Nordgreen Philosopher Watch Review: A Versatile Watch With A Global Conscience

If you’re looking for a beautiful watch that’s simple but adaptable, wearable for staying home or traveling anywhere, and affordable despite its luxurious appearance, then read this Nordgreen Philosopher watch review.

In this Nordgreen Philosopher watch review, learn why I recommend Nordgreen for anyone looking for a stylish yet minimalist watch that evolves as you do while supporting important global causes with its giving back program.

This review has been sponsored, but the thoughts, product description, use, and overall recommendation are entirely my own.

My First Nordgreen Test Takes Place None Other Than The Lake District And Wales

With sustainability at the heart of the Nordgreen brand, it felt more than fitting (and also a little bit of luck) that the watch arrived just in time for my Lake District and Wales road trip. Two beautiful backdrop locations that represent sustainability, preservation of the environment, clean design, and overall simplicity. This alone had me super excited to give my new Navy Philosopher watch a go.

Between the Nordgreen brand mission and the environment in front of me, I already knew it’d be a match.

Honister Pass Cumbria

Snowdonia Wales

Why I Chose The Philosopher Over The Native & Infinity Watches

To be honest, deciding which Nordgreen watch to order wasn’t straightforward. Reason so? They are all quite beautiful. The Rose Gold Native is a best-seller so it seemed fitting to try out what everyone else is raving about. And the Infinity Silver felt like a safe choice to match every aspect of my wardrobe and lifestyle.

In the end, choosing which Nordgreen watch boiled down to three criteria:

1. A watch that displays the date.

2020 has made every day feel like it’s just a repeat of the same, with no distinction between Tuesday versus Saturday. No real beginning of the day, nor any real end either. And because of that, keeping track of the date feels almost more important than necessarily the time for me in 2020. For that reason, I knew I had to choose a watch that displays the date.

2. A watch that’s simplistic yet bold.

I wanted a simplistic but bold watch – one that would be seen vs. unseen. As a result, I wanted a bigger face than my standard 32mm. The Philosopher comes in 32mm, 36mm, and 40mm.

3. A watch with versatility to keep up with my super active lifestyle.

Since I’m an incredibly active expat wife with 2 kids, a watch that allows me to wear it on a sporadic beach run or to a 5-star restaurant is not only helpful but exactly what I need. The option to swap straps easily to mirror the activity make a Nordgreen watch like buying 2-for-1.

The opportunity to swap out a nylon wrist strap for an Italian leather one, as my life dictates, makes this watch incredibly versatile for any occasion. Not to mention, packing for an overnight trip takes the thinking out of which watch to take – and saves a little space in the process.

Might I add that the Philosopher comes in Navy nylon, navy leather, and even a navy vegan option? Mesh is an option, too.

I absolutely love navy, nautical, and anything that reminds me of the ocean. After reading through the benefits and functions of the Nordgreen Native, Philosopher, and Infinity, the Navy Philosopher 36mm felt meant to be. And so it arrived at my house 1 day later. (So amazed by Nordgreen’s fast delivery by the way!)

The Nordgreen Watch Packaging

The Nordgreen watch arrived in a matching blue box. The packaging’s simplistic and clean design mirrors its minimalistic approach.

With the exception of a small clear sticker to protect the face of the Philosopher, the packaging consists entirely of paper products, felt and a small ribbon to open the casing. If minimizing waste in packaging is a requirement as a shopper, Nordgreen meets the mark.

It’s also worth mentioning that the cardboard box it shipped in was the same size as the Nordgreen watch box itself. No packaging waste!

The Nordgreen Philosopher Reveal

I took a sneak peek at the box in St Albans but waited to remove the contents until we checked into Bowness-On-Windermere.

My Nordgreen Philosopher watch review starts in St Albans

Setting The Date And Time Is Easy-ish

I shall preface this with sharing that I’m pretty impatient when something doesn’t work the first time, so this very well could be a user error on my part.

Setting the time is incredibly easy and will literally take seconds! It’s far easier than my Rolex or my Russell Hobbs coffee maker for that matter. 🤣

Setting the date didn’t happen on my first go. I kept pulling the crown out too far (at least that’s why my husband told me). My husband did set the date on my Philosopher after I couldn’t seem to get the crown to turn to the correct date on my first wear of the watch.

However, after attempting to set the date on my watch on my own, I made a discovery which is a top tip for new Nordgreen watch owners that are as impatient as me:

To set the date, turn the crown counterclockwise (or reverse).

I turned the crown clockwise (forward) and that is why the date would not change on my first attempt.

Changing The Philosopher Strap Is Easy

While the instructions explain how to change the strap, I prefer video tutorials and Nordgreen has many to help answer all the how-tos for changing the different features of their watches.

First, since my navy Philosopher arrived in the nylon strap, it was helpful to watch how a nylon strap is fitted first. However, I did remove the strap without reading any instructions or watching videos because it’s super straightforward.

It was the pins that made me pause and follow the instructions to make sure I knew what I was doing before taking the watch apart.

Then, I watched how to fit the leather strap.

What I learned about changing the strap on a Nordgreen Philosopher:

• Be sure to not be anywhere that the pin could fly and drop somewhere to never be seen again. The spring is strong so it may pop out and fly a short distance. I changed mine on a desk so no big deal, but I noticed that it could be super unfortunate if one popped into the sink.
• Be sure to keep the pins in a safe place when the nylon strap isn’t in use.

How Nordgreen Makes You Feel Good About Spending Money

Okay, so I didn’t buy the Philosopher myself and it was gifted to me. But nevertheless, there is a massive feel good that goes along with a Nordgreen watch that I have to believe deflects any sort of buyers’ remorse. I certainly felt it as a gift recipient.

With every Nordgreen watch purchase, arrives a certificate of authenticity. This certificate informs you that it’s real and not a fake, but the cool part is that you can choose a giving back program to donate to.

Nordgreen offers 3 programs that represent the company’s passion for green space, people, and clean design. As such, by registering your unique watch serial number, you get to decide which program to contribute to.

The special causes are amazing and range from providing clean water to a person in Central Africa to providing a month of education to a child in India or even preserving the rain forest in Latin America.

Feels good, doesn’t it?

Overall Nordgreen Performance

In the Lake District, I wore this watch in dry conditions, wet conditions, picnic settings, and even at 5-piece place settings.

From cruising the waters of Lake Windermere, hiking the hills of Pooley Bridge to Cockpit Stone Circle, and navigating to Ashness Bridge, the navy Philosopher was perfect for every situation. I love how light it feels – that it’s barely there, but definitely noticeable.

The Philosopher on Lake Windermere

In Wales, the watch was put to the test for more wet conditions. I quickly learned to appreciate the nylon strap, an option I’ve never had or previously tried. The nylon choice was great for the drizzle and even downpour met during a late-night walk on Barmouth Beach.

Have I mentioned yet that it’s water-resistant? That means that its splash proof and suitable for walking or running in the rain….which for anyone living in the UK, is a must.

Getting ready for a run on Barmouth Beach, Wales

The watch is classy for a dry walk through Portmeirion but functional for a beach run on a potentially wet day.

The Nordgreen versatility makes it a great performing watch for whatever your life has in store next. And as an expat living in England, there is always a new place to explore, a new culture to experience, or a bucket list that’s waiting to be checked.

Final Thoughts On My Nordgreen Philosopher Watch Review

Nordgreen is a brand with a global mindset and a global conscience. For a minimalistic watch, it sure does send a big message.

I hope this Nordgreen Philosopher watch review has helped you decide if a Nordgreen watch is right for you. The ability to select features such as date, size, color, and strap material, along with a special cause to donate to on top of it, make this a lovely gift for a traveler, global nomad, minimalist, or anyone looking to purchase from brands to support a brighter future.

My watch travels with me now and I 100% recommend it. You can learn more about Nordgreen here.

Looking for more expat life tips?  Try these.

• 6 Fab Essentials Every Expat Woman Needs
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• Moving abroad?  Use my ultimate MOVING ABROAD CHECKLIST

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