Clean, basic lines, minimalism, and functionality are the hallmarks of Scandinavian design. Danish designers have shown us how to attain the perfect balance of simplicity, quality, and beauty for decades. They have revolutionized the way many of us think about design by combining unique industrial technologies and modern solutions with timeless elegance.
There are numerous Danish watch brands, but one young brand is gaining more and more popularity lately, due to its simplicity, affordability, and sustainability. Today, we’ll take a look at Nordgreen, one of the fastest-growing companies in the Nordic landscape.
Origins and Sustainability
Founded by Pascar Sivam and Vasilij Brandt, two lifelong friends and watch enthusiasts who had a distinct perspective on the industry, thinking that all businesses should be honest, long-lasting, and customer-focused. Their desire to make a difference by bringing stellar design to regular people, as well as their love of watches, prompted them to create a line of minimalist watches that most people can afford.
They created a brand name that combined their location in Northern Europe (Nord) with a reference to their environmental goals (green), which is represented in the stylised leaf logo that adorns their timepieces. In the Nordic region, there is a strong connection to nature and its ability to withstand the test of time. There is an inherent responsibility for social and environmental causes in order to improve the quality of life for all.
Nordgreen began as a small but passionate firm selling watches on Amazon and Etsy. They raised some additional funds in 2017 thanks to private investors and a series of successful Indiegogo and Kickstarter projects.
On Kickstarter, they raised 200 percent of their goal in less than 24 hours.In less than a week, the brand had more than 650 percent of the funding it required to evolve.Funding and interest continued to stream in, drawing a slew of eco-friendly brands and purchasers.
Both Nordgreen founders were named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2019. Nordgreen also began selling watches on Lufthansa flights in 2019.
Their watches are designed by Jakob Wagner, an award-winning designer and engineer best known for designing collections for major brands such as Bang & Olufsen, Hay, B & B Italia, and Cappellini, among others.
Nordgreen is a sustainable brand that is more than the sum of its parts; a watch company that values community and the environment.
In addition to environmentally sustainable manufacturing and recyclable packaging, Nordgreen offers a “buy-and-donate” strategy through its “Give Back Program,” in which the company makes a donation to one of three charitable projects for each watch purchased.
You buy your watch and donate a portion of your proceeds to one of Nordgreen’s charitable organizations.
- Water for Good: When you purchase a watch from Nordgreen, you are helping to provide two months of safe water to a person in Central Africa.
- Pratham U: For every watch purchased, the charity will give a kid in India two months of schooling.
- Cool Earth: By purchasing a watch from Nordgreen, you save 200 square feet of Latin American rainforest.
Design
Envisioned by award-winning designer Jakob Wagner, the watch designs represent an aspect of life in Denmark. The collection consists of versatile accessories designed to reflect the ability to adapt to the busy everyday routine.
The watches’ design is all about simplicity. It’s slim and understated, with a rounded case, pared-back dial, slender profile, and smooth curves. The absence of clutter immediately imparts an elegant feel.
Nordgreen watches retail for $239–429 across five men’s and women’s lines: Pioneer, Native, Philosopher, Infinity, and Unika. Cases range in size from 28mm to 42mm.
You can personalize your watch by modifying the finish and color of the dial, as well as the color and material of the strap. From the replaceable straps to the stainless-steel case and Japanese quartz movement parts, every watch is made with the finest quality materials.
Let’s take a look at two of the brand’s best sellers:
Unika
- Case size: 28mm or 32mm
- Material: stainless steel
- Movement type: quartz
Norgreen’s Unika stands out from the crowd with its unconventional strap design without being pretentious. Unika means “one-of-a-kind,” and the name fits this watch beautifully.
The Unika has a feminine but not fussy feel to it, is thoroughly modern, and is unusual in a subtle way. The case is constructed of 316L stainless steel. It is available in two thicknesses (7.2 mm or 7.4 mm) and two sizes (28 or 32 mm). It’s water-resistant up to 3 ATM, so it can withstand the occasional splash or rain.
The ability to personalize the Unika straps based on your fashion preferences is certainly a huge plus. You can also select from a variety of case colors, including gold, gun metal, rose gold, and silver, as well as a contrasting or complementary dial color (black, white or brushed metal).
For a clean and sleek appearance, there are only two hands and no hour or minute markers. The dial also changes its color in the light, which is an eye catcher.
The Pioneer
- Case size: 42mm
- Material: stainless steel
- Movement type: quartz
The Pioneer is a stunning minimalist watch designed by Jakob Wagner. This is the most recent addition to Nordgreen’s watch collection. According to the company, it is a one-of-a-kind Chronograph designed to commemorate Denmark’s commitment to “Science for Humanity.”
Under a sapphire-style crystal dome, the Nordgreen Pioneer features a clean and simple dial face with two sub-dials and a date window. The surrounding case is available in a variety of colors, ranging from stainless steel to rose gold.
This product has a clean minimalist dial that is synonymous with the company’s minimalist movement.
All watches have a battery-powered Japanese quartz movement that ensures accurate timekeeping and eliminates the need for winding.
The packaging is made of FSC-certified cartons and upcycled plastic bottles, and the company is working to offset its carbon footprint (Nordgreen is fully carbon-neutral).
Nordgreen evokes a similarly quintessentially Nordic sense of refined pragmatism, fusing aesthetic appeal with optimal functionality in a wonderfully harmonic expression of good taste. Their minimalist watches are made with meticulous attention to detail and high-quality materials, and as such make an excellent alternative to more expensive premium watches.
Nordgreen watches’ elegantly simple design makes them ideal for fashion enthusiasts as well as those discovering their personal style for the first time. Even if this is your first time shopping for a fashion-forward watch, the Nordgreen product line is clean, functional, understated, and affordable
If you are still on the lookout for the perfect watch you can see more watches for women and men on nordgreen.com
