Von Doren Tandberg Brings Retro Hi-Fi Design to a Wristwatch

Inspiration for design and creativity can be found in many places. A walk through nature, a heritage reference book or even that old hi-fi system you were gifted as a child. That latter example might seem hyper specific and that’s because it is, it’s the story behind the latest creation from microbrand Von Doren, the Tandberg. It’s named after the eponymous audio system brand of acclaimed Norwegian engineer Vebjørn Tandberg.

The watch has a really cool cushion case design that measures 46.3mm x 38mm giving it tonneau-esque dimensions without the overtly rounded side. It fits right alongside the recent spate of popular TV dials inspired by the 1970s and 80s, such as the Timex 1983 and Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph. It’s made from satin brushed steel with a polished bezel, which is really just the slim, flat rim around the edge of the sapphire crystal.

Moving to the dial, there are two colour options available, white or black. Their layouts are based on the frequency indicator of the Tandberg T20, an aesthetic concept brought to fruition by the depiction of the device’s frequency scales on the caseback. Oracle Time’s on call watch and audio aficionado Ken Kessler remarks that what made this device special is that “the T20 was one of the last domestic open-reel tape decks by Tanberg, the swansong of an amazing family of tape recorders. The quality of the T20 speaks for itself. They’re now hugely collectible thanks to the reel-to-reel tape revival. It’s a shame I let mine go!”

You can also feel the Scandinavian influence in the minimalist design of the hour and minute markers and attractive use of colour across the hands and decorative blue ellipse. The hands also feature a nice amount of lume for low light legibility, the red tip to the seconds had is particularly striking.

Beneath that dial is the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, providing a Swiss heart to this piece of Norwegian design. It’s the newer stock version with an improved power reserve of around 40-hours. A nice quality of life improvement over the older 38-hour edition that still sees regular use by other brands.

If you compare the Von Doren Tandberg to any of their other watches, like the Il Tempo or Treasuremaster they feel quite different on first glance. A cool retro, hi-fi inspired three hander, a sporty chronograph and a dressy field watch. However, there is a strong throughline between them all, the clean lines and Scandi-minimalism that gives them instant appeal. Add to that the connection to Tandberg (the watch is due to be displayed at the official Tandberg Centre) and you have a retro, nostalgic winner. It’s priced at €1,590 (approx. £1,320) although you can save €100 by pre-ordering for before January 1^st.

More details at Von Doren.