Everybody is getting onto the ocean plastic bandwagon these days, it would seem. I mean, don’t get me wrong – I’m all for it, getting that stuff out of the ocean, and #tide seems to have figured out interesting ways to get it repurposed. One of the latest brands to use the material is Tom Ford with the Tom Ford 002 Ocean Plastic Watch.
If you’re familiar with the brand, you’ll likely already know about the 002 watch. It’s a clean and simple two-hander, with a rather interesting hour hand, cleanly encircling the current hour. These are paired to a single-pass woven strap, which goes through the solid lugs.
Now, a jaded someone (say, a watch writer) would be tempted to think that only the strap was made of the ocean plastic material. Here, surprising that jaded person, the case itself is also made of the recycled ocean plastic (so, good on Tom Ford). There is still a steel caseback, and they managed to keep WR at 100m, so that’s solid. Just remember, as you’re banging around, it is a plastic case, so it won’t be as robust as a steel case would be.
We’ve seen a variety of price points on these ocean plastic watches, and the Tom Ford 002 Ocean Plastic Watch hits on the higher end – $995 – in one of three strap colors (black, yellow, or pink; blue seems unavailable). For me, while I like the idea behind the watch and the material, that barely-under-$1000 pricetag for a two-handed quartz movement seems, to put it mildly, a reach. Who knows, maybe there’s some impreceivable aspect to the brand and watch that I don’t get, but that tag seems high. On the other hand, if you disagree with me, head on over to their site (or your local boutique) and pick up your own. tomford.com
Tech Specs from Tom Ford
- Between the ocean plastic case and braided strap – each timepiece permanently removes the equivalent of 35 plastic bottles from the ocean
- 40mm black dial, white Super-LumiNova -coated numerals, indices and diamond-cut hands
- Sapphire glass crystal, quartz movement
- Matt black DLC-coated stainless steel buckle fastening
- Water resistance: 10 ATM/330 ft
- Swiss Made
- Recyclable packaging
