Most of us know someone with a drawer full of dead watches. A cheap quartz piece with a sealed case, a battery nobody will replace, a strap that cracked two summers ago. Then there’s the other kind: a grandfather’s watch, scratched and still keeping time after decades on a wrist.
The difference isn’t nostalgia. It’s design, and it says something uncomfortable about how we buy. The greenest watch is usually one that already exists, especially one you already own. This piece looks at why longevity and repair beat novelty, how to check where a watch and its metal came from, and the part of the pre-owned story that doesn’t get told in dealer brochures.
The Case for Buying a Watch That Already Exists
Every new watch carries a hidden pile of upstream work: mined metal, machined cases, an assembled movement, packaging, freight. A watch that’s already been made has paid that cost. Buying it can reduce demand for a newly manufactured watch, and it keeps a durable object in use instead of in a box. Servicing, replacement parts and delivery still carry impacts.
That’s why a lot of ethically minded buyers now start with the secondhand market. A men’s watches sale at a pre-owned dealer offers more than just discounts. They’re picking a case, dial and movement that have already survived years of use, which is a decent test of whether something was built properly.
The logic isn’t new to the metals trade. Gold is among the most recycled materials we have, and the World Gold Council’s Gold Demand Trends report found that recycled gold made up roughly 28% of global supply in 2025, the highest annual level of recycling since 2012. Old jewelry and watch cases are part of that flow. A pre-owned watch applies the same idea one step earlier: don’t melt it down, just keep wearing it.
Built to Be Repaired, Not Replaced
A mechanical watch is, in effect, a repairable machine. Springs, gears and jewels can be cleaned, lubricated and swapped out. A competent watchmaker can service a movement periodically and keep it running for generations. Parts wear, but they needn’t end the watch, provided replacements and skilled servicing remain available.
Compare that with the disposable end of the market. Watches with cases that cannot readily be opened or batteries that cannot be replaced can become waste when something small fails. Durable quartz watches with replaceable batteries, however, can also last for decades. Smartwatches add another problem: the hardware may be fine, but battery decline and software support run out long before the metal does. It’s the same pattern the magazine has already covered in slow versus fast fashion, where the cheap option keeps getting bought again.
Think in cost per wear. A watch that costs more up front but is worn daily for twenty years, then handed on, can offer better value and avoid the materials needed for a string of replacements. Repair bills are real, and a service isn’t free. Depending on the model, servicing can be expensive, so check likely costs before buying.
How Resale Can Keep Watches Circulating
An object people want to own tends to get kept, resold and repaired rather than thrown away. Repairable watches can fit that pattern. Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts reported that secondary-market watch prices rose about 5% across 2025, according to coverage of their annual report. Resale can help keep watches in use, although higher prices alone do not demonstrate less waste.
There’s a quieter benefit. When a product holds its value, the first owner recovers some of the money, and the second owner gets a better piece for less. That resale loop is what makes the “buy less, choose better” approach practical. The same thinking runs through our piece on slow fashion and fine jewelry, and it applies just as well to anything worn on the wrist.
A Responsible-Sourcing Checklist Before You Buy
Pre-owned doesn’t mean you can skip the homework. A few questions separate a good purchase from a vague one.
Ask for service history and papers: Receipts, warranty cards and servicing records show how the watch was treated. A seller who can’t produce any should lower your confidence.
Check authentication and returns: A reputable dealer authenticates every piece and offers a clear return window. If they won’t explain how they verify a watch, walk away.
Look for responsible-sourcing standards on new pieces: If you’re buying new gold or diamond-set work, the Responsible Jewellery Council’s Code of Practices sets due diligence expectations for members, aligned with OECD guidance. Treat it as a baseline, not a guarantee. In a 2019 assessment of an earlier standard, Human Rights Watch questioned audit transparency and implementation. That criticism is historical, rather than an assessment of the linked 2025 guidance.
Be skeptical of vague “eco” labels: Recycled-steel cases and solar-powered movements exist and can be genuine improvements. But ask for documentation. An unexplained green badge is marketing until proven otherwise.
Gold mining carries a heavy climate and social footprint, which is why avoiding new extraction matters.
The Honest Caveat: Cheaper Isn’t Automatically Greener
Here’s where the neat story gets messy. Secondhand lowers prices, and lower prices can encourage extra buying. If a pre-owned watch becomes the third or fourth you’ve bought this year, you’ve mostly swapped a new purchase for a used one and kept the habit. That’s the rebound problem the magazine has explored in its look at pre-owned fashion: easier consumption isn’t automatically more sustainable.
A watch only earns the label if it’s worn, serviced and kept. So take a position before you buy. Choose one piece you’d be happy to see on your wrist for years, and resist the urge to churn through collections. Fewer, better watches is the point, not a bigger drawer of cheaper ones.
The Watch You Keep
The most responsible watch is rarely the newest, the most heavily marketed or the one with the greenest packaging. It’s the one still running on your wrist years from now, with a service record that proves someone cared for it. Buy secondhand if you can, check the paperwork, and then do the unglamorous part: wear it, maintain it, and don’t replace it.