Radical Oris watch strap is made from recycled plastics, and it looks great

Luxury watchmaker Oris has introduced a watch with a strap made from a new material called r-Radyarn, a filament yarn made from recycled plastics, and the even better news is it that looks great. Often with recycled materials, the design can be simple or at worst, unattractive, but Oris has struck the right balance between style and design, especially when pairing it with the Divers Sixty-Five watch. We love the way it references an undulating sandy beach and the sea, which neatly ties in with not only the watch’s natural habitat, but also the strap’s unique material.

It’s the technically fascinating r-Radyarn that makes the Oris watch strap special. It’s made from 100 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET), a material made with natural resources that are running out, and that’s often carelessly disposed of. Reusing it is an important part of combating the effects it’s having on the planet and its ecosystem. Made by Radici Group, r-Radyarn has been used in everything from socks to car seats, but Oris is the first to put it to use on a watch strap.

The beige-and-blue color scheme looks great in the pictures, and is applied here using a one-step method called solution dyeing, which lowers water and energy consumption, without sacrificing color-fastness. Even after the strap comes to the end of its natural life, it can be recycled several times over. It’s refreshing to see steps taken in this direction, and we hope to see similar straps used by smartwatch manufacturers soon, as they continue to gain popularity.

If you want to wear an r-Radyarn watch strap, then it’s currently only available on the Oris Divers Sixty-Five watch, a beautiful 42mm divers watch with a blue dial and cream hands, perfectly complementing the new strap. Domed sapphire glass covers the front and the back of the automatic watch, and it’s water resistant to 100 meters. Oris doesn’t make quartz watches, and the Divers Sixty-Five is sustainably powered by your body, due to the Oris 722 movement inside, which has a 38-hour power reserve. It’s available in September for 2,000 Swiss francs, or about $2,050.

Oris has long supported ecologically responsible causes, and has previously made watch boxes from environmentally friendly regenerative algae — yes, really — and has also added sustainably produced leather straps to its watches. Oris chairman Ulrich W. Herzog says it’s all part of the company’s long-term strategy, and that there is a lot more to come in the future.