Elite Traveler Summer 2022

Pangatalan Island, part of the Sulubaai Foundation, fosters sustainable tourism and scienti fi c research

JOINING FORCES

Keeping luxury clean and our planet green is a tall order for many brands today, but these companies are focused on sustainable e ff orts on land, sea — even in space.

TAG HEUER Tag Heuer unveils a world-first watch this year: the Tag Heuer Carrera Plasma. It is the first watch to use lab-grown diamonds (polycrystalline) on the dial and even for the crown. The material is produced by a network of partners. The Tag Heuer Carrera Plasma retails for approximately $376,000. According to Frédéric Arnault, CEO of Tag Heuer (who may well be one of the youngest CEOs of an LVMH brand), “Innovation and redefining frontiers are in our DNA. With the introduction of the Tag Heuer Carrera Plasma, we want to expand the possible palette and designs for diamond watches — and diamonds in general — and create a new and breathtaking vision of mastering carbon and diamond design as well as cutting-edge light effects. By using lab-grown diamonds in such an avant-garde manner, we want to make things in a different, new and exciting way.” tagheuer.com

BLANCPAIN & SULUBAAI Through its Blancpain Ocean Commitment, the Swiss watch brand regularly works on different projects that help with environmental protection and restoration. The newest endeavor is the support of Sea Academy, wherein the Sulubaai Environmental Foundation is working with local communities to protect marine areas around Pangatalan Island and Shark Fin Bay in the Philippines, where one of the largest coral reef zones lies. In fact, the Coral Triangle is home to more than 75% of the world’s coral species. The project will restore coral habitats, raise awareness about the environment, and restock more than 40,000 fish in the bay, among other projects. It is one of several Blancpain Ocean Commitment projects this year, including joining forces with PADI to help protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. blancpain.com

OMEGA & PRIVATEER Omega, the first watch on the moon on the wrist of an American astronaut in the late 1960s, may well be the first in another space exploration through its new partnership with Privateer. The brand is supporting a Privateer mission to track satellites and space debris that could prove hazardous. The Privateer mission to create a digital map of humankind’s space footprint is led by three big names: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Ripcord CEO and founder Alex Fielding, and space environmentalist Dr Moriba Jah. According to Raynald Aeschlimann, Omega president and CEO, “Our partnership with Privateer is like finding the final piece in the puzzle. With this new project, we can give back to the planet from the depths of the sea to beyond the skies. There is also a great synergy between Omega and Privateer. We share an obsessive attention to detail. The inside of a mechanical watch is like a mini universe. Everything needs to operate without obstructions if you want it to work perfectly and endure.” omegawatches.com