Geneva – October 31st, 2022 – In a landmark collaboration marking a significant stride towards transparent and ethical sourcing within the luxury watch industry, MKS PAMP, a leader in financial and physical precious metals services and a state-of-the-art refinery, has partnered with Breitling. This collaboration leverages MKS PAMP’s innovative Provenance™ solution to champion responsible artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), providing the gold for Breitling’s groundbreaking Super Chronomat Origins timepiece. This watch is not just a testament to exquisite craftsmanship, but also a symbol of radical transparency, being the brand’s first-ever “traceable watch” that empowers owners with unprecedented insight into the origins of its precious materials.
The partnership between Breitling and MKS PAMP was forged in 2020, an era when the Swiss watchmaker consciously deepened its commitment to sustainability, transparency, and robust traceability across its entire supply chain. This strategic alliance reflects a growing imperative within the luxury sector to not only deliver unparalleled quality but also to ensure that every component is sourced with integrity and respect for both people and planet.
“To truly redefine our approach to responsible sourcing and to achieve a tangible, positive social and environmental impact throughout our value chain, while simultaneously guaranteeing product integrity and traceability, we understood the critical need for the right partners. MKS PAMP’s unwavering commitment to sourcing responsible artisanal and small-scale gold made it abundantly clear that this partnership was essential to realizing our ambitious objectives,” articulated Aurelia Figueroa, Global Head of Sustainability at Breitling. Her statement underscores Breitling’s dedication to moving beyond conventional sourcing practices, embracing a model that actively contributes to sustainable development and empowers local communities.
Pioneering Responsible Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining on the Global Stage
For years, MKS PAMP, working hand-in-hand with the prestigious Swiss Better Gold Association (SBGA), has been a fervent advocate and active supporter of initiatives aimed at establishing secure, transparent, and verifiable gold supply chains. These efforts are specifically designed to bridge the gap between responsible artisanal and small-scale miners and the global market, ensuring that the gold reaching consumers has been extracted under fair and sustainable conditions. This dedication culminated in MKS PAMP’s development of the Touchstone mine supply chain, from which Breitling proudly sources 100% of its annual gold production.
Situated in the heart of Colombia, the Touchstone mine stands as a beacon of success within the industry, distinguished by its profound environmental consciousness and exemplary social practices. This pioneering initiative is a testament to what can be achieved when key industry players unite to support a shared vision of betterment, aligning seamlessly with Breitling’s mission to elevate its ethical standards. The Touchstone project serves as a powerful model, demonstrating that artisanal and small-scale mining can be conducted responsibly, fostering both economic prosperity and environmental stewardship.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a critical economic activity that provides livelihoods for a staggering number of people worldwide. “ASM supports the livelihoods of over 40 million individuals globally. Within the gold mining sector specifically, this translates to approximately 20 million miners and accounts for a significant 20% of the world’s total gold production,” highlighted Diana Culillas, Secretary General of the Swiss Better Gold Association. This statistic underscores the immense social importance of ASM, making responsible practices not just an ethical choice but a vital pathway to sustainable development for millions.
The challenges often associated with ASM – including informal operations, environmental degradation, and precarious working conditions – are precisely what responsible sourcing initiatives seek to overcome. By investing in and supporting operations like the Touchstone mine, Breitling and MKS PAMP are actively contributing to the formalization of the sector, ensuring fair wages, promoting safer working environments, and implementing stringent environmental protection measures. This approach transforms ASM from a potentially problematic sector into a powerful engine for community empowerment and sustainable resource management.
“For Breitling, selecting a mine that perfectly aligned with its core objectives and that could genuinely create shared value with its partners was paramount,” stated Xavier Miserez, Head of Sales at MKS PAMP. “Our active collaboration with Touchstone began in 2017. It is a mine that consistently generates greater value through its unwavering commitment to sustainability and its deep engagement with the local community. Furthermore, Touchstone holds the distinction of being the only mine to have immediately achieved Step 2 accreditation by the Swiss Better Gold Association, a testament to its exceptionally high standards. Today, we are proud that Breitling sources 100% of its annual gold production from this exemplary operation.” This partnership exemplifies how a commitment to ethical sourcing can drive positive change at every level of the supply chain, from the mine face to the final luxury product.
Ensuring End-to-End Supply Chain Traceability with Provenance™
To uphold its ambitious mission of accountability and transparency, Breitling sought to implement unparalleled end-to-end traceability for its products. This aspiration is brought to life through Provenance™, MKS PAMP’s cutting-edge traceability solution. Provenance™ leverages the power of blockchain technology, a decentralized and immutable ledger, to meticulously track and trace precious metals throughout the entire global supply chain. This revolutionary system provides an indisputable record of a material’s journey, from its origin at the mine to its final incorporation into the Super Chronomat Origins timepiece.
The integrity of this traceability is further secured through a process known as dedicated batch refining. This means that the precious metal sourced from the Touchstone mine undergoes a refining process entirely separate from any other gold. During this dedicated refining, there is absolutely no possibility of precious metal from another source coming into contact with the Touchstone gold. This rigorous separation guarantees the exact provenance of the material, eliminating any risk of commingling and ensuring unequivocal supply chain transparency. For the consumer, this translates into complete confidence, knowing that the gold in their Breitling watch has a verifiable, ethical, and sustainable origin.
The implementation of blockchain technology in Provenance™ offers several key benefits. It provides an unalterable, transparent, and auditable record of transactions and movements, making it virtually impossible to falsify data regarding the material’s origin or journey. This level of cryptographic security is vital for building trust in complex global supply chains. Furthermore, it enables real-time tracking, offering unprecedented visibility at every stage – from extraction to refining, and ultimately to manufacturing. This granular detail allows Breitling to not only meet but exceed the growing consumer demand for ethically sourced and transparent products.
The Super Chronomat Origins timepiece, powered by this transparent sourcing model, represents more than just a watch; it embodies a new era of luxury. It allows owners to connect with the values embedded in their purchase, fostering a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship and the responsible journey of its materials. This groundbreaking initiative by Breitling, supported by MKS PAMP’s Provenance™ solution, sets a new benchmark for ethical sourcing and traceability in the luxury watch industry, proving that exquisite quality and uncompromising responsibility can indeed go hand-in-hand. This collaborative effort signals a significant shift towards a future where transparency is not just an aspiration but a tangible reality, benefiting both consumers and the communities involved in precious metal production.