Turning the Tide: Our Journey from Waste to Watches
At Tide, our mission started simple yet profound. We wanted to: “Make a positive impact on the oceans with a product people cherish.”
My name is Daan, and at 28, I founded Tide Watches in Rotterdam—the Dutch “City of Water.” With a background in water management, I’ve always been captivated by how we treat our planet’s most precious resource and the ecosystems that rely on it. This fascination grew during my thesis on urban waste’s effects on Rotterdams waterways, where I witnessed firsthand the amount of plastic waste infiltrating our rivers and oceans. It’s one thing to read about plastic pollution, but another to stand in the water, picking up debris and realizing just how much is hidden beneath the surface.
As over time my concern for a better future grew, so did my passion for watches. I began to appreciate vintage timepieces, symbols of enduring value passed down through generations. Each watch told a story of the lives it lived, becoming more valuable as time passes.
values that sharply contrast with today’s fast-paced, disposable consumer culture.
That’s when the idea of Tide Watches started and I decided to combine my growing passion for watches with my desire to fight the battle against the environmental crisis of pollution. With the idea of turning the pressing issue of pollution into a symbol of hope, I designed a watch you can wear with pride, because it’s materials lived lives and tell stories, a watch that turns the Tide on how we treat our planet, and a watch that symply looks good.
With no formal background in business or watchmaking, I worked day and night to design a product you can proudly wear to share what you stand for.
Fast forward nearly two years, and we now have a dynamic team of three: Vincent, our marketing powerhouse, Frank, our creative guru, and myself, steering the ship of this sustainable watch brand.
We invite you to join us on our mission to mend the future of our planet. Together, let’s wear and share the story of how we spend our time. Let’s Turn the Tide, one watch at a time!