Baume, the Richemont Group’s newest brand and one that is committed to sustainability, is releasing its second limited edition, this time with the French ski brand ZAG. Interestingly, the watches in the new collection are manufactured using wood from used professional skis and from plastic bottles collected from the ocean. This new collection is limited to 100 pieces (priced at £1,050/$1,350/€1200), which will be sold online at baumewatches.com and through Val d’Isère, the only ski resort in the world with the Green Globe label for its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, the only physical retail partner for this collaboration.
“ZAG is chapter two in our collaborations,” says head of Baume Marie Chassot. “We love the idea of up-cycling these items that can’t be recycled. This allows us to do exciting partnerships and raise awareness about closing the loop. We don’t want to make people feel guilty but instead use good stories to raise awareness. As for all our collaborations, we want to make sure we share the same values of the brands. That’s why we got in touch with ZAG, because they are very committed to safeguarding the mountains, and they are also about personalization of skis. We are both quite small brands and this is how we want to do our collaborations.
“The point is to show that you can be responsible and still have the design aspect that is so important,” Chassot continues. “Sustainability can be symbiotic with design and desirability. This has to become more and more important, it can go together.”
Baume focuses on online distribution primarily, but is also introducing very exclusive physical distribution, so customers can try on the watches. This month, for example, the brand will open a second store in New York’s Hudson Yards, in the concept store Conservatory. This will be an exhibition store, and customers can only buy them online.
As an extension of the BAUME x ZAG Limited Edition watches, Baume and ZAG have also developed a special pair of skis: the ZAG x BAUME H-95. Used by the ski patrollers of the Mont-Blanc Valley, the ZAG x BAUME H-95 offers high performance skiing no matter the weather conditions.
“We have been on an exciting journey with Baume since they came to us with the idea of collaborating,” says Caroline de Wailly, CEO of ZAG Skis. “We share the same passion for innovative design and commitment to environmental causes, most notably mountain preservation. The BAUME x ZAG watches and new ZAG H-95 skis are the result of a natural synergy between two very different brands, thanks to the values that we share. The products are also a reflection of our belief that we are always stronger together.”
