There are a lot of materials that can be recycled. Some of them, however, can only have a certain amount of recycled material before it starts having issues. Most metals, however, are not constrained by that. Melt it down, turn it into something else, and voila – it’s reused. This is something a clever watch company can take advantage of, and that’s what we’ve got with the Triwa Humanium 2.0 project that was launched today.
The 2.0 in the watch name doesn’t refer to the metal being given a second life, though I suppose it could. Rather, it’s the second time that Triwa is pairing up with the Humanium initiative (you can read more about the first time here). What is Humanium? It’s an organization that is taking illegal, confiscated firearms, melting them down, and then turning the metal into something else – like these watches. Now, I’m not stepping into the gun debate here. However, taking something that was an illegal device that could take life, and turning it into something that is a practical, useful everyday tool? There’s a poetic justice to it, is there not?
Symbolism aside, there’s a real benefit to the communities that these guns were confiscated from – funds are flowing back into those communities via Triwa’s non-profit partner IM. So, yes, this is a very real way that you can pick up a watch and help do some good in the world.
For the Triwa Humanium 2.0 project, we’ve got a few different watches that were developed:
- Triwa Humanium 2.0 Hu39 Chronograph: powered by the Miyota JS00 chronograph movement
- Triwa Humanium 2.0 Hu39 Swiss – three-hander with a Swiss Ronda movement (quartz)
- Triwa Humanium 2.0 Hu39 Automatic – three-hander with a Miyota automatic and a 48-hour power reserve
- Triwa Humanium 2.0 Hu39 / Hu34 Classic – quartz movement and clean Scandinavian styling
So, as you can tell, there’s just about a watch for everyone, especially with different color combos in each range. While I think Triwa is more well-known for their use of acetate in their cases (at least, they are to me), this is a clever use of a metal that also drives a social message.
The Kickstarter campaign for the Triwa Humanium 2.0 watches just launched today. Pricing for the Chronograph and the Classic Swiss starts at just $251 while the automatic goes to $419. The real bargain of the bunch (and my favorite) is the quartz Classic – in either 34mm or 39mm, that will go for $179. Shipping is free, and delivery is anticipated for December. This is a solid project, and will be running for 40 days. campaign page
