Introduction
Demark has been known worldwide as a birth place of extremely talented product designers. Originated in the 1940s, the Danish design promotes minimalism and functionality. The Copenhagen based watch brand Nordgreen has reinterpreted this globally acclaimed design philosophy by adding environmental sustainability.
Co-founded by two passionate entrepreneurs in 2017, this young and promising brand offers an exceptional range of timepieces and other lifestyle accessories for men and women.
Nordgreen Pioneer
Among the Nordgreen watches, Pioneer is a true masterpiece. It is not an easy task to design a fully functional chronograph with a minimalistic layout. The dial, counters and hands should be well-organized to distinguish between the time display and stop-watch functions. Additionally, the dial indications should be easily readable.
Designed by talented Danish product designer Jakob Wagner, Pioneer is a simple yet fully purposeful timepiece loaded with the date and stopwatch functions. Winner of the prestigious Red Dot award in 2020, this angelic interpretation of classic bi-compax chronograph seamlessly combines aesthetic elegance with functionality.
(1) Case
The Nordgreen Pioneer watch comes dressed in an elegant 42mm diameter stainless steel case with brushed finishing and rounded edges. It comes with silver, gun metal, yellow-gold or rose-gold tone. The well-proportioned time-setting crown (at 3 o’clock) and chronograph push-buttons ensure quick and precise operation.
The case lugs with inward curved ends evoke the shape of so-called wired (also called soldered) lugs usually found in vintage watches.
The case thickness is 11.9mm and the lug-width is 20mm. The scratch-proof, domed-sapphire crystal glass offers excellent visibility of the dial. Moreover, the water resistance of 50 meters is ideal for efficiently utilizing this chronograph during various indoor and outdoor activities. The distinct design of this watch also ensures a comfortable and secure fitting on the wrist.
(2) Dial
One of the well-designed men’s chronograph watches in the contemporary era, the Nordgreen Pioneer boasts a harmonious dial design to ensure optimal visibility. Instead of traditional numerals, small indexes and markers have been used on the main dial and sub-dials. This reduces the clutter and ensures clarity.
All the hour markers on the main dial ring are shaped after zero (0) for providing uniformity. The Pioneer chronograph is available in five dial versions: Black, navy blue, sunray-brown, sunray-green and white.
For displaying the hour and minute, it has two centre hands with the luminescent coating. The watch comes with a small seconds dial at 3 o’clock. In the chronograph part, it has a central stop-seconds hand and a 60 minute register at 9 o’clock. It also indicates the date via a small circular window positioned just above the 6 o’clock marker.
The wind-turbine blade inspired hands of the Pioneer Chronograph proudly reflect Denmark’s unrivaled accomplishments in developing eco-friendly technologies.
The small seconds dial, chronograph counter, and the date window are recessed to achieve more depth to the dial design, which ensures optimal visibility of various indications. The two hands that perform chronograph function (seconds and 60 minute) are highlighted with red color on the tips for rapid identification and tracking.
(3) Movement
The engine that powers the Nordgreen Pioneer comes from the popular Miyota 6S quartz chronograph family. For this timepiece, the brand opted for a special variant of the calibre 6S21 with date display at 6 o’clock.
Based on the color of the date disc, Cal. 6S21-00Z or Cal. 6S21-00Q has been used. Manufactured by the world-renowned movement producer based in Japan, this calibre has a great battery life up to three years.
(4) Strap
Nordgreen is offering a wide range of straps for its Pioneer chronograph. The first option is a matching metal bracelet in 3-link, 5-link or mesh-pattern. You can also opt for genuine-leather, vegan-leather, nylon or rubber strap. Moreover, each timepiece will be provided with a supplementary strap without any additional charges.
All these straps are interchangeable, making it easy for the owner to play with various styles to suit his or her outfits. With a widely used lug width of 20mm, the Nordgreen Pioneer can be easily paired with third-party straps also, making it more versatile.
(5) Price and availability
The approximate selling price range of the Nordgreen Pioneer chronograph is $260 to $315. The cost may vary depending upon the type and material of the strap. The watch can be purchased by visiting the official online store. With the online configurator, the customer can select the case-finishing, case-diameter, dial color, and type of strap before checking out. Nordgreen watches are also sold by authorized e-commerce websites and retailers.
Other collections
The brand is also offering wristwatch models such as Native, Guardian and Philosopher. Made for men and women, these Scandinavian style watches are available in different case sizes, ranging from 28mm to 40mm.
Native is a time-only watch with two hands. Guardian is a three-hand model and Philosopher comes with a date display at 3 o’clock.
In its extensive product portfolio, Nordgreen has also included an exclusive ladies timepiece named Unika. Available in 28mm and 32mm case sizes, this feminine timekeeper stands out with its distinct lugs, facetted crown and luxurious appeal.
Promoting sustainability
Since its establishment in 2017, Nordgreen has been associated with various initiatives related to environmental protection and social development. To achieve optimal sustainability, the company faithfully follows various protocols in its corporate, production, retailing and shipping activities.
The sustainable practices include maximum utilization of renewable energy, proper wastage management, restricted use of plastic and recycling. It has partnered with various organizations for safeguarding the environment and preserving forests. The brand has an impressive supply chain management system to reduce carbon footprint.
The packaging of each timepiece is made of recycled paper and plastic bottles. The leather straps are sourced from reputed Italian tanneries that strictly follow ethical practices associated with animal welfare. The vegan leather watch straps are made of environment-friendly, non-toxic and conflict-free materials.
The company also follows better labor protocols for ensuring the protection and welfare of workers. Nordgreen supports various NGOs associated to social development activities like educating unprivileged children and providing clean drinking water to Central African countries. The Copenhagen-based firm has also pledged to donate more than 20% of its profits every year to charity.
Website: https://nordgreen.com/
