The Watches of Iceland

Switzerland, Germany, Japan, China, and the USA. Those are the countries most folks will think of when trying to name watchmaking countries. For many, Iceland isn’t even a thought. The fact is if you consider population density, Iceland is a watchmaking powerhouse. Home to two brands, JS Watch Company and Michelsen Watches, mere meters apart on the same Reykjavík street, you’ll find lots of watch passion for such a small island.

JS Watch Company

Nearly a decade old, JS Watch Company has made a name for itself amongst savvy, value seeking watch geeks. Looking across their collection, a theme of minimalist and classic designs dominate. We’ll focus on the Frisland Classic for now, but we absolutely encourage you to check out their entire line.

JS Watch Co. Frisland Classic

Pulling together classic marine chronometer looks with modern dimensions, the Frisland Classic is quite stunning. There’s a similar looking  reference in 38mm that might be the perfect size (dubbed the “101”), but the antique-tinted dial on the 42mm looks perfect. Roman numerals, “JS Watch Co” and “Frisland” in script, the red date wheel, and blued dauphine hands really pull the old school looks together. Powered by a top grade Soprod A10, the exhibition caseback shows off a classically finished movement. Fitted with an ostrich strap, the Frisland Classic is priced right around $2,500 after the 20% VAT is removed. The USD is rather strong against the Icelandic Krona at the moment, so now’s as good of a time as any to grab a piece from JS Watch Co.

Michelsen Watch

Known best as a small retail shop in Reykjavík, Michelsen Watch started their own private label in 2009, which actually marked the 100^th anniversary of the Michelsen family’s Icelandic watchmaking history. The Arctic Explorer is probably their most well known watch, considering the reviews done by Gear Patrol and aBlogtoWatch, so we’ll look to a different reference: the Reykjavík 64°N/22°W (as you can probably guess, the latitude/longitude coordinates pinpoint Reykjavík).

Michelsen Reykjavík 64°N/22°W

Here you have a classic field watch look, in a modestly-sized case. Utilizing a nicely decorated ETA 2824-2, Michelsen designed a 39mm case with subtly complex lines, and a legible dial with added depth. One must really look this watch over to catch all of the small details, such as the soft bevel in the lugs and the multiple facets on the bezel — “thoughtful restraint” comes to mind. Michelsen offers the Reykjavík 64°N/22°W in grey, black, and white dials, with the option of a number of different straps. After removing the VAT, the final price of the Reykjavík 64°N/22°W ends up around $1,100 – quite the steal for a high quality watch not seen on many wrists.

Iceland is such an amazing place that shouldn’t need much of a reason to visit to begin with. Throw in a couple of solid boutique watchmakers, and now you’re all out of excuses. Both shops are manned by the friendliest of proprietors, so head on out there, buy a watch, eat a famous hotdog, and find an adventure.

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