25+ Danish Watch Brands

With more than 25 Danish watch brands to choose from, I would be surprised if you didn’t find something of your liking. Find the best Danish watches here!

The small kingdom of Denmark is not all beer and smørrebrød, they make a whole lot of watches too. With an ever increasing number of Danish watch brands to choose from, I would be surprised if you didn’t find something of your liking. From inexpensive minimalist brands like Skagen to the ultra expensive power houses from Line Werdelin there is something here for everyone.

We will go over them in a minute, but first, here’s the complete list of brands.

Danish Watch Brands and Danish Watches

1. About Vintage

About Vintage ApS was started in 2014, and is now based in Frederiksberg, Denmark. As the name implies, the analog wristwatches have a clean and very elegant vintage look. Straps are made from either leather or stainless steel mesh.

About Vintage exclusively makes automatic watches and quartz chronographs for men, and prices are somewhere around $250-$1000.

Check out their storefront on Amazon.

2. Andersen Genève

Master watchmaker Svend Andersen started his career as an independent watchmaker in the late 1970s after having worked for a couple of Swiss companies for 15 years and included 9 years at Patek Philippe.

He named his company Andersen Genève, and he has since then created unique and artistic high-end timepieces for watch collectors. He is very well respected in the industry (although he also makes pornographic watches!). Even though his business is based in Switzerland, I just had to include him in this list. He is Danish after all.

3. Arne Jacobsen

Wristwatches bearing the Arne Jacobsen brand were produced and released in 1971 after the legendary architect and designer Arne Jacobsen passed away. The iconic designs of the wristwatches were based on the clocks Arne Jacobsen’s designed for his buildings. The designs are simplistic and elegant in execution. Arne Jacobsen is owned by Copenhagen Watch Group A/S, but was until just recently owned by the Rosendahl Design Group. Check them out on Amazon, here!

4. Bering

Bering Time first came to life after Danish businessman and adventurer Rene Kaerskov visited the North Pole in 2008. Inspired by the experience, he decided to create a watch brand that combined Danish minimalist design with the cool and pure beauty of the Arctic. The brand name Bering is named after the Danish explorer Vitus Bering who was the first to sail across the Bering sea between the Asian and North American continents. Bering’s tag line is “Inspired by Arctic Beauty”.

Although Bering Time Inc. is headquartered in Inglewood, California, I still count Bering as a Danish watch brand because Kaerskov, and his two business partners, are all Danes.

Bering uses surgical steel, titanium, ceramics, and sapphire crystal to create analog wristwatches that are supposed to stand the test of time. The sleek design on many of their timepieces reminds me of Skagen Denmark. What do you think? Available on Amazon, here!

5. Bulbul

The newly started (2013) brand Bulbul Watches was named after the nomadic bird Bulbul.

Bulbul makes minimalist wristwatches with a fresh and modern look. They are currently selling three lines of wristwatches – Pebble, Facette, Topo, Ore and the Oblong. The first model that was launched was the asymmetric pebble, see above. Pricing ranges from 180.00 to over 450.00 euros.

Find these interestingly shaped watches on Amazon, starting at $250.00 US, here.

6. Copha

Based in Copenhagen, Copha Watches has provided the world with a wide range of mass produced wristwatches since 2004. Prices are in the region of $100-$150. For that kind of money you get an ordinary design, a Japanese quartz movement, mineral glass, and a stainless steel case. Nothing special unless you love the look.

7. Danish Design

Danish Design was launched in 1988 to meet the rising demand for simplistic and modern wristwatches. Today, Danish Design watches are being sold worldwide. DD makes a very wide range of minimalist and timeless men’s and women’s wristwatches, as well as titanium jewelry. Prices for the watches are usually around $100-$250 on Amazon

8. Georg Jensen

Georg Jensen A/S was founded by silversmith Georg Jensen in 1904 in Copenhagen, Denmark. After a couple of changes in ownership, Georg Jensen is since 2012 owned by Investcorp. Headquarters is located in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Although the company’s primary focus is on jewelry, they also make men’s and ladies wristwatches.

The watches are designed in Denmark but made in Switzerland. Prices range from $900 for the quartz models to over $2,500.00 for the Automatics.

9. Jacob Jensen

Another brand with the Jensen surname, but otherwise unrelated to Georg Jensen, is Jacob Jensen.

Danish industrial designer Jacob Jensen started doing design work for clients in 1958. In the late 1970s, his son Timothy Jacob Jensen became an apprentice in his father’s business. Together they created two iconic wristwatches in 1985, model 510 and 520 – the first products to bear the Jacob Jensen brand. Timothy Jacob took over the leadership in 1990, and he has continued to operate both sides of the business; doing design work for external clients, and releasing products under their own brand.

Jacob Jensen is all about minimalist design. By using pure lines and simple shapes, they have created some beautiful timepieces. Above is the “Linear Series 620”, a 42mm Seiko quartz powered piece finished in brushed stainless steel. Get yours, here!

10. J&M Denmark

Childhood friends Jonas Janjooa and Peter Mørup founded J&M Denmark ApS in 2013. They wanted to create affordable watches with a clean and classic design. J&M have expanded rapidly in a few short years, and now offers a wide range of analog timepieces with a minimalist design. The available models have different dials and straps, but they all have one unifying detail. A red second hand. Priced from $150-$300.

11. Johan Eric

Johan Eric Denmark is another minimalist watch brand. In the US they are represented by the Gevril Group. The brands collections take their names from Danish cities and towns and draws inspiratino from the country’s history and remarkable geographical position as mainland Europe’s northernmost peninsula.

12. Larsen & Eriksen

Larsen & Eriksen is based in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, and was founded in 2015 by two lifelong friends, Jeppe Larsen and Magnus Eriksen. The line has grown from the original – Absalon model to include the Louisiana Number 1, Number 2 and Number 3. The Absalon is still by far their biggest model and is available in nine different color combinations, and in two sizes; 41 mm and 37 mm. There designs are clean and timeless, but with a fun twist. The dial looks like the side of bicycle wheel. Hardly a coincidence, as the two founders and designers have a love for cycling. Check out my review of the Absalon in copper.

They also have some new lines available on Amazon, including the one below. The Aktive is their take on the minimalist everyday watch and they are hand-assembled around a Swiss Ronda quartz movement.

13. LLarsen

Founded in 2012 and based in the town of Svendborg (on the island of Funen), Lars Larsen Watches ApS, designs and assembles their watches in Denmark. LLarsen makes affordable watches for both men and women, with prices ranging from $100 to over $1000.

The watches have a classic Danish design – minimalist and simple – and all of them are equipped with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Above is the Oliver, a thin unisex watch in gold with a green dial from $230.00:

14. Leikr

Off to something completely different. GPS sports watches. Leikr – owned and operated by Acorn Projects ApS, a company based in Glostrup, Denmark – was launched in 2013 through a campaign on Kickstarter. The team behind Leikr is comprised of people from the electronics and mobile phone industry with a passion for endurance training. They have created an advanced GPS sports watch (Leikr LKR-1) that is perfect to use when running, cycling, biking, or swimming.

15. Linde Werdelin

Linde Werdelin is one of those brands that aren’t entirely Danish. The two founders, Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin, are Danish but the brand is headquartered in London, England, and the watches are manufactured in Switzerland. Founded in 2002, Linde Werdelin makes mechanical high-end sports oriented wristwatches. Three series of watches currently exist in the line of products; 3 Timer, Oktopus and Spido. Check out our quick introduction to Linde Werdelin watches.

As a sign of the great quality and performance of Linde Werdelin watches, LW received the honor to create a custom watch for an elite military unit, the Danish Frogman Corps. Based on the Oktopus series, they developed a durable high-performance timepiece with a case made from titanium and ceramic (in the image above). Only a select group of military watch brands are good enough to be considered suitable for tactical and military tasks.

16. Manniche

Manniche Timepieces was founded by David Manniche in 2013 when he designed the first model, the very large (45 mm) CPH-ST1. The goal was to create a minimalist but yet masculine timepiece. It features an automatic movement and a stainless steel case, and is available in two versions; Black and White. Priced at 1,339.00 Euro’s. Now a second model, equipped with a quartz movement, is about to hit the market; the smaller (42 mm) and cheaper CPH ST-Q starting at 399.00 Euro’s

17. Nexo Denmark

Nexo Denmark is the brainchild of the married couple Marie and Martin Heidemand. The brand is named after the small town of Nexø on the island of Bornholm, where Mr and Mrs Heidemand reside. Inspired by Bornholm, Nexo Denmark makes both typical Danish minimalist watches and more colorful and daring timepieces, like the Viktor in Blue above.

Although it looks as though the Nexo website is no longer active, you can still find Nexo watches in the aftermarket.

18. Nordgreen

Nordgreen is another minimalist watch brand from Copenhagen. It was started by friends, Pascar and Vasilij who are on a mission to deliver true Scandinavian design and lifestyle to everyone. “Nord” represents the brands Nordic identity while “green” captures the brands emphasis on sustainability. You can find out more about Nordgreens “Giving Back Program” here. All of the brands lines have the classic Scandinavian look and feel, with prices ranging from $200.00 to $500.00 or so on Amazon, here. Personally, I’m rather partial to the Pioneer in Gunmetal with the white dial, see above.

19. Norlite

In 2015, two Danish watch aficionados decided to launch a new watch brand. And so Norlite Denmark was born. Based in Roskilde, there three quartz models come in a verity of finishes, dial colors and straps so you can find your look.

20. Obaku

Strictly speaking, Obaku Denmark is not a Danish brand. The team behind it are Danish, but it’s owned by a Hong Kong company. But since they claim that the brand is Danish, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Obaku is named after a form of the Zen philosophy called Ōbaku, which is about living in the moment. Obaku makes a wide and diverse range of dress watches for both men and women with the typical minimalist look and feel, prices range from $150-$300 on Amazon, here.

21. Ole Mathiesen

The history of Ole Mathiesen started in 1845 when Carl Matthæi and J.P. Christensen founded a watch company in Copenhagen. The Mathiesen family acquired the company in 1919, and has since then been making high-quality timepieces in three generations. Ole Mathiesen makes 4 models, the Royal Marine, Classic, 1919 Heritage and OMS. They are expensive men’s wristwatches with swiss automatic movements, sapphire crystals, and high quality leather straps. A Royal Marine timepiece will cost you up to around $1500, shown in blue above.

In 2015, they also started making jewelry under their own brand. Ole Mathiesen’s business actually has two legs to stand on, because they also sell and service a long list of high-end watch brands (such as Patek Philippe) from their two stores in Copenhagen.

22. REC

Finally a Danish brand that tries to be different! REC Watches ApS was founded in 2014 by two petrol-heads and watch aficionados, Christian Mygh and Jonathan Kamstrup. They wanted to combine their two passions into something affordable, interesting and different. The result was REC.

REC – which is short for Recover – Recycle – Reclaim – salvages classic cars and makes watches from the recycled materials. What’s even cooler is that each timepiece is completely unique. Although watches can be identical “under the hood”, they are different on the outside.

They have fiver lines of wristwatches. The P-51, which is made from 1960’s Recycled Ford Mustangs, The Mark I and Cooper which come from Mini Coopers, the 901 from Porsche 911’s and the RJM from salvaged Spitfire Aircraft. The three P51 models shown above.

23. Sebastian Frost

Sebastian Frost is a jewelry and watch brand that was founded by goldsmith Sebastian Frost in 1999. Like Nexo Denmark, Sebastian Frost is also based on the island of Bornholm, but not in the same town. SF resides in the little fishing village of Listed. The first line of wristwatches was launched in 2009, and the design is typically Danish. Clean, simple and minimalist. There newer lines are the 1951 and 1977 lines which a have a cool retro look to them, see the 1977 above.

To buy a Sebastian Frost timepiece, expect your wallet to become $350-$600 lighter.

24. Skagen

Skagen Denmark is probably the most famous brand on the list. It was founded in 1989 by husband and wife, Henrik and Charlotte Jorst. The goal was to create wristwatches that would bring their Danish ideals to the rest of the world – “purpose, honesty and simplicity”. The couple decided to name their company and brand after Denmarks northernmost village, Skagen.

In 2012, the Jorsts sold their company to the US-based Fossil Group Inc. Skagen Denmark is now a subsidiary of Fossil with current headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The European headquarters, however, are located in Albertslund, Denmark. The Skagen watches have a clean and minimalist design (like so many other Scandinavian brands), with prices ranging somewhere between $130 and $250. Check out the Skagen store on Amazon, here!

Apart from wristwatches, Skagen also make jewelry, handbags and accessories. Unlike most brands, Skagen has taken steps to keep up with the advances of smartwatches. The Skagen Connected watch combines new technology with a classic and timeless design. It can sync with your smartphone and give you notifications, track activities, and monitor sleep. But it still looks like a beautiful dress watch. Skagen calls it a Hybrid Smartwatch. 

25. Urban Jürgensen

Urban Jürgensen is one of the oldest still active watch companies in the world. It was founded in Copenhagen in 1773 by Urban Jürgensen. After a hundred years of a few non-Danish owners, Urban Jürgensen was acquired by a group of Danish investors in 2014 to once again make it a Danish watch brand. The watches are made in Switzerland to a very high standard, the Reference 5541 GMT above starts at $35,000.00 US Dollars.

26. Vejrhøj

Vejrhøj is an interesting and exciting brand with there unique watches made with wood and stainless steel. Vejrhøj has created two collections of wooden wristwatches the Nautic and the Elements. The Elements are almost entirely made of zebra and oak wood, with the more stylish Nautic useing a combination of steel and wood.

Young entrepreneur Janus Aarup created the first watch, Elements, in 2013. The following year, Janus collaborated with designer Bo Bonfils to create a more stylish and professional looking timepiece, the Nautic. Yet another successfully funded Kickstarter project. Check out my review of the Nautic watch and a review of The GUN.

If you know of any other Danish watch brand, please let us know. I will add it to the list.