Wooden Watches
A sign of greater environmental awareness? Wooden watches have been making inroads for a few years now. Just look at the growing number of creations from brands specialising in the wooden-watch niche to be convinced.
Wood is more than just a material. This fundamental element of nature carries such powerful symbolism that it is hardly surprising watchmakers have been using it for a very long time.
Beyond its usefulness in making tools and objects, wood makes fire possible. The tree is also seen as a link between earth and sky. These symbols align perfectly with that of time, making wood an element that brings us a strong emotional charge.
Wood has been widely used to embellish and decorate clocks, mantel clocks and cuckoo clocks. Its malleability makes it possible to carve it, sculpt it, paint it, use it as a base material to combine with other materials, and so on.
Its acoustic properties are also very useful for striking clocks.
Let’s focus on the wooden watch and the advantages (and disadvantages) of the material in their design.
The advantages of wooden watches
- They are eco-friendly (though you still need to make sure the wood’s provenance is sound).
- They are unique. It’s hard to find two wooden watches that are perfectly identical.
- They are hypoallergenic.
- They are very light. I own a watch whose case, dial and even strap are all wood, and I can’t feel it on my wrist.
- There are many wood species to suit every taste: acacia, service tree, amaranth, ebony, spruce, maple, bamboo, rosewood, palm, etc.
- If you’re stranded on an island and need to start a fire, you can burn it.
The disadvantages of wooden watches
- Wood is not as durable as steel. A wooden watch is susceptible to impacts and scratches.
- Don’t even think about swimming with a wooden watch.
- The colour of the wood can change depending on its nature.
