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BOOKS
Beyond Round Watches
(Hardcover)
Beyond Round Watches
(free PDF)
How to spot a fake watch
Beyond Round Watches
(Hardcover)
Beyond Round Watches
(free PDF)
How to spot a fake watch
Est. 2016 · Kungsbacka, Sweden
About fifteen years ago, Freddie Palmgren had just become a senior manager for the first time. It felt like a turning point — something worth marking. So he went looking for his first real watch, visiting store after store, spending hours searching for something that felt genuinely special and unique.
Everything looked the same. Round cases. Black or white dials. Nothing distinctive. In the end, he bought a watch he didn't truly love. It ended up in a drawer, unworn and forgotten.
It took nearly a decade to refine the answer. In 2016, Freddie launched Söner Watches from Kungsbacka, Sweden with the Legacy collection — the watch he had always been looking for. Rectangular, bold, and unmistakably different. Built on Art Deco principles: geometric precision, sleek sophistication, and a shape that carries a century of design history on its wrist.
None of his customers should ever feel what he felt putting that first watch in a drawer. That's why every Söner comes with a 100% money-back guarantee and a 10-year factory warranty — because if Freddie can't stand behind his watches for a decade, who can?
Round watches account for over 98% of the market. Söner Watches exists for the other 2% — the people who want to stand out, who value individuality, and who understand that some of the most iconic watches ever made are rectangular. The Cartier Santos. The Tank. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. The TAG Heuer Monaco. The Omega Marine, the world's first dive watch. They are all angular. Rectangular watches didn't follow watchmaking history — they drove it.
Söner Watches, founded in Sweden in 2016 by Freddie Palmgren, is the only watch brand in the world dedicated exclusively to rectangular designs. Not as one line among many. As a complete and unwavering commitment.
Disruption
The world doesn't need another mass-produced round watch. Söner is here to challenge a 100-year-old norm and prove that rectangular watches deserve their own dedicated brand — not as a niche curiosity, but as a legitimate and enduring design choice rooted in Art Deco heritage.
Perfection
Every Söner is crafted in small batches. Hardened steel cases. Sapphire crystal glass. Swiss movements for dressier pieces, Japanese movements for everyday wear — chosen not by convention but by what serves each watch best. Backed by a 10-year factory warranty.
Trust
When you place an order, Freddie reaches out personally. Not a template. Not a chatbot. A real message from the person who built this brand. Söner customers hold a 4.9 out of 5 rating for design, quality, and service — and many shape what Söner becomes next.
Freddie Palmgren
Founder & CEO — Söner Watches, est. 2016
Freddie Palmgren founded Söner Watches in 2016 in Kungsbacka, Sweden — driven by a vision to create the watch brand he had spent a decade searching for. A brand that didn't compromise. That didn't treat rectangular design as an afterthought. That stood for something specific and never wavered.
In 2024, Freddie authored Beyond Round Watches — a 100-page illustrated history of square and rectangular watches, the only book of its kind, featuring exclusive content from Breguet, Cartier, Longines, the Rolex museum, and Christie's auction house. In 2026 he followed it with How to Spot a Fake Watch Like a Pro.
In February 2025, The New York Times featured Söner Watches in a dedicated article on the global rise of rectangular watch design — recognising Freddie's work as part of a genuine cultural shift in contemporary horology. In 2026, Söner won the German Design Award — Excellent Product Design, placing it among the top 1% of 3,900+ entries from 57 countries worldwide.
Freddie Palmgren — on his sons William & Widar, for whom the brand is named
The name
The intertwined S and W in the Söner logo represent the brand's name and the initials of Freddie's two sons — William and Widar. The three dots above the monogram represent Freddie himself: a father in the middle, flanked by the two people who gave him the courage to start.
The heirloom
Söner is not just about watches. It's about creating heirlooms — timepieces cherished and passed down through generations, carrying stories and memories with them. A watch worthy of a drawer is a watch that was never loved. Every Söner is made to be worn.
German Design Award 2026
Excellent Product Design — Luxury Goods
One of the world's most prestigious design honours, organised by the German Design Council in Frankfurt. Out of 3,900+ entries submitted from 57 countries, only 27 designs received the Excellent Product Design award — less than 1% of all entries. Söner was among them.
View official award entry →A' Design Award 2018
Jewelry & Watch Design Category
One of the world's largest and most respected international design competitions. Söner's wristwatch design by Freddie Palmgren was recognised in the Jewelry Design Category in the brand's second year of operation — an early global validation of Söner's rectangular design vision.
View official award entry →The first name in rectangular watches
Within five years, Söner becomes the first name that comes to mind when anyone searches for a rectangular watch. The go-to brand globally for the 2% who refuse to wear what everyone else wears.
The third pillar of rectangular watchmaking
Within ten years, Söner recognised alongside Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre as one of the defining rectangular watch brands in history — the third pillar of the rectangular watch world. That's not arrogance. That's a target.
As seen in & recognised by
The New York Times
Watches Go Angular: The Rise of Rectangular Design — February 2025
Read in The New York Times →German Design Award
Excellent Product Design 2026 — 1 of 27 winners from 3,900+ entries across 57 countries
View award entry →Wikipedia
Söner Watches — encyclopaedic documentation of the world's only rectangular watch brand
Read on Wikipedia →Press & Awards
21 independent YouTube reviews · 27+ international media mentions · 2 design awards
View all media coverage →"A watch worthy of a drawer is a watch that was never loved. Every Söner is made to be worn."
Freddie Palmgren — Founder & CEO, Söner Watches · Est. 2016, Kungsbacka, SwedenInspired by the past
Freddie Palmgren founded Söner Watches with a vision to expand the Art Deco style into the watch industry. Originating in France during World War I, Art Deco celebrates modernism and elegance, characterized by geometric designs, rectangular shapes, and sleek sophistication.
A century later, its popularity endures, making Söner the perfect embodiment of this timeless style.
Heavy geometric influences
Only the best materials
Best in class movements
Beyond Round Watches
The founder of Söner Watches is more than just a visionary in the world of horology, he’s an authority on the history and evolution of timepieces.
Having authored a book delving into the fascinating story of watchmaking, with a particular focus on rectangular and square designs, he brings a deep knowledge and passion to every Söner creation.
His expertise not only informs the brand's commitment to precision and craftsmanship but also reinforces its unique position as the world’s only watch brand dedicated exclusively to rectangular watches.
Read more
Rectangular watches are not a variation of round design. They are a different design philosophy.
This guide explores the history, geometry, engineering complexity, movement considerations, sizing logic, price tiers, and cultural significance of rectangular watchmaking - structured as a permanent educational resource rather than a buying article.
Explore the full framework and master the category.
Guide to Rectangular WatchesIf you’re looking for an elegant and classy rectangular timepiece look no further this watch is for you. It is made from quality materials and is the perfect size and fits very comfortably on your wrist. I highly recommend this timeless classic.
The best classic style in a completely modern body. Finishes that are difficult to match. A value proposition, without a doubt. In addition, where a watch should perform best, besides its engine, is in the emotional part, and there this Casablanca offers unsuspected levels. Thank you very much, Freddie.
Looking for a lasting timepiece I found this site and decided for the momentum. Especially because my granddad worked at Hoover in the 1950s and my mom gave me the funds to get something to remember her by.
