Key insights

• ‍Sourcing regions assessed for water and biodiversity risks, informing responsible procurement decisions. ‍
• Shifted to lab-grown diamonds from renewable-powered suppliers, reducing environmental and social impacts. ‍
• Enhanced transparency and brand credibility by integrating climate and nature risk into supply chain strategy.

“EarthScan helps us go beyond carbon, it gives us the data to protect nature where it matters most in our value chain.”
— Sustainability Leadership, Breitling

Company snapshot

• ‍Industry: Luxury goods (Watches & Jewellery) ‍
• HQ: Grenchen, Switzerland ‍
• Portfolio: Global network of watch boutiques, wholesale partners, and a fully traceable supply chain for materials like gold and diamonds.

‍Breitling is a Swiss luxury watchmaker renowned for its precision engineering, heritage, and commitment to sustainability. Founded in 1884, the company operates globally with a network of boutiques and retail partners in more than 70 countries.

In recent years, Breitling has taken a holistic approach to sustainability, expanding its focus beyond carbon reduction to include biodiversity, water stewardship, and responsible sourcing.

By leveraging scientific tools like EarthScan, Breitling ensures its supply chain, from raw materials like gold and diamonds to finished products, meets the highest environmental and ethical standards.

“Luxury today means responsibility. We’re committed to making sure our products reflect not just quality craftsmanship, but respect for the planet and people.” — Sustainability Leadership, Breitling

The challenge

The luxury watch industry faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental and social impact. Consumers, investors, and regulators are demanding proof of responsible sourcing, from precious metals to gemstones.

For Breitling, this meant going beyond carbon accounting to address nature-related risks like:

• Water scarcity in mining regions impacting local communities and ecosystems. ‍
• Biodiversity loss linked to raw material extraction. ‍
• Reputational risk if supply chains failed to meet rising ethical and environmental expectations.

Traditional supplier audits and certifications provided limited visibility. They often missed location-specific environmental risks and lacked the forward-looking insights needed to make strategic sourcing decisions.

Breitling needed a science-based approach to:

• Identify environmental risks in its sourcing regions.
• Support a transition to responsibly produced materials.
• Demonstrate leadership in sustainability and transparency within the luxury sector.

“Our clients expect more than beautiful products, they expect us to protect the environments and communities behind them.”
– Sustainability Leadership, Breitling

How Breitling uses EarthScan

To address environmental risks in its supply chain, Breitling integrated Mitiga’s EarthScan platform into its sustainability strategy, enabling data-driven decisions beyond carbon metrics.

Use case 1: Assessing environmental risks in sourcing regions

Breitling used EarthScan to analyse water availability, biodiversity sensitivity, and climate-related hazards in key sourcing areas for gold and diamonds.

• Identified high-risk regions where mining activities could impact ecosystems and local communities.
• Provided a forward-looking view of risks under different climate scenarios, allowing Breitling to plan for long-term sustainability.

“EarthScan gave us a lens on the future of our supply regions, not just today’s footprint.”

Use case 2: Enabling the shift to lab-grown, renewable-powered diamonds

Insights from EarthScan supported Breitling’s move to lab-grown diamonds sourced from renewable-powered facilities:

• Helped evaluate environmental benefits over traditionally mined diamonds, including reduced water use and habitat disruption.
• Strengthened supplier criteria, ensuring partners like Fenix Diamonds meet rigorous environmental and social standards.

Use case 3: Enhancing transparency and brand credibility

By incorporating EarthScan data into its sustainability reporting and sourcing strategy:

• Breitling can demonstrate traceability and proactive environmental management to customers and investors.
• Supports compliance with emerging regulations on nature and supply chain due diligence.
• Positions Breitling as a leader in responsible luxury.

“EarthScan helps us go beyond compliance. It gives us the evidence to show we’re protecting what matters most.”

EarthScan’s impact on Breitling

EarthScan has enabled Breitling to embed environmental stewardship at the heart of its supply chain strategy.

By assessing water and biodiversity risks in sourcing regions, Breitling gained unprecedented visibility into the environmental impact of its raw materials. This informed a landmark shift to lab-grown diamonds from renewable-powered suppliers, drastically reducing the ecological footprint of one of its most high-profile materials.

The integration of EarthScan data into Breitling’s sustainability framework has strengthened traceability, investor confidence, and brand credibility. Breitling can now demonstrate proactive action on nature-related risks, positioning itself as a pioneer in responsible luxury.

“EarthScan helps us go beyond carbon, it gives us the data to protect nature where it matters most in our value chain.”
‍— Sustainability Leadership, Breitling

Want to build responsible, resilient supply chains?

With EarthScan, Breitling has moved from reactive compliance to proactive environmental leadership, turning sustainability into a competitive advantage in the luxury market.

If you're looking to do the same, EarthScan gives you the science-based insights needed to manage environmental risks, strengthen transparency, and make sustainability a true market differentiator. Book your demo today.