When Swedish watchmaker Triwa was founded a little over a decade ago, its expressed mission was to change the attitude of the often-stodgy watch industry. In fact, the company’s name actually stands for “transforming the industry of watches.” To do that, Triwa designers have focused on making simple, elegant, and well-crafted timepieces, while also offering bands made from recycled materials, at price points that are fairly affordable. But, the latest project from Triwa may be its most inspiring timepiece, as the company is set to release a new watch that is made completely from metal that has been harvested from deconstructed illegal firearms.
When creating this new limited-edition product, Triwa partnered with Humanium Metal, an organization that distributes materials that are made from the parts of destructed illegal firearms. When those weapons are confiscated, the parts are often melted down, creating a completely new metal as a result. Humanium Metal then works with other businesses — such as Triwa — which can use that metal in the creation of new products. The goal is to reduce the number of illegal guns in the world while putting the materials used to make those firearms to use elsewhere.
The new Triwa x Humanium Metal watch will be available in two sizes, 39 millimeters and 34 millimeters. It will also offer two distinct styles for its dial — a dark gray model and a steel version — both of which feature vertically brushed metal accents. Scratch-resistant sapphire glass will cover the watch face, which will also include a bright-red second hand, date indicator, and crown. The watch is water resistant down to 10 atmospheres (100 meters/300 feet) and comes with either a Swedish Tärnsjö organically tanned leather band or a military green canvas strap that has been made from recycled plastic bottles.
Triwa is hoping to raise $23,000 through its crowdfunding efforts to bring the new watch to market. To help accomplish that goal, the watchmaker is offering early bird supporters a discounted price for the watch of just $229. Proceeds from the sale of these timepieces will be donated to help rebuild conflict zones around the world and support victims of gun violence. As always, it is a good idea to understand the risks of contributing to any crowdfunding campaign, even ones that ultimately have altruistic motives.
