OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City native has launched the first-ever non-GMO biodegradable Corn Resin wristwatch out of Los Angeles and is turning to a Kickstarter campaign to gain support in making the revolutionary product a success.
Hunter Mayers, a 39-year-old watch enthusiast, was born in Salisbury and raised in Ocean City graduating from Stephen Decatur High School in 1993. At the age of 18, Mayers moved to New York City to study filmmaking. Shortly after, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career and enjoy the California surf lifestyle.
Mayer’s family still lives in the Ocean City area. His dad, Mark Mayers, works for the Harrison Group, while his mom, Connie Mayers, owns the candy store, Main Street Sweets, in Berlin.
While carrying out his career in the television/film industry in Los Angeles, working on over 1000 projects in the past 18 years, Mayers decided to take on another endeavor.
“I was lucky enough to meet [filmmaker] David Lynch at a charity event in December 2013. He has a timeless look, but I noticed he was wearing a cheap plastic, neon yellow wristwatch. He was expressing himself. After the event, I wanted to express myself, and purchase a watch like his. Searching the web for the perfect watch to express myself, I could not find a watch that satisfied me both in design and materials. I wanted something that was eco-friendly and stylish, I could not find it, so I made my own,” Mayers said.
Mayers designed the first-ever non-GMO biodegradable Corn Resin wristwatch, Hunter Green, intended to introduce the important themes of biodegradability and eco-friendly manufacturing practices to this industry.
“I grew up surfing and embraced the flip flop beach lifestyle at an early age. Seeing trash in the ocean and bays always frustrated me. With single use disposable plastics lifestyle now days, plastic pollution, trash has increased considerably. Plastic is forever. You can recycle plastic but some types you can’t. Or people can’t be bothered to recycle which then plastics end up in landfills or in our oceans. We’re giving away 5 percent of all watch sales to Plastic Pollution Coalition.org as we share a passion for a healthier planet,” Mayers said.
Hunter Green watches are produced with Polylactic Acid plastics made from corn resin, which is a renewable resource, mercury-free batteries and cotton or cork straps. All components are free of toxins and lead and only organic corn is used for the Corn Resin material.
In addition to the socially conscious engineering, Hunter Green watches are also designed for the fashion conscious. The thin, lightweight design includes red, white, gray or black clock faces with Japanese Chrono Movement. The classic but sleek look is complemented by the elegant black cotton or natural cork straps.
Hunter Green watches offer nearly identical durability to standard watches with water resistance up to three bars. Once you have enjoyed your Hunter Green watch sufficiently, the company also offers a Take Back program, which recycles and composts used watches.
“The message of Hunter Green watches, in some ways, is bigger than the actual product itself. It’s important to me to make a sustainable product. I hope you will enjoy Hunter Green watches for a long time, just not forever. The life expectancy for the Corn Resin material is a life time, it won’t denigrate on your wrist, however in the composting progress the watch will break down in about 300 days when in the right elements. Hunter Green is also offering a take back program, if you don’t want to compost it, we’ll do it for you,” Mayers said.
The Hunter Green watch company is need of support to become a commercial success. Mayers has completed the designs, produced the prototypes and made the production molds, but he still needs seed money to initiate production. To secure the $30,000 needed to launch Hunter Green, Mayers has sponsored a Kickstarter campaign that can be found at www.kickstarter.com/projects/774364572/hunter-green-the-first-non-gmo-biodegradable-wrist.
With a certain level of donation made towardsthe campaign, you can receive a thank you gift, such as hats, T-shirts or Hunter Green watches. Also, watch prices are being offered below retail starting at $85 as a thank you for helping kick start the first production run of watches. If Hunter Green doesn’t meet its funding goal of $30,000 by Oct. 29, the project will not be funded.
“Please help fund this project as Corn Resin is a healthier alternative to traditional oil based plastics,” Mayers said.