Breitling first began laying the groundwork for improvements in sustainability we see in the business today back in 2013 when it first installed solar panels at a warehouse in Grenchen.
Four years later, it was acquired by CVC Capital Partners and welcomed Georges Kern to the CEO’s post, who embraced the net zero and corporate social responsibility agenda with gusto.
In 2018 it began a five-year partnership with Ocean Conservancy as part of a broader rebranding of Breitling as a modern, more youthful neo-luxury brand in tune with issues important to millennials.
2020 saw the launch of a formal programme to improve sustainability and corporate responsibility across the company.
A new head of sustainability, since upgraded to chief sustainability officer, was recruited to determine which initiatives should be given the highest priorities across materials, manufacturing, suppliers and the carbon footprint of the whole organisation.
Targets were set with measurable milestones — many based on targets set by appropriate authorities — that are accounted for in annual sustainability reports.
The fifth Sustainability Mission Report, published today, compares progress against European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which is described as a rigorous and recognized sustainability reporting framework.
Breitling’s chief sustainability officer, Aurelia Figueroa, says the 2025 report tells the story of the past five years not only in dry facts and figures, but in how the work is benefiting people.
“The 2025 report is one of our most exciting to date. In it, we share the stories of community members with whom we have the opportunity to bring sustainable transformation to life. Over the past year, our efforts have deepened across all areas — community, nature, and governance. We are also proud to have received key awards recognizing our achievements, which reinforce the relevance and impact of our work,” she describes.
The report provides updates on Breitling’s sourcing of gold from artisanal and small scale mines and its switch from mined to lab-grown diamonds, which are manufactured in climate-neutral labs in Gujarat.
The watchmaker has diverted cash into the Breitling Better Diamond and Better Gold Funds, which work with Global Good x Amani on local initiatives around the world for child education, environmental protection, women’s economic empowerment, and community development.
To date, Breitling has provided funding for 60 people to graduate through the programme, many of them around the lab-grown diamond industry in Gujarat.
In 2023 it partnered with Surfrider Foundation, which fights for cleaner oceans, and last year it announced a 12-year agreement with Climeworks to fund carbon capture, storage and, ultimately, utilization.
There is even science showing that captured carbon can be used in lab-grown diamond production.
The 2025 report gives an in-depth update on progress towards key targets. For example, Breitling aims to issue NFTs on the blockchain for all gold and diamond watches that provide complete details of where they are sourced. From a baseline of 0% in 2022, these NFTs are now issued for 49% of relevant watches.
A goal to switch over to 100% renewable energy for all global Breitling properties has improved from 53% in 2024 to 73% now.
Mined diamonds should be completely eradicated in favour of lab-grown by the end of 2026, a target that looks more challenging since the use of lab-grown has dipped from 43% last year to 42% so far in 2025.
Another corporate responsibility target is to raise employee shareholding in Breitling to exceed 15% by FY27. That looks likely to be hit since 12.5% of employees now have a stake.
And a target to face zero incidences of corruption or anti-competitive behaviour is also in hand. The target was introduced in 2025, and there have been zero incidents, to date.