Grape expectations: Mondaine’s new vegan classic watch

Mondaine classic watches with vegan grape straps

Like the Anglepoise light, the Bic biro, the Dieter Rams-designed Braun radio, and the “Valentine” Olivetti typewriter, Mondaine’s classic clock face, conceived by Hans Hilfiker in 1944, is an icon of design, as is the brand’s matching classic watch. An emblem of the Bauhaus’ reductive spirit, the Mondaine dial is recognised by its bold black hour batons and red “lollipop” seconds hand.

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Collections have nonetheless evolved and developed in a quietly elegant fashion. For example, there’s the Mondaine Giant edition equipped with an oversized dial and the Simply Elegant range noted for its slimline case. This said, the core design has remained a constant throughout the decades. The brand has mastered the art of stealthy changes, embracing contemporary trends as a subtle undercurrent. A case in point is the Classic collection of watches which now come dressed in a sustainable vegan grape leather strap, made of 75% eco-composite vegetable and 25% recycled PET materials.

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Modaine’s move reflects the wider fashion industry’s steady directive towards alternative, plant-sourced materials. For example, last year Nike released a pair of Air Max trainers with panels made of pineapple leather, while Italian tech-textile firm, Orange Fiber, recently won the second edition of the Vogue YOOX Challenge with its range of sustainable fabrics derived from citrus fruit by-products.

The watchmaker is, however, well practised in the field of sustainability. It may come as a surprise to learn that the entire Mondaine group – which includes Luminox, M-WATCH, Pierre Cardin, and is family-owned by second generation brothers André and Ronnie Bernheim – is one of the few global watch brands to be 100% CO2-neutral. In addition to this, watches and clocks are produced using 80% solar energy in Mondaine’s state-of-the-art factory which opened in 2009 in Biberist, Switzerland.

The hand-assembled Classic model – available in a variety of case sizes, in either brushed or polished stainless steel with straps in brown or black grape leather – has been a runaway success. Some styles have already sold out proving that even icons of design can benefit from an ecological rethink.

Available from John Lewis, priced from £189 to £209.

Alexandra Zagalsky is a London-based journalist specialising in luxury, art and travel. She began her career working on a cultural guide for English-speaking expats in Paris, where her first major break was an interview with Lionel Poilâne, the late baker of Saint-Germain-des-Prés famed for his signature sourdough loaves. Returning to London in her early 20s, she went on to write for not only The Week but also The Art Newspaper’s Art of Luxury supplement, The Telegraph and The Times, as well as art and design platforms including 1stDibs’ Introspective Magazine and the magazines of the V&A, Sotheby’s and Christie’s. She studied fine art and art history at Goldsmiths, University of London and continues to explore travel journalism through the lens of art, craftsmanship and culture.