We rarely associate materials like recycled plastics and waste materials with luxury products, but the watch industry is working to change that. While we hid behind our masks and our front doors over the past 18 months, watch manufacturers were busy in the lab, and have emerged from the pandemic lockdown with a crop of eco-conscious products that aim to represent the norm rather than the exception. Luxury watches are the opposite of fast fashion. Instead of being trendy or disposable, they are built to last a lifetime. Watchmakers are valued in a way that sewing machine operators never will be, and they work in atelier-like manufacturers built to eco-friendly standards. There is already a lot to like about how Swiss watches are made, so the recent surge in eco-conscious practices is not so much a value shift as an effort to take sustainability a step closer to mainstream. It …