Nordgreen Philosopher Review: Is Simplicity Overrated?

Not too long ago, I was perfectly happy with my cheap Casio digital watch.

And then watch fever hit.

30+ watches later, I still struggle deciding which timepiece to go with next. In fact, it only gets harder and harder the more I learn.

Sometimes, it just feels right going with something simple and classic.

I’ve always been a big fan of Scandinavian minimalist design, and I love how versatile a good Bauhaus watch can be. Really, there’s hardly an outfit a minimalist watch doesn’t compliment.

After trying Nordgreen’s Pioneer and Native collections, I wanted to check out one of their original watches: the Philosopher.

I took the Philosopher for a spin over the course of a few weeks and my verdict is in. Keep reading for my full review.

Who is Nordgreen?

Nordgreen is a Scandinavian minimalist watch brand from Copenhagen, Denmark.

Their watches are meticulously drawn out by famous designer, Jakob Wagner—the artistic force behind several products by Bang & Olufson and Alessi.

About six months ago, I reviewed the Nordgreen Pioneer and Native.

The Pioneer is a departure from Nordgreen’s three previous designs. And you know what? I was a big fan of the bulkier chronograph style.

As for the Native, well, I have over 30 watches in my collection, but I wear the Native multiple times a week. It’s a minimalist gem.

The Native held the top spot in our list of best minimalist watches for a long time, but after trying out the Philosopher, we had to make some changes. It wasn’t an easy choice, but it had to be done.

Why, exactly? I’ll break it down.

Philosopher Unboxing & Review

Packaging

All Nordgreen watches come in a long, slim matte blue box. Compared to other brands in the $200 range, this is still one of the best unboxing experiences I’ve had.

While the packaging often goes overlooked—most collectors keep their watches in an organized case—it’s an important consideration for anyone giving a timepiece as a gift. And if you’re a budding watch enthusiast just buying your first watch over $50, packaging can change your perceived value.

If you saw my recent Watch Gang review, you’ll notice my initial impression of the Thomas Earnshaw watch wasn’t exactly positive. That’s because the watch was haphazardly packed and just had random pieces of paper thrown in.

After taking a closer look, my verdict on the watch itself changed, but still—I’d given little thought to the packaging and unboxing experience until I’d experienced a bad one.

The Philosopher is my fifth Nordgreen watch and I’ve had nothing but great unboxing experiences here.

Case

I picked up the 40mm, which is just about the perfect size for me. I’m a 6’1” guy weighing in at 190lbs, and my wrists are average for my size. I gravitate toward watches anywhere between 40mm-42mm.

I’ll dabble in a 44mm here and there. I have one 48mm watch, which I save for the days where I want to walk around feeling like a total boss.

While the Philosopher measures at 40mm (7.84mm height), it looks smaller while wearing because of the shape.

The case is slightly conical, meaning it’s wider at the bottom than it is at the top. To put it another way, there’s a taper from the case back to the crystal.

It’s the only watch in my collection that has a shorter lug-to-lug length than case diameter. This makes for an interesting case design that reduces the visual impact of the watch when you’re wearing it.

While many 40mm watches may have a 42mm or 44mm lug-to-lug measurement, the Philosopher has a lug-to-lug length just under 40mm.

This small detail makes a big impact on how the watch looks on your wrist. Even if you’re a guy with a more slender wrist, I’d recommend the 40mm because it wears more like a 38mm or 39mm watch.

Crown

The crown is tapered with bevels at the tip for easier grip. The simple 3-point articulation makes it easy to change the date and time. I’ve tried a few watches where changing the date presented big problems with the watch.

Sometimes the date box doesn’t line up right with the movement, sometimes the crown isn’t very effective—both those problems speak to a shoddy build.

Luckily, with the Philosopher, I didn’t see any of those problems.

Case Back

Nordgreen likes to have a little fun with the case back, creating a different design for each of their models.

The Philosopher features a laser-etched horizontal hour-glass. I spent some time thinking about the possible meanings of the etching-—it’s called the Philosopher for a reason. And knowing that legendary designer, Jakob Wagner is behind it, I assumed there had to be a lesson to uncover.

Here’s the secret meaning behind the design: our whole lives are ahead of us.

Did I get it right? I mean, I took at least two philosophy classes in college, so I’ve got the credentials.

Ok, enough philosophizing.

Since this case back is a snap-on, the water resistance is low at 3atm.

This means it’ll survive getting caught out in the rain, but it’s not the kind of thing you want to take with you kayaking or for a dip in the swimming pool.

Dial

The dial isn’t as purely minimalist as the Native, but it’s still sparse.

While most of the dial is blank white, except for the date box and the Nordgreen logo under 12 o’clock, the bevelled chapter ring is texturized and has a nice subtle shine to it.

Everything about this watch draws your eye to the center. On their website, the brand says it’s focusing you on the present moment.

That’s deep.

Another defining element of the watch (and this fits in with the overall theme of seizing each morsel of time) is the blade-like shape of the second-hand cutting through the minutes and hours of the day.

Crystal

The crystal presents my only gripe with this watch.

While the Pioneer and Native both had domed sapphire crystals (top-end for their price point) there’s no information about the crystal in the Philosopher.

When it comes to watches, I take this stance: if the manufacturer is leaving standard information out, there must be a reason they’re leaving it out.

I read in an old review that the crystal is mineral glass, which is a bit of a shock given that the crystal in their other models is sapphire.

I’d like to think the crystal here at least has a sapphire coating given the price, but my guess is that the Philosopher uses mineral glass.

One thing I do like is how the crystal has a groove as it connects with the case. Again, the design is subtle and isn’t noticeable to the casual observer, but it’s something unique that I haven’t seen in another watch before. If only it were sapphire.

Movement

Nordgreen has always opted for Japanese quartz movements and the Philosopher is no different. While they don’t have information on the specific caliber available, we learned in our previous review that Nordgreen uses Miyota.

Of the 30+ watches in my collection, 20 must have Miyotas at their core. While it’s not exotic or rare, I haven’t had any problems with my watches breaking down or losing significant amounts of time.

Strap and Wearability

I had my reservations on this model given that the lugs jutt out from the bottom and are relatively close together. But this watch is very comfortable on the wrist.

Even though Nordgreen uses the genuine leather (lower grade than top-grain or full-grain), they seem to source it from an excellent tannery. It’s soft and easy to wear for long periods of time.

Just look at what my Native strap looks like after six months of consistent wear.

It’s doing fine, and I expect the strap to last for years. Given that all Nordgreen straps are 20mm in width, it’s safe to assume my new batch of straps are just as durable. I can say for sure they’re just as comfortable.

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