MerConcept x JULBO
At the crossroads of sea and mountains, Julbo joins forces with MerConcept to give carbon from offshore racing sailboats a second life.
At the crossroads of sea and mountains, Julbo joins forces with MerConcept to give carbon from offshore racing sailboats a second life. An audacious and innovative idea, driven by a new vision of performance, sustainable and responsible.
It has now given rise to two new sunglasses:
OFFSHORE KARBON
ㅤㅤㅤㅤKEEN KARBON
From the eyewear valley in the heart of the Haut-Jura to Brittany’s “Sailing Valley”, this is the story of a meeting between two worlds that seem diametrically opposed: the verticality of the mountains and the horizon out at sea. And yet these worlds have much in common: nature can reveal its extremes in both, and Julbo and MerConcept excel in these environments, making innovation the driving force behind performance. United by the same passion, the two companies are embarking on a collaboration rooted in shared convictions.
“A wonderful human and responsible adventure”
Founded in 2006, MerConcept is a mission-driven company specialising in offshore racing and sustainable maritime innovation. Based in Brittany, it supports skippers and their teams from boat design and construction through to project management. Since 2020, MerConcept has been committed to decarbonising maritime mobility, with the ambition of transforming travel at sea through cutting-edge sustainable technologies. Guided by the vision of its founder, François Gabart, the company combines performance with environmental responsibility to shape the future of the maritime world.
“This collaboration is the result of passionate work between the MerConcept and Julbo teams. I’m delighted to see our worlds of sea and mountains come together around a meaningful project that brings innovation, performance and sustainability together by giving materials a new lease of life. It’s a wonderful human and responsible adventure, born from French expertise and shared creative energy.”
François Gabart, fondateur de MerConcept
A vision at sea that puts nature first
For more than thirty years, Julbo has sailed, glided and flown across every kind of water, offshore and along the coast. Following in the wake of the world’s most renowned sailors, the brand has won it all: the Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, The Ocean Race, the Jules Verne Trophy, the Olympic Games… A record worthy of the leading equipment makers in the sailing world. Drawing on feedback from skippers and its expertise in outdoor sports, where it has become a global benchmark, Julbo has built its reputation over time and developed technical models specifically designed for sailors and water-sports enthusiasts.
With MerConcept, the “made in Jura” brand is now going one step further. Together, they are pushing the boundaries of innovation while reducing their carbon footprint to protect nature – especially the world’s seas and oceans, this vast playground that is both powerful and fragile. This partnership takes shape in the eco-design of a high-tech capsule collection of sunglasses. A limited series made in France using carbon from manufacturing offcuts and damaged parts from boats in the Breton racing team’s fleet.
The carbon from sailboats continues its journey in sunglass temples
After several months of research and design at Julbo’s headquarters in Longchaumois, alongside testing and engineering at the MerConcept Lab in Concarneau, two new models have come to life:
OFFSHORE KARBON et KEEN KARBON.
On Sunday 1 November 2026 in Saint-Malo, the MerConcept skippers who are ambassadors for the project* will set off on a legendary transatlantic race: the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. Alone at the helm of their Formula 1s of the sea, they will be wearing these sunglasses with reused-carbon temples, assembled at Julbo in the Jura. Lightweight and durable, they are designed for offshore sailing as well as coastal cruising. Their high-definition lenses, made from bio-circular polycarbonate with 60% plant-based content, feature SPECTRON HD technology. With 80% polarisation, they enhance colour and contrast perception while reducing glare from reflections, without interfering with the readability of digital screens and other onboard instruments.
Designed to take on the most demanding conditions at sea and make a stylish statement on land, OFFSHORE KARBON and KEEN KARBON feature exclusive Julbo x MerConcept branding. They come with a recycled felt pouch made from clothing offcuts and hand-sewn in a social reintegration workshop. It’s another way to make this premium collection part of a truly virtuous loop.
*
Tom Laperche - Ultim SVR-Lazartigue
Sam Goodchild - IMOCA Macif Santé Prévoyance
Anne-Claire Le Berre - Ocean Fifty Upwind by MerConcept
The makers of new ideas
For Julbo and MerConcept, bringing together more than 130 years of eyewear expertise and the best of competitive sailing promised a collaboration rich in meaning. To meet this challenge, the two companies also relied on partners from their local ecosystems. These are committed stakeholders working towards a comprehensive, measurable and traceable eco-design approach, integrated into every stage of product manufacturing. The sunglass temples were handcrafted by BYKARBON.
This Brittany-based company, committed to protecting the environment and closely connected to the sea, transforms upcycled carbon into exceptional creations. “Every piece of carbon carries the story of an extraordinary sporting adventure,” says its founder, Jolan Trécherel, who makes each creation by hand in his workshop in Quimper. “We give the raw material new value while extending its story.” By giving carbon a second life, BYKARBON helps build a circular and sustainable economy.
“Made in France”
sunglasses created where passions are born
Design and R&D - Julbo / Longchaumois, Jura
Concept, engineering and testing - MerConcept / Concarneau, Finistère
Carbon recycling and shaping - BYKARBON / Quimper, Finistère
Mould manufacturing - Ets Evrard / Oyonnax, Ain
Lens manufacturing - Dalloz Créations / Saint-Claude, Jura
Lens cutting and assembly - Julbo / Longchaumois, Jura
Frame injection and temple assembly - Filtropic / Deva, Romania (Julbo factory)
Case manufacturing - Atelier Tremplin, Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain
“This collaboration with MerConcept gives us the opportunity to keep local expertise alive and bring together the people who carry on the Jura’s eyewear-making tradition, while adding an environmental dimension through a short production chain. This new range is therefore part of Julbo’s development strategy, supported by Peugeot Frères Industrie, to continue investing in a partnership that combines local roots, high performance and greater sustainability.”
Damien Guillobez, Chief Executive Officer of Julbo
The Julbo x MerConcept sunglasses
available now
Ready to set sail and take all our good vibes on board!
ㅤㅤ NEWㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤNEW
