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ID Genève Circular 1 Blue Dial 41mm
Ref. 2020.003S
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Stepping up in ID Genève's range
ID Genève built the Circular 1 around a single constraint: every material choice had to be justifiable against circular economy principles. The case is drawn from recycled 4441 stainless steel sourced within the Swiss Jura region, the strap from vegetal textile, and the movement itself is refurbished rather than new — a deliberate choice that puts a working ETA 2824 back into service rather than adding another to the pile. Even the packaging is home-compostable, made from mycelium. The watch is not sustainability-adjacent; it is the argument made physical. At 9.65mm the case sits closer to the wrist than most 41mm automatics manage, and the sunbeam-brushed blue dial handles changing light well — flat and professional at noon, livelier as the angle shifts. The sapphire on the caseback means the refurbished movement is visible, which matters here: showing a reconditioned calibre rather than hiding it is consistent with what the watch is trying to say.
- Reference
- 2020.003S
- Brand
- ID Genève
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 9.65mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2824
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
Learn more about ID Genève
ID Genève was founded in Geneva to answer a question the industry mostly avoids: what a luxury watch would look like if its environmental impact were the design brief rather than an afterthought.
The Circular 1 case is made from steel grade 4441 — surgical-grade stainless — reclaimed as offcuts and swarf from around forty watchmaking companies in and around the Jura. The waste of an industry, returned to it. The 4441 mark on the caseback certifies the recycled Swiss origin.
The Circular S went further and remelted that steel in a solar furnace, concentrating sunlight rather than burning fuel, which the company puts at a carbon impact some 165 times lower than conventionally produced steel. The case decoration — fluting, brushed bezel finishes — is built around the sun that did the melting.
Dials are laser-engraved rather than chemically treated, taking their pattern from metallography: the microstructures that appear in steel under a microscope.
Production is small and largely limited-edition, and the brand describes itself as impact-native rather than sustainable, on the grounds that the second word has been used too loosely to mean much.
- 2016
- Founded in Geneva around circular-economy principles.
- 2021
- Circular 1 launches in reclaimed grade 4441 steel.
- 2022
- The Minerals dial introduces laser engraving.
- 2023
- Circular S remelts recycled steel in a solar furnace.
- 2024
- Distribution begins through Watches of Switzerland.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,531), Automatic Watches (1,573) and Blue Dial Watches (701).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of ID Genève's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
ID Genève Circular 1 Blue Dial alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 2020.003S | 180 | L28161932 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,700 | £3,820 | £3,800 |
| Case size | 41mm | 40.5mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 42 hours | 66 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £3,700, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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