When it comes to simplistic watches, we have to put our hands up and say, Scandinavia are the masters at it. We’ve had many simplistic watches come through at New labels Only and many from Scandinavia. We’ve had Cate & Nelson watches, TID Watches and Larsen & Eriksen watches. Now we have another addition and it is Nordgreen Watches.

Nordgreen Watches Beginning

Nordgreen Watches was founded in January 2017 by Vasilij Brandt and Pascar Sivam in Copenhagen, Denmark. Both born and bred in Denmark, they wanted to create a watch brand inspired by traditional Scandinavian design, while incorporating the core Scandinavian values of generosity and social responsibility.

So they did. End of story! (Not quite)

They were joined by Jakob Wagner, one of the leading Scandinavian designers who actually designed DrägerMan PSS 500 Air Unit for firefighters and who also worked with  Bang & Olufsen, Hay, Muuto, and many more brands. With his eye for design, this partnership flourished and three watches designs were completed August 2017.

After a couple of tests on the prototypes, they took Nordgreen Watches to the public on Kickstarter. As you’d expect they obliterated their target and raised 1495% of their goal which is kr1,495,496, approximately $240,000 / £177,000.

Now they have open their watches to the public on their own website and we have been able to get our hands on a Nordgreen Watches, Philosopher – Rose Gold Mesh in 36mm.

Nordgreen Watches Unboxing

“The Nordgreen Watches Rose Gold Philosopher is designed to celebrate our ability to think differently, learn from the past, act now, and create a better future.”

The Three Reasons

Scandinavian Design

First let’s talk about the dial of the watch. It is very simple. The index is marked with rose gold bar at each 5 minutes increment and black bars in between. The dial is very appealing as the white background, the rose gold bar and black little bars complement each other and create a very attractive dial. To further enhance the look of the watch and to keep its minimalistic look, the minute and hour hands have a baton design and both are in rose gold. The second-hand however is slightly darker, in a grey colour, and has an asymmetric design. On the 3 O’clock position, you have a little date window which it visible but does not take too much space on the dial and you have Nordgreen Watches’ logo at the 12 O’clock position in black to break away from the rose gold accent colour.

When looking at the watch, you may think that there is nothing special about the dial’s design, but there are little details which you may miss out. The asymmetric second-hand is different to the baton minute and hour hands for a reason and that is to create the appearance that the second-hand is continuously slicing through time. Very interesting!

The case size is 36mm with a thickness of 7.2mm. In terms of fitting, the size is perfect for a small wrist, as it sit well and the thickness does not make the watch stick out. However if you have a larger wrist, this may be a little to small for you. Now let’s refer back to the design and there is a reason why Jakob Wagner is a world-renowned designer. The case has a conical-shaped case with a wider base than the face. By having these two different size, your eyes are drawn to the centre of the timepiece and makes the dial stand out. The base of the watch is also slightly elevated to bring the dial a closer and also to show off the design of the two piece dial.

The rose gold mesh straps are interchangeable with the quick release pins and tugging lugs. In terms of comfort, the mesh straps have been well made with the gaps within the mesh at bare minimal, so you do not need to worry about your arm hair getting stuck. The buckle is more of a square shape rather than a wide rectangular shape and it really goes well with the strap.

The crown is another stunning piece of design by Jakob. The crown has a dented edge and is signed with Nordgreen Watches logo. The crown sticks out from the dial to make sure that you notice it and it also adds o the unique design of the watch.

Philospher makes it one to keep hold of for the grand-children.

Giving Back

Giving back is part of the culture at Nordgreen Watches. Inspired by social responsibility and other Danish values, Nordgreen Watches want to give back and they have partnered with three NGO’s. The best part is that you can decide which NGO you want to donate to.

Water for Good: For every purchase, you will give two months of clean water to one person in the The Central African Republic.

Cool Earth: When you purchase a watch, you will preserve 200 sqm of rain forest in Latin America.

Pratham UK: Pratham is India’s largest education NGO, seeking to improve the quality of education and learning levels across India. When you buy a watch, you will give two months of education to a child in India.

Affordable Price

We think that there is no point of designing a stunning piece of watch and charging a price which most people will not be able to afford. So Nordgreen is not!

The Philosopher – Rose Gold Mesh in 36mm costs $230/ £170/ €192. With 2 year warranty included, free shipping along with its stunning design, we think this is a fair price.

Any Improvement

There is one improvement which can be made and that is to add a 40mm to their watch collection for the Philosopher – Rose Gold Mesh in 36mm. This is because the 36mm will get lost on a larger sized wrist.

This was our review of Nordgreen Watches, Philosopher – Rose Gold Mesh in 36mm and we would love to know your thoughts on the watch. Do let us know in the comment below

If you would like to know more about Nordgreen Watches and explore their collection do visit their website.

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