Skagen Watches Review: Are Skagen Watches Good?
Have you come across the Skagen watch brand lately? Is Skagen a good watch brand? You’d have all these questions answered and more in this Skagen watches review. Skagen Denmark as it is officially called is a watch brand under the Skagen Design Ltd umbrella.
This Danish watch brand is among the new entrants in the fashion watch space. Their watches are simplistic and stylish in design and yet they are affordable. So is Skagen a watch brand for you? Let’s find out.
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How Skagen Watches Started
The History
A Danish couple, Henrik and Charlotte Jorst are the brain behind Skagen Denmark watches. This couple from Copenhagen, Denmark, moved to the US as Carlsberg’s sales manager in 1987.
Alongside his job as a sales rep, Henrik and Charlotte promoted local Danish watch brands in the US. This led to their desire to have and promote their own company.
The opportunity came when a Danish watch manufacturer (Comtech Watches) agreed to produce the couple’s first designs in 1989. In 1991, Henrik and Charlotte named the watches Skagen Denmark. The timepieces had an added Danish touch to them, elegant and cheap. These features made the brand famous in the watch space.
The growth of the brand
Following the showcase of the brand’s designs in a remote trade fair in 1991, their sales quickly increased to five figures within a year. Within a span of 6 years, the brand expanded quickly.
They expanded their reach to Europe, setting up an office in Denmark. They had stores in the major cities in Europe. This made the brand noticed internationally.
In an attempt to serve its customers better, the company launched its website in 2010. This site had the sole mission of serving and delivering watches in Europe and the US.
Following the success of the site, the company moved on to serve other geographies including Hong Kong and Australia.
In 2012, the couple and their partners sold off Skagen Designs, Ltd to the Fossil Group. As a subsidiary of the Fossil Group, the brand still follows its path of design and tradition.
What Skagen means?
“Skagen” as the name implies is a town located in the northern part of Denmark.
Considered as Denmark’s top touristic destination, the port of Skagen is Denmark’s main fishing port.
Skagen Denmark, the watch company designs its watches to reflect the elegance and beauty of Skagen town.
Skagen’s Mission
Unlike other watch brands that focus on features, Skagen is a fashion watch brand.
The brand focuses on producing minimalist watches. Every piece they produce has a simple design, sleek, and slim enough to fit those with small wrists.
Skagen also uses high-end materials like titanium for their watch cases and bracelets. Titanium gives their watches are lightweight feel. So you can look “all smashed up” without the necessary feeling of wearing a watch.
In the minimalist space, the brand is always compared to MVMT and Daniel Wellington (DW). However, Skagen outclasses them in terms of a wider range of design and quality of material used.
Where do Skagen watches come from?
You may have guessed it wrongly. Though Skagen gets its name from a small town in Denmark, the company produces its watches miles away from Denmark.
Before the company was acquired by Fossil, their watches were manufactured in Hong Kong. Following the takeover in 2012, Skagen Denmark (the brand) produces its watches from mainland China.
Are Skagen Watches good?
If you love minimalist watches, you’d definitely like Skagen watches. This is also true if you’re just getting started with fashion watches. Skagen watches look attractive and affordable.
However, if you’re interested in feature-specific watches, this brand will not satisfy your need. Brands like Suunto, Seiko, Casio are good for those types of watches.
Best Skagen Watch Review
Skagen Connected Men’s Hagen Hybrid Smartwatch (Model: SKT1104)
Never miss a notification with this Skagen Hagen Hybrid smartwatch. This stylish watch comes with smart features to keep track of your busy lifestyle.
This Skagen watch features an activity tracker to help you stay active throughout the day. It connects seamlessly with your Android or iPhone to keep your notifications synced at all times.
Unlike most fitness trackers like Fitbits, this hybrid model uses a non-rechargeable battery that’ll last you up to six months. So you can keep tracking your activities without the fear of running out of charge. It’s also water-resistant up to 30 meters to keep you going under all weather conditions.
The three side buttons on this Skagen watch are customizable and you can use them to cycle through your preset goals. Overall, this is a good hybrid smartwatch for those who are after a well-designed timepiece that doubles up as an activity tracker.
Skagen Men’s Sundby Titanium Quartz Watch (Model: 233XLTTM)
In an attempt to make their watches lighter, Skagen Denmark uses Titanium. Titanium is generally lighter than Stainless steel.
This Skagen Sundby has a case and bezel made from Titanium while its mesh bracelets are steel. Because the bracelets are steel made, they look attractive.
Covering the Skagen watch dial is a mineral crystal that’s resistant to scratches compared to Acrylic crystals. There’s also a date window at the 6 o’clock position to keep you reminded of your weekly schedules.
A 30-meter water resistance rating on this Skagen watch is enough to keep water out if you wear it during a rainy day.
Skagen Signatur Minimalist Watch (Model: SKW6355)
This Skagen Signatur will immediately catch your attention with its blue sandblast dial. You’ll always show up on time for your appointments with this timepiece.
It uses a quartz movement that is very accurate in keeping time. The case is well polished to keep scratches away. This means your Skagen watch will always turn up new every time you pick it up.
The Skagen watch also comes with a comfortable leather band that is durable. Being comfortable means you can wear it for long periods of time without the thoughts of taking it off.
Skagen Men’s Ancher Quartz Watch (Model: SKW6082)
If you like a clean minimalist watch, this Skagen Ancher is right for you. This Skagen watch comes with a white dial featuring black Arabic numerals and minute markers.
Skagen uses a polished mineral crystal on this timepiece to prevent scratches. This makes the dial appear new every time you gaze at it. Also, if you are looking for a timepiece that’s designed to fit your outfits, here you have it.
Its stainless steel case makes it blend with your lifestyle. You can wear the Skagen watch under any weather conditions. No need to constantly remove it when you want to shower.
It is water-resistant up to 30 meters. You’d also notice a date window at the 6 o’clock position to keep you reminded of your schedules.
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3 Reasons Why Skagen Watches are good?
Unique Designs
Over the years, Skagen has won lots of design awards for its unique designs in watches. In 2010, the company received the “Red Dot Production Design” award for its Swiss Movement 585 Series and others. The award set them aside as a brand with top quality designs.
Following the “Red dot award: product design 2011”, Skagen Men’s SK809XLTBB won the “red dot” seal of quality for its top-notch design. This was closely followed by another award with Skagen Men’s 234XXLT in 2012.
Swiss Movements
In an effort to expand its Swiss collection, Skagen uses Swiss movements in some of their watches. Skagen Men’s 583XLSXC is a reflection of that dream. A similar design is also available for women.
Under the Fossil umbrella, the company continues its expansion in its Swiss collection. This means you’d have a huge variety to choose from in the foreseeable future.
Minimalist and Affordable
What Skagen offers without compromise is its minimalist designs. If you love slim and lighter watches, you’d certainly appreciate Skagen watches. Skagen uses quality material on these watches but they sell at affordable rates. This means you don’t need to open your wallets wide for these timepieces.
2 Drawbacks of Skagen Watches
Quality control issues
Though Skagen prides itself on lots of good designs, they still have some work to do on the quality of their watches. Some customers complain about the cracking or shattering of the crystal.
They are also cases where the hands and numbers fall off from the watch face. However, Skagen’s warranty policy covers some of these complaints. I’ll explain that later.
Besides their warranty covering, it’s annoying and takes lots of time and effort to have these parts repaired.
Totally a fashion brand
If you are passionate about high-end watches, this brand is not for you. Skagen is all about fashion and that goes with their watches.
Skagen watches are minimalist in style and don’t have the luxury of the advanced features you’d find in other brands like Seiko or Luminox.
Skagen’s Warranty Policy
Skagen Denmark covers all your purchases with a two-year international warranty policy. This warranty covers all manufacturing parts and defects only.
This means if you damage your watch with water or due to poor handling, you aren’t covered. When the damage is covered by the warranty, the company has the sole discretion to repair or replace the watch.
For repairs outside the warranty, you can use the company’s service centers or authorized dealers for the repairs. You can read more on Skagen’s warranty policy.
Places you can buy Skagen watches
There are several places you can purchase Skagen watches. If you are comfortable with an online purchase, their website is the best place to begin your search. Skagen.com offers up to 20% off your first purchase.
Amazon.com is another great place to source out your Skagen timepieces. There are lots of choices to choose from and some of the watches are listed with remarkable price reductions.
If you want to shop the watches locally, Skagen offers its customers a store locator you can use to locate the nearest store for your purchases.
FAQs
Which is better: Skagen or Fossil?
As you may know, Skagen and Fossil now live under the same banner. But the brands are still in competition with each other in the customer’s eyes.
The reason? The two are fashion watch brands with exquisite designs.
While Skagen concentrates on a more contemporary approach with their watch design, Fossil follows a more traditional look. I love the fact that Fossil offers a range of variety with its designs and that gives the brand an edge over Skagen.
Are Skagen watches scratch resistant?
Though Skagen makes good thin and stylish watches, its crystals are not as good as they look. Most of their watches come with mineral crystals that are not scratch resistant like sapphire crystals. However, the brand has some sapphire crystal watches like the Skagen Men’s SP7LSXN.
How long does Skagen watches last?
Because most Skagen watches end up with cracked crystal, this puts their durability to question. For a person wearing these watches on a daily basis, it can last for 1-3 years. This is the normal lifespan of most fashion watches. High-end watches in this brand can last even longer.
Final Thoughts
If you are considering the Skagen brand, I’ve given you what makes the brand stand out and where it’s lacking. This can help you make a quick decision on the brand.
However, for a brand from a fashion line, Skagen watches have changed the landscape of fashion watches. It represents everything you need from fashion watches.
What do you think about Skagen watches? Let me know in the comment section below.
