Our second Skagen review today is of the 697XLMLMB. It's a quartz men's dress watch with a style a bit more daring than most of their line.
Specifications:

• 35g in weight with strap.
• 42.5mm across with crown, 40.2mm without, 49mm lug to lug.
• 8.5mm thick.
• Black ion plated stainless steel case with polished snap-on caseback.
• Integral black calfskin leather strap with thorn buckle bearing Skagen logo.
• 'Super hardened' mineral crystal.
• Miyota quartz movement with 'big date' complication.
• Decorative dual-layer dial, with center metal section with etched indices and screws.
• Matching ion plated crown, non-screw-down type, with Skagen logo.
• 30m (100ft) water resistant.
• Lumed hands and indices.

As with the Skagen 233XXLSLB, the 697 is clearly a Skagen in style, but look closely and the differences are pronounced.

As a followup to our interview with Skagen founder Charlotte Jorst, today we have a review of the Skagen 233XXLSLB. From the upcoming 'Skagen Leather' collection, it's very much down the center of the Skagen style: Quartz, slim, and low-key in appearance. Some specifications:

• 30g in weight, with leather strap - incredibly lightweight.
• 7.6mm thick, 37mm wide without crown and 39mm with, 41.5mm lug to lug.
• Black calfskin leather strap, secured by two screws on each side. Thorn buckle, signed with Skagen logo.
• 30m (100ft) water resistant.
• 'Super hardened' mineral glass crystal.
• Stainless steel body, brushed finish with polished snap-on caseback.
• Hour/minute/second quartz movement with date window at 6 o'clock.
• Signed and knurled crown, non-screw-down type.

Read on for the full review!

I was recently contacted by the public relations firm from Skagen, a Danish company that's been producing minimal dress watches for many years. Several of my friends wear them happily, so when they offered us a chance to email questions to co-founder Charlette Jorst (pictured) I was happy to accept.

As a bit of background, Skagen watches are typically quite slim, with a characteristic spare face and quartz movement. Most are dress-type watches that make good all-around wearers, and are very well priced at under $200. As such, they seem excellent candidates for Watch Report.

Their PR firm has also loaned a couple of watches for review, so please keep an eye out for those here on WatchReport.

Can you tell us a bit about the history of how Skagen watches came to be?

My husband and I started pounding the pavement in New York City with watches that companies could add their logo to.  The designs of the watches were received really well, and many vendors wanted the watches without a company logo, that they could sell at a retail level; and thus, Skagen Denmark watches came to fruition.