As governments and international organizations accelerate efforts to achieve net-zero emissions, industries are increasingly pressured to adopt more sustainable practices. This is especially imperative in luxury industry, which depends on other industries such as steel, glass and precious metal sectors that rely on fossil energy and material resources. Although more than 90%, of the emissions of watchmaking (Swatch) comes from the supply chain of raw materials (scope 3 emission, also known as background processes), there has been limited research on the impact of the evolution of energy system and background processes. This study evaluates the carbon footprint of watch production by analyzing raw material use and manufacturing processes across four distinct watch models. Using a prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA), we compare emissions under three energy system scenarios (SSP1-Base, SSP2-Base, and SSP5-Base) are compared. Results show a consistent decline in global warming potential across all cases, with the highest reduction in SSP1-Base and the lowest in SSP5-Base. The findings highlight the crucial role of sustainable sourcing and cleaner energy transitions in minimizing the environmental impact of watchmaking, offering key insights for industry stakeholders aiming to reduce emissions.
