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Changing your watch strap under 2 minutes ✔
Making it easy, to change a watch strap ✔
If you have ever struggled to the find right pry tool to change your watch strap, you know what kind of hassle it can be to complete this task. At Fjordson we want you to be able to change your watch strap under 2 minutes. If it is to give your watch a good cleaning or just to change up styles, in no time you're able to change the strap of your Fjordson watch thanks to our quick-release system.
All you need to do to change your watch strap is:
- find a flat surface where you can work on
- put a cloth on the surface to avoid scratches
- locate the quick-release lever on the backside of your watch
- slide the lever all the way to the left.
- slowly pull out the strap from the lug corner
- remove the strap from the other lug corner
That's all it takes! Now you should be having the watch strap in your hands, and you're all good to go to give it a good cleaning.
Installing your (new) watch strap
To install your watch strap back on your watch, you start by fitting the springbar-end to the hole on the left lug. After it popped in the hole, you slide the springbar-lever again to the left, so that you're able to fit the other end of the springbar. If it's fitted correctly, it should give a little click. To make sure it's fitted correctly just give your watch strap a little wiggle, so that you can feel the springbar is fixed in place.
Have some questions? Or something went wrong?
Don't panic. Send us a message and we'll get you back on track.
There's nothing we can't resolve.
3 reasons why we are a cruelty-free watch brand 🌱
We get a lot of questions why we don't offer leather watch straps.
To answer these questions we've summed up the 3 main reasons why we are a cruelty free watch brand.
1. Animals are our friends
Each year the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals, according to Peta. There's a common misperception that leather is just a by-product of meat production. The leather business is a moneymaking business that strives for maximum profits and leather is in lots of cases more profitable than animal meat.
Take for example the ostrich industry in South-Africa. According to The Guardian, the skin of the ostriches accounts for 80% of the value and their meat is sold as a by-product. Leather is not just a by-product, but a co-product of the meat industry.
On top of that, even if the stamp in leather bands say "Made in Italy" of "Made in the USA", chances are high that the raw materials come from China or India. In both countries animal-rights protection laws are rarely enforced, resulting in very poor living conditions.
2. People are our friends
The proces of turning skin into leather uses dangerous chemicals. This includes mineral salts, formaldehyde, and coal-tar derivatives. Without this processes the leather would rot.
Studies have found that leather-tannery workers in Sweden and Italy have between 20% and 50% more cancer risk than expected, according to Peta.
3. It's time to act
Mahatma Gandhi once said 'Be the change that you wish to see in the world.' Since there are plenty of alternatives to leather, we've opted to work with other qualitative materials. Our nato watch straps are made out of high-quality nylon. Due to popular demand, we've also added a eco-leather option. These straps are made of premium synthetic materials. All our straps are designed for increased comfort, durability and flexibility.
Fjordson is officially a PETA-Approved cruelty-free watch brand. You can find a complete list of cruelty free PETA-Approved brands on this page.
Is it worth it to buy a Swiss made watch?
Some of you might be wondering why it would be worth buying a more expensive Swiss made watch.
Perhaps you are hesitating between Fjordson and another non-Swiss watch brand. You might be thinking; "both look good to me, so what's the difference?".
In this blog we'll shortly introduce you to exactly what a Swiss made watch is and what makes these watches so different.
What is a Swiss made watch in the first place?
If a watch brand wants to use the Swiss made label, it needs to meet certain requirements of the Swiss made ordinance. This is strictly determined by law.
In summary, to be marked Swiss made, a watch has to meet the following requirements:
- It uses a Swiss movement, this is the the 'engine' of a watch
- The movement is cased up in Switzerland
- The final inspection is conducted by a manufacturer in Switzerland
- At least 60% the manufacturing costs are incurred in Switzerland
The main reasons why Swiss made watches are so different
Switzerland has been dominating the watch industry since the early 20th century. The term 'Swiss made watches' has since then been associated worldwide with being high quality, well-crafted and reliable products.
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End-product of a long history of watchmaking. Already since the 16th century, Swiss watchmakers have established a reputation for making quality products. It's not a surprise that most of the well known watch brands such as Rolex or Omega are all in fact Swiss made watches.
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Built to last. Swiss watches are famous by its superior movement quality. As Swiss movements are always made by hand and its gears of metal, you're guaranteed of lifelong joy. Non-Swiss watches often use plastic parts to reduce manufacturing costs.
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Use of 316L surgical steel. Swiss watches are made of this type of high grade steel material. It makes the watch extremely resistant to corrosives and is also beneficial for people with allergies to inferior alloys. Only the best, for the best.
- Scratch resistant glass. There's nothing worse than a watch which face is all scratched up. As Swiss made watches uses a very hard sapphire crystal, you can be sure of a crisp and clear looking watch face. Forever. Non-Swiss watches often uses hardened mineral or even regular glass, making it very fragile for scratches or even cracks.
Conclusion
By having a better understanding of the Swiss made label, we hope you're able to decide your next watch with even more confidence. In the end it's all about your own preference. Unless you're comparing a ten dollar watch, most of todays 'mid/high end' watches are pretty decent.
But make sure to check the movement and the use of materials in the specific watch brand you wish to purchase. Because who doesn't want a watch that lasts?😉
Wondering why we love Swiss watches ourselves?
For us it's all about its long-lasting quality. And of course owning a piece of history in watchmaking 😉
Fjordson awarded "Best vegan watches" by PETA Menswear Awards 2018
Two recent, major reports reveal that a staggering three out of the four materials that have the worst environmental impact are animal-derived, leather being the most devastating. And as consumers continue to demand ethical clothing for which no animals were beaten, slaughtered, or skinned, designers have taken note. The PETA Menswear Fashion Awards celebrate the biggest moments, greatest innovations, and standout brands that made 2018 a kinder year for animals and the environment.
"This year's winners prove once again that vegan menswear is here to stay as demand for innovative, animal-friendly fabrics continues to rise," says PETA Director Elisa Allen. "Forward-thinking designers are experimenting with sustainable, cutting-edge vegan materials and offering a vast array of cruelty-free styles for men who want to look good and feel good about their fashion choices."
Burberry made this year's Biggest Luxury Fashion Moment by banning fur and angora. Asos was crowned Most Progressive Online Platform for announcing that it'll introduce a ban on mohair, silk, feathers and cashmere. Hugo Boss won the Best Vegan Footwear award for its range of sneakers in Piñatex pineapple-leaf leather. Ecopel was honoured with an Innovation Award for its new faux-fur fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, and Alan Cumming's partnership with Brave GentleMan for Vogue won the Collaboration Award.
Other winners include Napapijri, which took the Best Down-Free Brand Award for its commitment to feather-free outerwear; HeartCure, which won the Best Style With a Message Award for its range of hoodies, T-shirts, and vests with messages such as ‘Protect Our Oceans’ and ‘Stand for Something’. Will's Vegan Shoes was awarded Best Vegan Accessories for its eco-friendly footwear, bags and belts; King & Allen took home the Best Vegan Suits prize for its wool-free suits in bamboo, linen, cotton and velvet; and Fjordson won the Best Vegan Watches Award for its leather-free watch collection.
Read the full article here.
What are the differences in watch movements?
The watch movement, also known as "calibre", is the heart of a watch. It's what makes the watch "tick".
The three most widely used watch movements are quartz, manual and automatic movements. Manual and automatic movements are mechanical; they consists out of mechanical parts like gears and springs. Quartz movements have an electrical circuit and require a battery to run.
1. Quartz movement
Quartz movements are very accurate and require minimal maintenance. They are powered by a battery that sends electrical signals through a piece of crystal quartz. The quartz vibrates 32768 times per second. These vibrations are measured by the circuit and converted into single pulses every second. Quartz movements can be identified by a ticking motion of the second hand, whereas mechanical watches have second hands with a sweeping motion.
Features
- Accuracy: quartz movements are the most precise movements on the market
- Low maintenance: there are only a few moving parts, resulting in low maintenance
- Durability: a quartz timepiece has fewer moving parts that may require repairing, making it more durable than a mechanical watch
2. Manual movement
Manual movements, or hand-wound movements, are the oldest type of watch movements. These mechanical movements require daily winding in order to work. A mechanical movement uses energy from the hand-wound mainspring to power the watch, instead of batteries like in quartz movements.
Features
- No batteries needed: there's no need for battery replacements since the energy comes from the hand-wound mainspring
- Aesthetics: manual movements consist out of more (moving) parts than quartz watches, resulting in complex and sometimes fascinating movements
- Daily winding is required: since the movement's energy comes from a hand-wound mainspring, daily winding is required, which is less accurate than a quartz watch
Tip: Manual movements should be wound until there is a feeling of tension or tightness on the crown. If it is wound past this point, damage to the movement may occur.
3. Automatic movement
Automatic movements work largely the same way as manual movements, except that a metal weight, called rotor, is added. This rotor spins with every movement of the wrist, transferring energy and automatically winding the mainspring.
Benefits
- Automatic winding: unlike manual movements daily winding is not required with an automatic watch
- When not worn, the watch stops functioning: if an automatic watch is not worn regularly the watch will stop functioning, since the mainspring needs energy from the moving wrist
Tip: There are watch winding boxes on the market to wind automatic watches when not worn.
