Mondaine releases a solar version of their Essence Swiss Railways watch
Mondaine has been talking about sustainability for a long time. With the new Essence solar models, they finally build that story into the core of the watch, not just the marketing copy.
You get two versions, both 41 millimeters, both running a Swiss Ronda 215 solar movement. No batteries to swap every few years. Light hits the dial, charges a cell under the surface, and the watch runs. According to Mondaine, two minutes of light will wake a dead movement for a full day, and a full charge will keep it ticking for about eight months in the dark.
The look is classic Mondaine. This is the licensed SBB Swiss Railways design, the same basic layout that has sat in about three thousand train stations since the 1940s. Clean white dial, black stick markers, blocky hands, and that red seconds hand that looks like a signal paddle. It is graphic, high contrast, and easy to read.
The 41 millimeter case is made of a composite of about forty percent castor oil, thirty percent glass fiber, a small amount of pigment, and under thirty percent fossil oil to keep it stable. The strap on the white model is recycled PET textile on top with a cork lining underneath. It is light, soft on the wrist, and easy to swap thanks to quick-release bars. Mondaine is aiming for low impact, but also for parts you can replace so the watch lasts longer than a single strap.
The watches are assembled in Biberist in a plant that runs mostly on solar from panels on the roof, with the rest covered by local hydro. The group says it has been carbon neutral across all three scopes since 2020 by cutting what it can and offsetting the rest. If you care about how your watch is made, not just what it looks like, that matters.
On the wrist, 41 millimeters in a composite case should wear light. The two color options keep things simple. One is a white case with an ivory strap, which leans into the eco aesthetic. The other is a black-on-black version that hides the green message under a more standard modern look. Both keep the same white dial with black markers and the red seconds hand, under a hardened mineral crystal. Water resistance is not mentioned in the release, so assume hand-wash and rain, not diving.
If you already own a rail clock Mondaine, the solar Essence might feel like a small step. If you have been curious about the brand and want something that lines up with modern ideas about waste and energy use, this is probably the model to look at first. Iconic dial, honest specs, simple solar tech, and a case and strap that nod to the future without throwing out the past.
Specs
Case size
41mm
Movement
Ronda 215 Solar
Function
3 hands and date at 03:00
Case material
Castor oil compound
Case colour
White or Black
Dial colour
White with black indices and red second hand
Crystal
Hardened Mineral
Strap
Topside – textile, the white one (recycled PET textile). Both complemented by a natural cork lining