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Durable Watches - A Guide by Nordgreen

Do you have someone in your life who frequently wears a watch and has an active job? We have the perfect gift idea for someone who values the durability of an item more than any other feature. At Nordgreen, we believe that one of the best gifts for active people with a rugged lifestyle, who cannot imagine their life without movement, is a durable watch. It's not just a useful tool to check the time; it's quite possibly every man's dream because a tough watch is not only durable but also multifunctional. Here at Nordgreen, you can find the toughest timepiece that will reflect that personality and lifestyle.

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Philosopher

BUNDLE White Dial Gun Metal | Brown / Black / Mesh Straps
$278.00 $327.00
-15%
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Philosopher - BUNDLE White Dial Gun Metal | Navy Nato / Black / Mesh Straps
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Philosopher

BUNDLE White Dial Gun Metal | Navy Nato / Black / Mesh Straps
$154.00 $307.00
-50%

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What is the Most Durable Watch at Nordgreen?

As a designer brand, Nordgreen blends traditional Danish values, such as simplicity and minimalism, with durability, functionality, and exceptional quality. Those qualities are essential to producing watches that can stand the test of time during daily wear and tear while still looking stylish on your wrist. That is why we have designed a watch for clients who value both simplicity and durability. We are happy to introduce to you our toughest watch to date - The Pioneer Chronograph, which has won the Red Dot award for its striking design back in 2020. The Pioneer Chronograph by Nordgreen blends the functionality of a stopwatch and a regular display watch, with an added bonus of a small day-date display.

However, keep in mind that some chronographs by other bands can include a timer, a tachymeter, an hour dial, and other functions. Be mindful when choosing a chronograph fit for you. Best qualities are combined into one lasting piece, and it is up to you which qualities and features you would like your watch to have.

The best part is that there are no two chronograph watches that look the same, also at Nordgreen. Because here at Nordgreen, you can customize this watch (and any other for that matter) according to your needs and personality by switching to a different strap, which you can purchase separately. For example, some of them, such as rubber and nylon, are more suitable for athletes or people with an active lifestyle. On the other hand, leather (including vegan leather), stainless steel mesh and links are considered to be more sophisticated materials. Some of our tough watches have vegan leather straps. You can also pick a dial color from black, white, and blue. Typically, a black dial symbolizes practicality, power, and formality, while white dial watches send out an aura of simplicity and clarity. Whatever color you choose, make sure it suits your particular style and lifestyle.

The Pioneer Chronograph by Nordgreen is not just a modern and minimalistic watch; it is much more. The majority of our watches have a water resistance of 3 ATM, which makes them resistant to rain, but we would still not recommended swimming in them. The Pioneer Chronograph, however, has a water resistance of 5 ATM. Now it still doesn't make it a proper dive watch, but it is suitable for showering and swimming in shallow depths. It also features a Japanese quartz movement, one of the most reliable and efficient on the market. Practically, it means that the second dial moves every second, and quartz movement watches require minimal maintenance as they are powered by a battery. Moreover, our most durable watches are scratch-resistant due to the stainless steel case and domed sapphire crystal glass. These two materials can withstand most cracks, shattering, and breakages.

What is The Best Field Watch?

Of course, the best field watch is the one that has all the needed features for your line of work. Each piece is equipped with a variety of specific tools. While some need a rugged watch with a countdown timer, others prefer a tough watch explicitly designed for construction work. And if you are a busy bee, you might need a simple but also tough day-date watch. Gladly here, at Nordgreen, we put a lot of thought into every scenario, and here you can find the best fit for yourself and your active lifestyle.

These are the 3 toughest watches we offer on our website:

  • The Pioneer Chronograph: our toughest and strongest timepiece to date, made from tougher materials and featuring a stopwatch and two sub-dials to measure seconds and minutes. A small date display is a small but important addition.
  • The Native: our most minimalistic and sophisticated piece that doesn't skimp out on the toughness. That is evident by the steel dial case, precise battery-powered movement, and crystal dial glass.
  • The Philosopher: a two-piece dial with a date display combines classic elements of Danish minimalist design with the functionality of the strongest materials. Combine the Philosopher with one of our stronger bands for the ultimate sturdiness, fit for any job.

Top 3 Most Affordable & Durable Strap Materials at Nordgreen

Elegant yet affordable and water-resistant durable watches are uncommon, but not in our case! We only use high-quality materials that can withstand any lifestyle and many weather conditions. However, when it comes to the toughest watches, choosing the right watch band material is crucial. Leather, vegan leather, and steel mesh straps aren't as tough as rubber, nylon, and steel links. We would recommend reserving leather and mesh bands for special and formal occasions and combining your tough watch with a nylon, rubber, or steel link band for ultimate strength.

Rubber Bands

The reason why this material is highly practical is that a watch with a rubber strap is suitable for freezing weather conditions. During the winter, rubber stays at the temperature of the body, meaning it's less likely to crack from the cold and is comfortable to wear outside. Another great advantage of using a rubber wrist band is that once it is damaged, you can easily change it to a new one, and it won't break the bank. In addition, rubber is also waterproof and lightweight. A rubber watch is wildly popular as a dive watch among professional swimmers and sailors, as well as with medical workers, military personnel, and people who spend a lot of time outdoors. You can choose from a variety of colors to suit your style.

Nylon Bands

Nylon makes for a great watch strap material. These watch straps, also known as NATO-style straps, are extremely practical and tough. For one, they are inexpensive, which means that replacing a broken or ripped watch band won't cost you an arm and a leg. However, that shouldn't happen too often, as nylon watch straps are extremely strong - the nylon threads are tightly interwoven to create great protection against rips and tears. These watch straps are also very easy to clean, and while not exactly water-resistant, they dry easily. This makes nylon straps perfect for jobs that require you to get your hands dirty and/or wet.

Stainless Steel Link Bands

Watches with stainless steel link straps are not always seen as the most practical or toughest, but the durability of this material makes it perfectly suitable for everyday use. If you don't want to worry about scratching your watch or it being damaged under rain, a stainless steel case watches for men with a steel strap is all you need on a daily basis. The material is known to be scratch- and rust-resistant, which means that steel watches will look newer and better than ones made from other materials, such as gold or titanium.

Durable Watch Case Features

A high-quality timepiece should only have the finest materials and features, which is why we design our watches to have just that.

Each watch case features a Japanese Miyota quartz movement, considered one of the best in the business. The Miyota quartz movement is durable, repairable and reliable, and is made of the highest-quality metal parts, all assembled in Japan.

When it comes to our toughest watches, namely the Pioneer Chronographs, the case glass in this design is made of a domed sapphire crystal, the third hardest substance known to man. A timepiece with a sapphire crystal can technically only be scratched by diamonds, which is why it is reserved for making extra-tough watches. Our chronograph design is made for the toughest tasks out there.

Each dial case at Nordgreen is made out of stainless steel, a material that strikes the perfect balance between affordability and durability. Steel is undoubtedly tough, rust- and scratch-resistant. No wonder it is used in the medical field for making scalpels. A steel watch case, especially with our Japanese movement, can take a beating.

We wouldn't recommend using your Nordgreen watch as a dive watch. While we offer water resistance of 3 ATM for most of our watches, and our Pioneer is water-resistant up to 5 ATM, that is not enough for diving. That being said, our watch case can withstand rain, making it tough enough for everyday use.

What is the best work watch?

When talking about work watches, it is important to first distinguish what kind of work it is that you do. A watch for an office job requires different features than a military watch. Not all watches are made equal. Let's discuss that in more detail.

If you work at an office, it is likely that you need your watch to do two things: tell the time and look presentable. That means the features you consider important include a precise time movement and watch band versatility. In that case, a watch with a black leather band is the perfect solution for you. Watches with leather straps are a timeless classic, especially in an office setting.

When it comes to tough watches for military workers, we understand that the functionality of a military watch must go beyond just telling the time. The durability of strap materials and being water-resistant are among the most sought-after features of a military watch. That's why we have created a separate guide for men's military outdoor watches.

On the other hand, pilot watches need to combine a classic and timeless design with the functionality of a chronograph movement. Pilot watches may not necessarily require the same toughness as a military watch, but chronograph functions are considered essential for this profession.

Watches for police officers should be able to withstand a lot of movement and not be too flashy in their design. Tough black on black watches will blend in with a police uniform perfectly and will withstand any and all movement you do on a daily basis.

What to keep in mind when buying a rugged watch

Choosing a timepiece is no easy task. Whether you are a construction worker, a pilot, a police officer, or you work in the military, a watch should be a reliable accompanying piece in your daily grind.

Not all durable watches are made equal. This is why you should always carefully consider the design elements and practical traits that are most important to you and your job. Choose something that can withstand the daily labor, whatever it may be.

Don't forget that you can always make your watch stronger and more weather-resistant by choosing the appropriate band from our large selection. Make sure to add a leather or mesh band to your collection, so you can easily switch your look from day to night by switching out the band.

Choose Nordgreen

By choosing Nordgreen, you choose to combine practicality and design with affordability, all without sacrificing the quality.

What is more, by buying from us you can select one charity to donate to through our 'Giving Back Program'. Here are the three causes you can select from:

  • Provide clean water to one person in The Central African Republic (2 months' worth) through Water for Good
  • Give one child in India a month of education through Pratham UK
  • Save 50 sqm of rain forest in Latin America through our partnership with Cool Earth


As you can see, buying from us is not only of benefit to you but can also contribute to saving our planet and its wonderful people.

Our goal has always been to create high-quality products while being actionable towards sustainable and environmentally-conscious practices, and we want you - our customers - to take part in our sustainability initiatives as well. This is why without having to pay any extra money, you can donate to a charity by simply buying a product.

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