Leonardo DiCaprio Visits Switzerland to Explore the Solar Furnace Behind ID Genève’s Innovation
“Harnessing the power of the sun to craft materials is a tangible example of how innovation can accelerate climate action.”
Nicolas Freudiger, CEO and Co-Founder of ID Genève, and Leonardo DiCaprio beneath the sun mirrors of La Chaux-de-Fonds, witnessing the solar furnace that melts steel using only sunlight — the innovation behind our new Circular S - Eclipse.
A meeting at the source of light
Seeing DiCaprio step into the furnace site felt symbolic. He wasn’t there as an A-liste icon, but as someone who has spent over two decades pushing for environmental solutions.
More Than a Material – A Mission
The first solar melting tests began in Mont-Louis in 2022. Today, the technology reaches a new milestone with the industrial-scale solar furnace in La Chaux-de-Fonds, operated by Panatere. By concentrating sunlight to temperatures above 1,500°C, it melts and regenerates metals without fossil fuels, making it one of Europe’s most advanced solar-powered manufacturing facilities.
Building on earlier achievements, including our collaborations with CompPair and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals programme, the Solar Furnace initiative is paving the way forward. As we continue to develop the Circular S collection, the Solar Furnace stands as a powerful symbol of what can be achieved when science, sustainability and watchmaking converge. It is not just an innovation; it is an invitation to reimagine luxury.