Gyre Watch is a watch brand that offers an affordable, fun dive watch that supports a good cause. Founded by Dutch watch journalist Bernard Werk, the brand is making its debut with the Gyre SeaCleaner.

An affordable, no-nonsense sports watch with a solar-powered movement, the SeaCleaner has a case and strap made from recycled ocean waste – with part of the proceeds from its sale going to an ocean cleanup charity.

Initial thoughts

Bold in its contrasting-colour scheme, the SeaCleaner has brightly-coloured accents in green, blue or black, and a large, 42 mm cushion case that’s reminiscent of 1970s dive watches, giving it a retro vibe. Inside is a robust Seiko movement that’ll do what it’s supposed to do. In short, the SeaCleaner is tried-and-tested look that works well for a sports watch and it costs only about US$200.

Environmentally supportive

Gyre will donate 5% of sales to The Ocean Cleanup – a Dutch NGO that is working to remove plastic waste from the oceans. And with both the straps and cases made of recycled material, the watches themselves will contribute to the cleanup. The black plastic cases are made from recycled fishing nets, which are mostly made of plastic.

Collected by fishermen around the Indian Ocean – Gyre pays the fishermen for the nets – the discarded nets are cleaned and turned into plastic pellets that are then moulded into the cases. Unlike many all-black watch cases that are done that way for aesthetic effect, the composite derived from recycled fishing nets is naturally black.

Similarly, the straps are woven from nylon thread that is made from recycled PET bottles. That said, Gyre is working on producing straps made from recycled nets.

The watch is equipped with the Seiko cal. VS42A that’s solar-powered and requires no batteries, a more environmentally-conscious option. According to Gyre, the movement will run for six months after three hours of exposure to light.

Key Facts and Price

Gyre SeaCleaner

Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 11.5 mm
Material: Plastic recycled from fishing nets
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Seiko cal. VS42A
Functions: Hours, minutes and date
Winding: Solar-powered

Strap: Nylon recycled from PET bottles

Availability: Now till June 14, 2020 on Kickstarter
Price: Starting from €189 (or about US$217)

For more information, visit Kickstarter.