Hands-On: Nordic Marine Instruments – Nordhavnen

Nordic Marine Instruments was founded by Mick Jørgensen and was born out of the founder’s native Danish culture and his passion for high-end, daily wear tool watches. Typical Nordic design is infused with a clean and solid construction, that is exemplary for the use of the best materials and with the attention of the highest manufacturing standards. The design of the Nordhavnen is inspired by specific elements of classic sports watch design, that over several decades have become iconic in the world of watches, but they were never before combined in one watch, which makes the Nordhavnen quite unique.

The three color schemes are inspired by the typical colors of Danish fishing boats

Mick, his brother, and his father used to go fish and swim in a Copenhagen harbor “Nordhavnen”, which gave the name and color inspiration for the new multi-purpose everyday tool watch. A legible dial and an all-stainless-steel case and bracelet, while being versatile thanks to its clean and fresh design and reasonable proportions. Mick’s passion for purposeful watches is reflected in the Nordhavnen, and although it might first appear simple, it is through the multitude of design details and refined construction that the intrinsic value of this watch reveals itself.

The three color schemes are inspired by the typical colors of Danish fishing boats, further anchoring the roots of the Nordhavnen within Danish cultural heritage.

Nordic Marine Instruments Nordhavnen on the wrist

The Nordhavnen is a charm to the wrist. Its 40 mm case feels more like 39 mm and the finely finished edges of the case make it wear like very comfortably. The bold and multi-faceted Dauphine hour and minute hands, as well as the hour indices, provide maximum legibility in all lighting conditions (see lume shot later in the article). The crown guards are reminiscent of vintage dive watches and are very discreet; here on our wrist shot, they are barely visible from the wearer’s perspective. The unique plain bezel pays tribute to the ones equipped on the dive watches originally distributed to the Kampfschwimmer, the German underwater commandos. This gives the watch a very technical element, as well as underlining the clean and plain nordic design

Nordhavnen – “Blå” – Wrist circumference 18 cm/7″

The folding clasp is equipped with a push button and an on-the-fly quick adjust system, making the Nordhavnen easily and perfectly adjust for any wrist size.

The Dial

The dial, which comes in three colors – black, white, and blue – has a matte center section that absorbs light, making it easier to read the time. The three color schemes are inspired by the typical colors of Danish fishing boats, further anchoring the roots of the Nordhavnen within Danish cultural heritage. The minute track at the periphery is recessed and on the same plane as the small-seconds subregister. The multifaceted applied hour markers have a center section filled with hips of BGW9 lume that can also be found on the modern diamond-cut Dauphine handset. A nice feature: even the small seconds hand has applied lume. The latter comes with satin-finish sections on the top and high-polished surrounds.

Powerful and blue: BGW9 lume

Nordic Marine Instruments went yet another step beyond by matching the date disc to each dial color.

The Bezel

The bezel is designed following the style of what is known as the “Bund” type of bezel insert. “Bund” is the short version for “Bundeswehr”, the German armed forces. Dive watches with this kind of bezel design were originally distributed to the Kampfschwimmer, the German diver special forces unit. Unlike traditional dive-time bezels used to time an event up to 60 minutes, Bund bezels were specifically designed to keep track of elapsed hours during long underwater military operations. The brushed ceramic bezel insert therefore only shows an inverted triangle. Doing this allows the bezel to operate as a chronograph without adding additional complications to the movement, which could result in a higher failure rate and a thicker case.

The Bracelet

Nordic Marine Instruments reinvented the Jubilee-Bracelet; like most parts of the Nordhavnen, the bracelet was specifically manufactured for this model, the jubilee-style construction and angular links coming with an alternation of high-polish and satin surfaces. The bracelet has a thin profile that matches one of the straight lugs. Furthermore, on-the-fly micro-adjustments are possible using the ratcheting diver extension buckle.

The ratcheting diver extension buckle closed

The ratcheting diver extension buckle fully extended

The Movement

Inside the Nordhavnen ticks the Swiss Made caliber Sellita SW261-1 automatic movement with 28,800 BPH (4Hz). It comes with 31 jewels and approximately 38 hours of power reserve. It is one of the rare automatic movements that comes with a small-seconds.

Details and Specifications

Case

• Size: 40mm
• Thickness: 12mm
• Lug size: 20mm
• Lug to lug: 48mm
• Material: 316L Marine-grade stainless steel
• Glass: Flat Sapphire Crystal with inner-side Super-AR

Bracelet

• Style: 5-links
• Finishing: Fine-brushed/Polished
• Buckle: Folding clasp with push button and on-the-fly quick adjust
• Material: 316L Marine-grade stainless steel

Dial

• Style: Multi-layer matte with applied indexes
• Luminous: Swiss Super-LumiNova®

Movement

• Swiss Sellita SW261-1 Automatic
• Power Reserve: 38hrs
• Balance Frequency: 28800bph (4Hz)
• Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date

Discover the Nordhavnen collection now!