Norwegian watch brand Radium Instruments goes green with Hydro CIRCAL aluminium cases

Developed jointly by Thomas Cappelen Malling and Sjur Stangebye-Hansen, Radium Instruments, the Norwegian watch brand known for using Hydro aluminium, has now taken a step further by incorporating Hydro CIRCAL's recycled aluminium into its watch cases. 

In its latest collection, the watch cases are constructed from Hydro CIRCAL aluminium, which contains over 75 per cent recycled material. Using recycled aluminium significantly reduces energy consumption during the production phase. 

About Radium Instruments

Beyond supplying the material, Hydro has actively collaborated in the watch's prototyping process and provided manufacturing data to optimise the use of Hydro CIRCAL in the watch case. This case houses the high-quality Swiss ETA 2892-2 movement.

"Aluminium stands out for being a strong, malleable and yet lightweight metal. Aluminium is corrosion resistant, ensuring long life and providing properties that are perfect for what we want to create with our Radium watches," stated Thomas Cappelen Malling, founder and designer at Radium Instruments.

Radium Instruments derives its name from the conventional phosphor once prevalent in timepieces like clocks and aircraft instruments. Radium facilitated the luminescence of watch hands, ensuring clear visibility even in darkness. However, owing to radium's radioactive nature, it is no longer employed in watch materials. Radium Instruments now utilises SuperLuminova, a contemporary and safe self-luminous material, for hands and markers in its watches.

"Our approach to design is you should be able to recognise a Radium watch from across the room. Our new .38 collection, with its distinctive sandblasted aluminium case and simplicity, is unmistakably Radium. But the new 38-millimeter size is updated for the present day, where slightly smaller watches are now back in vogue," added Malling.

Radium's newest watch series

Radium's newest watch series comprises four models, totalling eight variants. Each model is equipped with the renowned ETA 2892-2 movement, a Swiss self-winding calibre also employed by esteemed brands like Breitling, IWC, Sinn, Tudor, and others in its original or adapted form. With a diameter of 38 mm, all models feature sapphire crystal, SuperLuminova-coated hands and markers and are crafted from Hydro CIRCAL aluminium.

"By producing the watches in Norway, from a Norwegian produced material, we have always offered a locally sourced and more climate friendly product. We are a small watch manufacturer in the big picture, but with recycled Hydro CIRCAL aluminium, we are taking it a step further and reducing our footprint even more," said Sjur Stangebye-Hansen, Operations Manager at Radium Instruments.

"The idea behind the Radium watch brand is to tell stories of who we are and where we come from. We want to focus on uncompromising craftsmanship and like the idea of offering a watch that can be used every day. Both in function, form and appearance, a Radium watch should be a proper everyday watch," highlighted Malling.

"For a brand like Radium, that wants to build good storytelling and associations with quality and timeless design, it is important to choose materials that can support this story. We know that aluminium is very versatile and Radium's watches help to underline that. It's fun to see that our aluminium and our product series with recycled material is used to create design and form that is a bit 'unconventional' and that you may not normally associate with aluminium," added Kallevig.

About Hydro CIRCAL

Hydro CIRCAL is an aluminium alloy with at least 75 per cent of the metal sourced from recycled consumer scrap. This implies that the metal utilised in Radium's watches has previously served various purposes, such as being part of a car, bicycle, building facade, or even a beer can. The development of Hydro CIRCAL is the result of decades of research and innovation in metal scrap sorting and aluminium alloy recycling, resulting in a product with an exceptionally low environmental footprint.