Some twenty years ago in the small Finnish village of Klaukkala, three young boys were bored out of their minds. Klaukkala was a quiet place, with few attractions for three boys like us. So, to pass the time, we used to sneak out into the forest. In the glow of a campfire, we would share stories, laugh and do our stuff late into the night. In the forest, we could just be the boys we were.

Years passed. In Helsinki, on the wooden benches of Pyry’s sauna, our paths crossed again. It must have been the second or third round in the heat already, when we realized that we all shared one thing in common – a strong passion to unique watches. Bearing in mind that we were all inspired by the beauty of our forests, we decided to take action. Yet we didn’t quite know how to combine these two passions of ours. Then our eyes set on the three watches we had left lying on a wooden table.

That is when Aarni was born.

-Pyry, Niklas & Samuli
The Founders

Aarni is a Finnish word for wild, untamed forest untouched by the hands of man.

Why do we respect nature in our operations? Well, the world is too full of trash. Things people use once, then throw away. Every year 8 million metric tons of plastic is discarded into our oceans. It’s the equivalent of fifteen grocery bags stock-full of plastic for every meter of coastline in the world. And we don’t want to be part of that.

Therefore, we spend several months designing our products, only settling on the finest materials, components and craftsmanship available. We also test our products rigorously before they ever see daylight. And when they do, we are there watching, learning and improving.

And this is why you will never need to think about discarding your Aarni Wooden Watch and Sunglasses.

We grew up surrounded by the beauty of the Finnish forest landscape. We always have been, are, and always will be humbled by the beauty of nature. We strongly feel that wood is at its best at its most unprocessed state – natural. That is when its beauty shines the brightest.

Wood gets better with age. It grows more unique, still maintaining its natural durability and beauty. This is why we only lightly treat it with a specialized oil – nothing more is needed.

Since we were born, forests have played a significant role in our lives. We have come to realize that not every country is like Finland. In most forests around the world, the threat of deforestation is very real.

For this reason, we do everything we can to make sure our wood does not cause deforestation. Every single piece of wood that we supply from abroad is certified, and we know the origin country. Of wood supplied from Finland, we know the home district of every piece. And it goes without saying, we don’t use endangered species. Ever.