuesday. In the production of the timepieces, the company uses recycled material for some parts. This apparently also convinced Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio says ID Genève is a brand that is driving change in the luxury goods industry and beyond by relying on the principle of the circular economy. It is not known how much money he has personally invested. In addition to DiCaprio, three Swiss family offices are also participating in the financing round.

Recycled steel housing

ID Genève, founded by three people from French-speaking Switzerland, produces watches whose cases are made from 100 percent recycled steel. “This allows us to significantly reduce the CO2 footprint without having to compromise on quality,” explains director and co-founder Nicola Freudiger in an interview with the AWP news agency.

Furthermore, the bracelets of the first collections were largely made from waste and using innovative processes, and those of the third and final collection were made from green waste. The company also uses mechanical timepieces from unsold stocks of ETA, part of the Swatch Group, while the packaging material is compostable.

The aim of the effort is to keep CO2 emissions as low as possible. However, the sellers’ foreign travel, the export of watches and the entire logistics have a negative impact on the CO2 balance. “We are aware of this and are also trying to reduce CO2 emissions there,” says Freudiger.

Aim for growth abroad

“To date, we have sold over 1,000 watches from our brand and 500 new watches will be launched in January,” revealed the former manager of beverage company Coca-Cola. The price of a mechanical watch from the ID Genève brand varies between 3,500 and 5,000 francs.

The majority of ID Genève’s customers are still based in Switzerland. However, thanks to the collaboration with the major British watch seller Watches of Switzerland, the timepieces are increasingly offered in Great Britain and the US. (sda/awp)