2 days ago
Shoppers swap Rolex for watches made from rubbish so good they 'bought two'
Many people buy a watch to commemorate significant life events, be it a landmark birthday, an anniversary or a personal achievement. This was the case for entrepreneur Guy Blaskey, founder of Detrash, who decided to treat himself to a watch after selling his company.
After building up the healthy dog food brand Pooch & Mutt to a value of £30m and successfully challenging industry giants like Mars and Nestle, he embarked on a quest for a watch to mark this accomplishment. Despite having a keen interest in watches, Guy hadn't been closely following the watch industry – but what he found took him by surprise.
From his experience with consumer goods sold online and in supermarkets, he noticed that the real momentum had shifted towards ethical brands striving to do better. This insight led Guy to establish Detrash, a brand that shows what can be achieved using materials sourced from waste.
Their current collection features seven unique watches, each design limited to a run of only 100 pieces. Among these is the Cali – Melting Ice Cap Blue (£375), A striking blue-dialled watch that's not only sustainable but also a 41mm dive watch crafted from 80% recycled steel, featuring an ocean-plastic strap, automatic movement, and 200m water resistance, reports the Express.
Other watch options include the Blue Steel (£375), the green-hued Poison Ivy (£375), and the Player One (£375), the latter of which draws inspiration from gaming culture with various emojis and characters incorporated into the design.
If these don't suit everyone's taste, customers might consider the Apple Watch Series 10 (£299) from Very, which is the latest model of Apple's smartwatch series. Alternatively, there's the Garmin Instinct 2 Smart Watch (£219) from Argos, boasting 32MB memory, a two-hour charging time and the ability to monitor workouts and running sessions.
But the feedback for Detrash watches tends to be exceptionally positive, with one customer saying of Player One watch: "Very pleased, love it. No one would ever know your watch is made from trash unless you told them. Keep making great watches from trash."
Another said: "I purchased a Player One and I couldn't be happier with it. There is a nice weight to it (which I didn't expect with it being made of recycled material), the colours really pop and it seems to be really well made. I'm glad I took the plunge."
A third happy customer said: "Thanks so much for the Player One. I love it and my daughter has already tried to steal it off me. The Rolex will have to stay in the draw for now. Also thanks Dan for getting it out so quickly to me, much appreciated. Can highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun watch that's different."
Not every watch brand will suit everyone and some others had differing opinions, as this buyer said: "I like the watch, it is very cool and stylish, my only comment relates to the strap, I feel this drags down the premium feel of the watch face and its looks. My strap is already slightly fraying at the every end, the yellow strips of cotton look like elastic bands a little. Other than that I am really pleased."
While another satisfied shopper said: "I was sceptical of the quality of the watch when I first saw it thinking that for the price and quality it was too good to be true, but, upon receiving the watch my expectations were absolutely blown away."
This five-star review says: "When I showed my partner my new watch, she said it's gorgeous, I want one. Luckily I had anticipated and bought two. Strap is super comfy and the watch looks great."
