Hey, let’s rejoice in the times we’re living in! Those of abundance for watch enthusiasts in terms of designs, prices, and sheer optionality. From what I know, you will definitely find what you’re looking for, whether you’re after an affordable quartz everyday watch or a capable diver made for the professionals. And it might sound horrible to say this but the independent watch market wouldn’t be what it is today (read: so vast and multi-faceted) if it were not for the disastrous health crisis that was (and still is) COVID-19. Not only were many watch brands founded during the lockdowns because people were bored out-of-their-mind and stressed, but also a whole new generation of enthusiasts and content creators was born for the same reasons. So we had more people creating watches and more people to buy and talk about them. 

This is not to say, however, that the micro/indy watch world didn’t exist before COVID. Quite the contrary. By 2020 already existed some of the brands we’ve come to love and collect, a few distributors for watches, straps, and accessories, and key social media accounts which were solely dedicated to the hobby. It is within this context that Mick Jørgensen founded Nordic Marine Instruments a couple of years ago, the same fellow who created the popular @wristporn Instagram account and the Watchbandit website, both of which existed before COVID. Nordic Marine Instrument is in the business of creating versatile, tough, and classic looking sports watches and the Søværn, their second collection, is just that. So without further ado, let’s take a close look at the latest from Mick and Travis. 

Specifications

Some days I feel tempted to give up trying to define what genre a watch belongs to and what makes it so. Today, how we define an object’s nature and identity is more subjective than it is objective because we all have different ways of living and our tastes can be at polar opposites from one another. In the past three years I’ve learned that what an “everyday watch” is for me is not what it could be for you, just like a “sports watch” is no longer what it used to be. So what follows is solely based on my personal criteria. (You were warned.) I would define the Søværn as being a “sporty everyday watch” as in it has the looks to work in a variety of situations and the specifications to perform well in a variety of situations. And again in my very own experience, I believe that a sporty everyday watch generally comes with dimensions that strike the perfect balance between “small” and “large.” (Again, I’m not trying to be annoying here but what is “small” and “large” anyway?) 

With that said, the Søværn measures 39mm in diameter, 46.70mm lug-to-lug, 10.50mm thick, and comes with a 20mm lug width and a bracelet which tapers dramatically to 16mm at the clasp. These dimensions are perfect for me for this type of watch. The Søværn fits great on my 6.50”/16.50cm wrist, and looks amazing on it thanks to having a delicate and elongated profile. (More on that later.) The case comes with a fine alternation of polished and brushed surfaces, where the accents can be found on key visual areas: the chamfers of the case and of the fixed bezel. Everywhere else we find brushed surfaces as well on the bracelet and clasp except for the polished chamfers on the latter. The case has such a design that it creates natural crown-guards at the three, protecting the screw-down crown which, along with a screw-down case-back, endows the Søværn with 100 meters of water resistance*. 

*I would further add that “sporty everyday watches” typically come with 100 meters of water resistance. 

Inside this appropriately-sized case for a “sporty everyday watch” (ok, I’m going to drop the quotation marks now) we find a robust Miyota 9015 caliber which beats at 28,800 BPH (4Hz) and comes with 42 hours of power reserve. The 9015 comes with the added complication of a date which Nordic Marine Instruments opted to nestle at the six o’clock. Moreover, the crystal is a flat piece of sapphire with inner Super-Anti-Reflective coating, the lume is SuperLuminova BGW9, and the bracelet comes with screwed links, quick-release spring-bars, and an on-the-fly micro-adjustment mechanism. So, as you can see, you get a lot of horological goodness with the Søværn and you might see why (and perhaps agree that) this model is indeed equipped with the right stuff to perform well in a variety of situations. I would be remiss, however, to wait any longer to mention the price of this model: $560 USD. 

Not bad, uh? Not bad at all. 

Design 

Visually, then, the Nordic Marine Instrument Søværn has what it takes to look good in a great variety of situations. From an office meeting and professional dinner to the ups and downs of week-end life and the occasional outdoorsy activity. (And more of the latter if you so wish to.) And the Søværn can do all of this because its design is what I could positively define as being simple and elegant. Simple in the way the dial is laid out and elegant in the small details that were added to subtlety classify (as in to make classy) its overall appearance. Personally, I do find polished, rounded baton hands handsome and discreet, and the sandwiched hour markers to fly under-the-radar whilst conversely being effective at showing the time in low-lit conditions. The matte, cream dial further endows the Søværn with the type of elegant simplicity I’m trying to describe here. (Note the framed date aperture and the little bit of lumed marker beneath it.) 

What makes this model elegant and different than most sporty everyday watches I’ve had the pleasure of getting my hands on is the polished metal ring which separates the main section of the dial from the minute track, and how the inner part of the bezel—the one which is the closest to the crystal—is also polished. That and the fact that the polished chamfer of the bezel is also visible when looking at the watch from above means that the wearer is faced with three concentric circles of polished steel which is indeed quite unique and fabulous looking. The applied and polished logo is another nice touch which again elevates the overall look of the Søværn. And looking at this model from a more global perspective, we notice that the additional accents of polishing on the case chamfers and inner parts of the lugs further add to its visual appeal. 

Earlier I mentioned the minute track which also deserves some attention: additional plots of lume are placed at each hour marker and small hash-marks indicate the minutes. This means the Søværn is legible and one can set the time to the precise minute and second, a thing that people like yours truly can be truly obsessed with. Lastly, the bracelet complements the versatile and elegant appearance of the watch thanks to a three-link construction, perfectly fitted end-links, and a rather short clasp given what we find inside. (On-the-fly micro-adjustment mechanisms tend to make clasps long and wide and it’s nice to see that Nordic Marine Instruments nailed its design.) 

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Nordic Marine Instruments indeed managed to create a versatile, tough, and classic looking sports watch which is reasonably priced. And get this: it’s also readily available to purchase from the brand’s website in a total of five color variants: a black one called Midnat, a green one called Mosgrøn, a light blue one called Himmelblå, this gray one called Stålgrå, and finally a limited black DLC variant called Kulsort. (There is actually a sixth version with a honey yellow mustard dial named Fuldmåne which is unfortunately sold out.) I would argue that you do get a lot watch for the asking $560 USD, not only in the sense that the Søværn comes with many great specs for that amount of cash, but also in the sense that you get yourself a refined product which Mick and his colleagues definitely spent a lot of time developing. The latter can be seen in the myriad of design details which I mentioned above. 

Conclusion 

If you are in the market for a sporty everyday watch which strikes the perfect balance between specs, looks, and quality, then I strongly suggest you take a closer look at the entire Søværn line up. As someone who has spent the past three years writing about and photographing watches which come from the micro and independent side of the horological market, I can tell you with great confidence that the Søværn offers tremendous value for the money. But more than that, I would argue that this model shows it was created by someone who has extensive experience in the business. And Mick wasn’t the only one to partake in the creation of this model—RZE’s Travis Tan is co-founder of the brand and plays a great role in helping Mick develop the collections. Something which further explains the fact that the Søværn comes across (to me) as being a mature design. 

Thanks for reading.