How to choose your first wood watch

Over the last few years, the popularity of wood watches has sky rocketed and one of the reasons for this is their novelty. Before they made their way to the market, consumers were limited to three basic types of bands: metal, rubber and leather. When wood watches came into the picture, people wanted to try something new, an item that offers a never before seen elegance and spice to their style.

And trust us: once you strap your wrist with a wood watch, you never want to go back to other watches. Wood watches come in every grain and color imaginable, but figuring out the perfect wrist watch to match your style and taste is more difficult than you might think. Fortunately, we have a few tips that might help you in your quest for the ideal wood watch.

Set a budget

As with most things in today’s world, money is one of the first issues to consider. With every purchase you make, the first important step is to figure out exactly how much you want to spend. Or how much you can afford. So, start with the next question: are you looking for a wooden watch that will not break your bank or are you in a position where you can really invest some money in such an item? Also, what exactly does ‘cheap’ or ‘expensive’ mean for your budget? Is ‘expensive’ over $50 or over $500?

No matter how much you decide to spend, it’s important to know that a bigger cost doesn’t always mean better quality. Yes, in most cases, you really do get what you paid for, but it’s not always like that. Some companies intentionally overcharge for a product that others would charge significantly less for. Likewise, some brands charge less for higher quality items, due to the high demand. You basically have to do your own research on price and quality to make sure you find the best deal possible. Our advice is not to get to tight with your budget, as a high quality watch will last longer than a cheap one.

Choose a watch that suits your taste

After wood watches exploded on the market, the creators had their way with them, which resulted in a myriad of shapes and styles. Nowadays, the best wood watch companies have at least 30 different watch styles in their portfolio. If a company has less than 10 different styles of watches, most likely they are in it for the money and do not have expertise in what it takes to create a high quality wood watch.

So, once you find a company with a rich enough offer, look at all the watches and choose what fits your style, be it elegant, casual, sport, or maybe even your own invented style. Are you more simplistic or you preffer something more cutting-edge? Are natural wooden tones your thing or do you prefer a colour that pops out of your wood watch? Do you want something casual or formal?

You can also go the other way around: let the watch dictate your style. Yes, a wood watch is so powerful that you can create a whole style around it. And, if you are unsure about what you should be looking for, you can always look online for ideas and recommendations.

Look for innovative designs…

Our advice is don’t settle for a wooden watch with a thick face that protrudes off your wrist. Most likely, they are made in China and are not of high quality. The shape of the watch face should be the right one for you. After all, you’ll be checking it out at least a few times a day. You might like big, modern dials, or smaller, discreet watches. There are elegant styles that include automatic, self-winding wood watches, or even moon dials. In the end, choose something that is innovative and worth the investment.

… and high quality materials…

As mentioned above, quality and price don’t always go hand in hand. Always make sure the company you’re buying from actually has good products. You never want to buy from a brand that uses cheap materials and shoddy craftsmanship, so it’s better to be too critical than not critical enough.

When you’re in the store, picking your new wood watch, give it a quick examination to check the wood for scratches or cracks. Make sure it’s structurally sound and look to see if any links or pins are loose or bent. Of course, make sure the watch is ticking properly. Poor quality may show up later in time, but often times, you can notice obvious issues right away, that often go unnoticed by other buyers.

You should also choose a watch made from beautiful wood. Many are simply made from bland maple or sandalwood, which are ok, but not as beautiful as a wood watch made with fine woods such as Rosewood or Koa. Choose a wood that will attract admiring stares from everyone.

… but consider your priorities

As The Rolling Stones beautifully put it: you can’t always get what you want. With that in mind, it’s important to set your priorities straight before you reach for the wallet. If function is more important than appearance, then you shouldn’t spend a lot of money on a wood that’s mainly role is to look pretty. If you’re in it just for the fashion, don’t empty your bank account on a watch with 15 different functions that can survive underwater for 8 hours.

Buy from a company with long standing tradition

If you’re looking for your first watch, you might not want to try your luck with a start-up company who just got funded on the internet. They might not know what they’re doing just yet, because they haven’t had time to really craft their products. You might get into a race to see which one has a shorter life: your wood watch or the start-up company you bought it from. Look for a company with a long standing history in wood watch making, and your chances of finding a high quality watch greatly increase.

Make sure your watch has good warranty

Sometimes, watches break or have defects regardless of how well-made they are or how experienced the brand is. That’s why we highly recommend buying from companies that have valid return policies and good warranties. You don’t want to get or gift a new watch and be out of money if it immediately breaks.

You need to make sure that the retailer who sells you the wood watch can stand by their product. If the retailer is a secondary seller, it means you are out of luck of you need to get your watch serviced. That’s because secondary sellers cannot handle repairs and do not have maintenance agreements with someone who can repair watches. We advise you to only buy a watch from a company whose name appears on the watch itself.

Buying your first wood watch is a wonderful and style changing experience and if you follow our advice, it’s impossible to go wrong. Good luck out there, finding that perfect wood watch.