Oris | Cervo Volante

Oris is concerned about the future of the planet and has for many years been contributing to the protection of the environment – starting with the village of Hölstein (Canton Basel) where the company has been established since its creation in 1904. Last year, the watchmaking firm was certified by Climate Partner as a “Climate Neutral Company”, but this is only the beginning of the ambitious goals Oris has set itself.

One of the key elements that the company is striving to improve is the area of watch straps. Hence the January announcement of a new collaboration with Swiss sustainable deer leather manufacturer, Cervo Volante.

Every year, around 15,000 wild red deer are culled in Switzerland. The operation is entirely legal and necessary, highly regulated, and undertaken to manage deer populations and protect the Swiss countryside. But for years, little was made of the natural by-products this process yielded. Four years ago, two entrepreneurs took it upon themselves to do something about this.

In 2017, friends Kadri Vunder Fontana, a biotechnology engineer and experienced businesswoman, and Conny Thiel-Egenter, a biologist specialising in nature protection and wildlife and habitat management, founded Cervo Volante. Their vision was to take the scraps, particularly deer skins, and transform them into beautiful, hard-wearing and ultimately sustainable footwear and accessories. Their business has grown quickly.

Cervo Volante’s hand-crafted products, low-impact methods and huge vision have brought us a great deal of joy. Not only are their leather shoes and accessories beautiful, they also tell stories in a way typical mass-produced equivalents never could.

For example, they keep imperfections that occur during the life of a deer in their skins, where many companies would discard them. Their skins are never the product of farming, and they never require chemicals or fertilizers. And if the skins were not used in this way, they would simply be burned. Cervo Volante has also employed Switzerland’s last two remaining tanneries, both of which use 100 per cent vegetable tanning processes.

The Oris and Cervo Volante collaboration begins with three Big Crown Pointer Date watches. Each has a gradient dial inspired by Alpine hues and a strap made of sustainable deer leather. They come with a pouch and a card holder made of the same material. But they are not limited, and nor is this is a one-time deal. The Basel-based company plans to work on other projects with Cervo Volante in order to continue its “Change for the Better” mission.