Winners of Nordic Watch Awards 2026

Watches from the Nordics may still be a niche phenomenon, but they are starting to make an international splash. For good reasons: Time and time again Nordic brands showing that top of the line designs and innovations must not be Swiss. A majority of the brands call themselves micto brands, but they are all over the spectrum, ranging from haute horlogerie with Nordic-made movements, to quartz-powered catalogue or hommage models. 

Yours truly has the privilege of being the jury president of the Nordic Watch Awards. Together with six other jurors, including the largest retailer in the Nordics, a Sotheby’s expert, and the royal clockmaker we focused on two categories: Unlimited, where the only limitation is mechanical movement, and Challenger, watches that retail under 2,000 Euro. During an intense afternoon we scrutinized approximately 15 watches in each category in order to pick out the six nominees of which the winners were decided through a closed vote. 

The nominees in Unlimited were Sjöö Sandström Annual Edition Royal Steel Chronograph 40 mm made in collaboration with the renowned Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. This brand founded 40 years ago, is a pioneer among the Noridc brands. Pedral, founded in 2018, presented the Okapi Clasique whose 37mm cushion case combines rounded contours with precise architectural lines. Last but not least Iceland’s only watchmaker, the 21-year-old company JS Watch, competed with the Sólmyrkvi. Icelandic design and assembly coupled with Swiss Made automatic chronometer with top finish. 

Out of these, the chronograph from Sjöö Sandström was the winner. The Annual Edition Royal Steel Chronograph 40 mm also won the people’s choice decided by a three-week online vote.

A New Challenger

The nominees in Challenger were Alato Ögonsten, which unites elegance and sportiness with a coined bezel and a small seconds for a modern vintage feeeling. This brand is still a side project founded in 2023 by architect, civil engineer, and watch enthusiast Pierre Strömbäck, but with such strong designs we believe this will soon become his main profession. The second nominee was Maen Manhattan 37 ultra thin Onyx. Housed in a stainless steel case, with a Swiss hand-wound movement under  a sublime black onyx dial, this is another popular model from the success brand which sells around 6,000 timepieces per year. 

The winner of the Challenger category was however the Norwegian newcomer Earth Moves, with the model One Oceanic, which has a price tag of circa 1,500 Euro. With a 24-hour clockwise rotation, a patented Moon & Tide hand, and day/night indicator – a world first combo – this first watch from the brand just launched by Brage W. Johansen, who is passionately driven by the exploration of space and planets. This watch will surely enter the hearts of an international crowd.

Jury Special Prize

The Jury also awards somebody from the Nordics who made an unuimitable imprint on the watch world, and the Jury Special Prize 2026 went to Danish Svend Andersen, pioneer of independent watchmaking famous for his worldtimers, jumping hours, erotic watches, and being a co-founder of AHCI.

The 2026 edition also introduced Tradera’s hållbarhetspris, a new sustainability award, which went to craftsman Daniel Ankarstrand, who makes watch straps and other luxury leather products from salmon skin.

So, as you can see, there are many reasons to check out the Nordic watch scene.