Introducing: The Handmade-In-Scandinavia Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made
Øyvind VonDoren Asbjørnsen knows how to tell a story. The Norwegian studied film production at London Film School in the late 1980s before beginning his career in television. He then served as executive producer and cinematographer on the feature documentary Magnus about Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2016. He also inherited his great-grandfather’s watch when he was 12. This sparked a love for watches that eventually led to the creation of his brand, Von Doren, in 2016 and a string of offbeat creations, all with a story to tell. Now, the handmade Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made debuts. The 17 examples of this watch tell the story of Norway’s constitutional independence. Strangely/interestingly enough, these patriotic watches also beat with a Finnish heart.
Some watches lean on storytelling, while others genuinely attempt to translate history into something tangible. The new Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made does both. Whereas the Von Doren Il Tempo Gigante Automatisk Kronograf celebrates the 1975 movie Flåklypa Grand Prix, a cinematic piece of timeless Norwegian culture shown on national TV on December 25th every year, the new 1814 Nordic Made is a bit more serious than a homage to a stop-motion animated movie. This 17-piece limited-edition is a hand-built mechanical watch and the brand’s most ambitious project to date. And while the story behind it is deeply rooted in Norwegian history, the execution is contemporary and neutral, with a hint of Nordic spirit. In other words, it won’t scare away non-Norwegian watch fans.
Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made: Inspired by Norway’s defining year
For all the non-Norwegians out there, “1814” in the name of the watch is not arbitrary. Every Norwegian will immediately recognize the reference to the signing of the Norwegian Constitution in Eidsvoll on May 17th, 1814. The signing marks the foundation of modern Norway and the beginning of the country’s constitutional independence. Before that moment, Norway was part of a long-standing union with Denmark under the dual monarchy commonly known as Denmark-Norway. Although Norway was a separate kingdom, political and cultural authority was largely concentrated in Copenhagen. This period is sometimes referred to by historians as the “400-Year Night.” They refer to Danish becoming the dominant written language and the gradual disappearance of Norway’s independent governing institutions. That all changed on May 17th, 1814, and now Norway is the richest Scandinavian nation. And there are 17 handmade watches commemorating that date.
Kindred spirits
Anyway, back to the watch. The Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made celebrates independence through local Nordic craftsmanship. For the movement, however, the Norwegian brand reached out to its neighbor, Finland (a kindred spirit, as Finland declared independence in 1917 after being under Swedish and Russian rule for more than seven centuries, but that story is for another day/watch). The manually wound Caliber Von Doren / JM36 is handmade by independent Finnish atelier Jurmo Watches to Von Doren’s specifications. It runs at a steady 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz), giving the watch a distinct vintage cadence both visually and acoustically. The watch’s slow beat rate creates a calmer, very steady sweep of the seconds hand, and since it’s a handwinder, it also offers a more tactile mechanical experience overall.
The movement itself features rhodium plating, blued screws, and hand-polished components. There is also a micro-engraved historical detail — the Eidsvoll oath. It reads “Enige og tro til Dovre faller,” meaning “United and true until Dovre falls.” “Dovre” refers to the massive Dovrefjell mountain range that has long symbolized the permanence of Norway.
Norwegian wood
After the watchmakers at Jurmo Watches finish hand-building the movement in Finland, it is shipped to Eidsvoll, about 75 kilometers northeast of Oslo. Eidsvoll is not just any town. It is regarded as the birthplace of Norwegian democracy, as it was here that the Constitutional Assembly convened in 1814 to declare Norway’s independence and sign the constitution. Long before this defining moment, however, Eidsvoll already held an important place in Norwegian history, dating back to the Viking Age as both an early Norse assembly site and a center of trade and industry. In this historical town, fourth-generation watchmaker Fredrik Sindsen does the final assembly, regulation, and quality control.
Sindsen places the movement in a substantial 43mm steel case. Its contemporary size is paired with a classic, rounded design, with a large domed sapphire crystal dominating the profile. The watch exudes typical Scandinavian sobriety, with handmade steel hands that reinforce its handcrafted character. Despite the backstory, the 1814 Nordic Made is not overly ceremonial or theatrical. The overall aesthetic is restrained, allowing the historical narrative and mechanical content to carry the project rather than excessive decoration. There’s an open case back revealing the manually finished movement, but that’s as wild as it gets. The soft silver-toned dial features a modern yet classic and restrained design that wants to be timeless and seems to achieve that goal.
Maybe the most extravagant feature is the solid oak presentation box, handmade by furniture makers in Oslo, and what’s inside. The box contains the 1814 Nordic Made, plus a Norwegian “Mor Norge 1814–1914” silver coin, and an original royal decree from the 17th or 18th century. These are genuine historical papers rather than reproductions, meaning every set is unique.
Final thoughts
“With box and papers” has a different meaning in the case of the Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made. The watch tells a big story and comes with some interesting extras, but in the end, it’s about the product. And the product looks good. The “Nordic Made” concept is interesting. The Finnish/Norwegian collaboration resulted in a clean watch that can also be viewed as a mechanical artifact tied to Scandinavian identity and craftsmanship. It’s also a product of independent watchmaking, culturally distinct in both design and origin. Also, the Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made is not a watch built around complications or technical spectacle. Instead, it is a project centered on provenance, historical narrative, and traditional mechanical watchmaking. It also has a distinct Scandi vibe.
At €7,500, the Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made is in a price segment where many well-known Swiss luxury watch brands operate. But there are just 17 1814 Nordic Made watches around. Also, they’re made by Nordic hands, symbolizing Norway’s independence and making them very different. It also makes them exotic in that classy, understated Scandi way that appeals to so many. It’s homage done right in every way.
Find out more about the watch on the Von Doren website. Also, let me know what you think of the 1814 Nordic Made in the comments section below.
