*Full disclosure: The Nordgreen Philosopher Vegan watch was sent to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
All About Nordgreen
Nordgreen founders Pascar and Vasilij are lifelong friends, watch enthusiasts and born and bred Danes.
They founded Nordgreen because they could not find any affordable watch companies that have high quality, best designs, are honest or sustainable.
So they created Nordgreen to embody these characteristics that were missing from the affordable watch market.
Their mission is to deliver true Scandanavian design and lifestyle to everyone.
They work directly with Jakob Wagner, one of Scandanavia’s most awarded designers.
The name Nordgreen comes from:
Nord
Representing their Nordic identity. They strive to capture the sophisticated minimalism that is so prevalent in Scandanavian design, as well as actively work to inspire trust, encourage cooperation, and have an all-around pleasant environment for employees as well as customers.
Green
Emphasizes their efforts for sustainability. They take the necessary steps to ensure products and processes are as sustainable as possible. Their packaging is recyclable and they foster partnerships with sustainable manufacturers.
Giving Back
Taking care of one another is a large part of Danish culture. In so, Nordgreen has partnered with 3 global NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations) to help create tangible change in the fields of health, education, and environment.
Health
Water for Good
When you purchase a watch, you will give two months of clean water to one person in the Central African Republic.
Education
Pratham UK
When you buy a watch, you will give one month of education to a child in India.
Environment
Cool Earth
When you purchase a watch, you will preserve 50 sqm of rain forest in Latin America.
How it works
- Find your unique serial number on the back of the watch (it’s tiny!)
- Find the certificate of authenticity located in the little envelope that came with your watch.
- Find the identification number on the authenticity certificate.
- Go to the Giving Back page on the Nordgreen website.
- Type your identification number exactly how you see it.
- Pick one of the three causes that speak to you and make a difference.
I chose Water for Good because I believe everyone should have access to basic necessities that are vital for survival.
There is no wrong choice here, choose an organization, and cause, that you believe in.
As a side note: I love that they are donating to these great organizations, but I am not sure how many people that order a Nordgreen watch know about these great initiatives or that would take the time to go on the website, look up all the information needed, and actually donate.
I think a simpler way to do this is for Nordgreen to have you choose an organization you would like to donate to on the order form when you purchase a watch. That way, it’s not up to the consumer to donate after the fact, instead, Nordgreen can make sure the donation is accounted for.
I just think that fewer steps mean more people are apt to donate, which means more organizations are being helped out and not overlooked.
Additional environmentally friendly measures that Nordgreen employs are:
Carbon Neutral
They plant thousands of trees to offset carbon emissions by their offices in Copenhagen. As well, each of their shipments has been offset, including mine and yours.
Sustainable Packaging
All packaging is FSC certified. The felt inside the boxes is formed using up-cycled plastic bottles.
Responsible Manufacturing
They partner with Danish partners abroad, thus ensuring that overseas production facilities adhere to the highest standards while following Danish labor practices.
First Impressions
I was happy with the delivery time, my watch only took about a week to arrive, which is pretty good considering it traveled from Denmark to Canada! The packaging was also very good. There was no damage whatsoever and the delivery box was just big enough for the watch box, so no wasted space there.
The delivery box was easy to get into with just a pair of scissors to cut the tape on one side. I also like the simple design of the watch box itself. When I opened the watch box, I found the watch safe and secure with elastic bands inside the box.
I immediately liked the minimalistic watch face. Very simple, yet elegant. I also loved the finish I chose for the watch face – gun metal, it looks pretty sharp against the vegan brown straps that I picked as well.
The brown vegan straps are so soft and comfortable.
Overall, I am really pleased with the design and I highly recommend this combination!
About Nordgreen Philosopher – Brown Vegan Leather Gun Metal
Price: $219
Features
- Designed by Jakob Wagner
- Interchangeable straps
- Free Delivery and Returns
- 2 year warranty
Design
The Philosopher has an asymmetric second hand.
The conical-shaped case has a wider base than face, creating a sharp two-piece dial that draws your eye to the center of the timepiece.
The elevated watch case, clean brushed look, and tugging lugs provide the finishing touches to the watch’s unique design.
Likes
The watch shipped quickly, it was here within about a week of ordering it, which is pretty good since it came to Canada from Denmark with free shipping.
I also like packaging, it is pretty minimal. The outside cardboard shipping box is just big enough for the Nordgreen watch box.
The watch box itself if pretty a sleek looking recyclable navy blue cardboard box made with FSC certified paper. The felt on the inside is made from upcycled plastic bottles, which is pretty cool.
I am going to pull the felt off the cardboard before I recycle the box because I am not 100% sure if my municipality will recycle the felt. However, I am going to try!
After wearing the Nordgreen Philosopher watch for a couple of days, I really enjoy the minimalistic design. It looked great on my wrist and was not too large. The band was also extremely comfortable and the dial was easy to read.
*Please keep in mind that I am not a watch wearer in general, it has been many, many years since I have worn a watch regularly*
Dislikes
The one main issue I had was that the watch dial moved around on my wrist a lot, my wrist must be between sizes on the band because the next hole down was too tight and the hole that I used felt good but did not keep the watch on straight. I had to constantly turn the watch when I wanted to read the time. That was a bit annoying, admittedly.
As well, as a non-watch wearer in general, I found the watch to be a tad heavy at first. It didn’t bother me consistently, but every now and again I would feel it shift on my wrist and I would be reminded that it is a bit heavy and moves around from time to time.
Alternatives
Here is a list of other eco-friendly watch companies that you may want to check out before making your final decision on which watch to choose.
My Opinion of the Nordgreen Philosopher
So far, I like wearing this watch, despite my one or two dislikes!
I find the Nordgreen Philosopher watch to be comfortable, nice looking, easy to read, and a conversation starter.
I don’t think I am going to become an avid watch wearer anytime soon, but I will wear this watch on special occasions when I want to feel fancy!
It must be noted, however, that I have only been wearing this watch for a couple of days, so I will continue to wear it regularly and update this article in 2 weeks and then in a month in order to give the Nordgreen Philospher a proper review, so check back in a little bit!
Do you wear a wrist watch? If so, what is your favourite kind and why? Please let me know in the comments below!
Cheers, and have an awesome day!
I ordered a watch from Nordgreen and found the time to make my donation after I received it. I was intencttional while ordering from nordgreen. In one hand I find that it is very important that you be active in donating because it is your responsability to do it in the end. By this I am saying that you should be available to make one step more to do it intensionally. We have to commit our time and energy if we intend to protect our planet. It shouldn’t be a bonus for our consumerism. On the other hand I also believe that it should be done at check out, not after the purchase. Lots of donations are not done in the end because people already got their precious watch and find no time or motivation to actually donate. Plus we all receive a ton of e-mails!
I made my donation because I was intensional. The one thing that bothered me was that I wasn’t able to find the actual amount of the donation: either as a percentage of my purchase or a actual number. I thought I will be given this number in the end but I didn’t. So I asked and I am now waiting for their answer!
Thank you so much for your comment. I am glad to hear that you made the intentional choice of buying a Nordgreen watch because of their giving back program. That’s awesome! I wish there were more people like you in the world!
I did not think to ask about what the actual percentage of the purchase is going to non-government organizations, but that would be very helpful information. Please let us know Nordgreen’s reply is, as now I am curious! How are you enjoying the watch?