15 Best Wooden Watches for Green Enthusiasts

Brands and watchmakers have used all sorts of materials to craft their timepieces. On most occasions, watches tend to be made of stainless steel. However, some watchmakers do opt for more luxurious metals such as titanium, gold, or platinum. Other brands might take a more unorthodox route and create wristwatches with resin and carbon composites.

There are really many materials a watchmaker can use to craft a watch. One exquisite example is how a watchmaker can create a timepiece out of wood. Wooden watches have become a trend lately, and it would be interesting to see them for ourselves. Join us as we take a look at 15 of the best wooden watches in the market and examine just what makes them so popular.

15 of the Best Watches in the Market that use Wood

Whether it is entirely made of wood or just partially so, any wristwatch that comes with wooden components can be considered a genuine wooden timepiece. There are actually quite a number of wooden watches in the market, so it would be difficult to go through them all. Instead, we will be going through 15 of the best wooden watches we recommend to you. Each wooden timepiece on this list is exquisitely crafted and solidly reliable. Note that we will also include their respective approximate prices for reference.

1. Bobo Bird S09X – $150 USD

Starting off our list is a piece from a brand well-known for making some of the best wooden watches in the market. The Bobo Bird S09X uses an innovative and handsome case consisting of all-natural ebony wood and stainless steel. Its wooden dial features the wristwatch’s luminous applied hands, along with black hour indices, subdials, and a small date aperture.

Powering this wooden timepiece is a high-grade Japanese Miyota quartz movement. On top of having a scratch-resistant mineral crystal protecting the dial, this Bobo Bird watch also comes with a modern-looking bracelet made of red ebony wood and stainless steel. For an additional $10 USD, you can even add a personalized text engraving to make your Bobo Bird S09X piece more unique.

1. JORD Frankie II Kosso & Steel – $190 USD

The JORD Frankie II Kosso & Steel is a wood and steel wristwatch that showcases elegance, sophistication, and minimalism. Its wooden case is wonderfully crafted. It is hand-finished and pretreated with a coating of tung oils. The use of tung oils gives this watch’s exterior its slight golden tint and makes it more resistant to water. This JORD watch is splashproof up to 30m and comes with a steel-reinforced Kosso wood bracelet.

As with most wristwatches, the dial is the star of JORD Frankie II Kosso & Steel. Its charcoal black sunburst dial is sleek and attractive and plays with light quite nicely. Powering the inner mechanisms of the watch is a Miyota 1L32 movement, complete with five jewels and a silver oxide battery. To maintain the timepiece, the brand recommends using lemon or orange oil extract in cleaning its natural wood surfaces.

1. Skagen SKW6746 Aaron Brown Wood Limited Edition – $125 USD

With its recycled stainless steel case, brown wooden dial, and an FSC-certified American Maple Wood Veneer strap, this limited edition Skagen watch shows off the aesthetic charm of a wooden timepiece. The Skagen SKW6746 Aaron Brown Wood Limited Edition has a case diameter of 40mm, making it a comfortable fit for most wrists. Its wooden watch face boasts a minimalistic design with generous spacing, slim hour markers, and small but legible Arabic numerals.

Underneath the wooden surface of this watch is a three-hand quartz movement which is protected by a solid steel rear case. When you purchase this wooden watch, you will also find numbers delicately etched onto its caseback. These numbers indicate the specific reference number of the model you have bought.

1. Bewell Thanatos – $70 USD

Bewell is a brand that has been making rugged, best wooden watches since 2004. As one of the pioneers in wood watchmaking, one of its most popular models is the Bewell Thanatos. The Bewell Thanatos comes in multiple wooden variants: African Blackwood, Verawood, Maple, Red Sandalwood, and a combination of Maple and Red Sandalwood. Bewell ensures that each wooden wristwatch is 100% natural and varies in looks due to each wood’s differing grain patterns. Despite not being a diver model, this watch has an elapsed time bezel fixed on top of its case. Its dial is modest and contains applied indices, arrow hands, and a date window at 3 o’clock.

1. Tense Cambridge Chrono – $260 USD

Made from 100% recycled and reclaimed leadwood, the Tense Cambridge Chrono is an eco-friendly timepiece that proves sustainability can be stylish. On its striking grey dial are small hour indices, applied sword hands, an orange second hand, a date window, and three subdials that come together beautifully to give the watch a neat and sporty look.

This Cambridge Chrono piece runs on a reliable Japanese Miyota 0S90 movement. Its timekeeping and chronograph functions can be controlled by the steel crown and two steel pushers on the side of the case. This wooden Tense watch comes in a total of eight variants. Every version of the model utilises different types of wood and features various dial colours such as grey, red, white, and blue.

1. Original Grain Reclaimed Whiskey Barrel – $330 USD

As its name implies, the Original Grain Reclaimed Whiskey Barrel is a wristwatch built from reclaimed whiskey barrel wood. It has a 42mm case diameter and a 10.8mm case height, making it comfortable for those with average-t0-large sized wrists. Inspired by the brand’s love for the alcoholic spirit, the Original Grain Reclaimed Whiskey Barrel boasts bold lines and rivet details similar to those you see in actual whiskey barrels. The dial incorporates steel hour markers, applied sword hands, and an outlined day-and-date window at 3 o’clock.

This classy wooden watch is powered by a Miyota 2405 quartz movement. This is a timepiece that truly caters to those who consider themselves connoisseurs of alcoholic spirits.

1. SVENN Jet Black Wood Watch & Ebony – $140 USD

Topped by a layer of sapphire glass, the SVENN Jet Black Wood Watch & Ebony is a high-quality and eco-friendly two-toned timepiece. This wooden watch’s case is made using 100% tempered Ebony wood, making it durable, rigid, and ultra-lightweight. The movement powering this wood timekeeper is a Swiss Ronda 763 calibre. This movement has manual hacking capabilities and a silver oxide battery that can last up to 40 months. Precision-wise, the Ronda 763 calibre has an accuracy of -10/+20 seconds per month.

The dial of this wooden watch is rather minimalistic, boasting gold stick-like hour indices, baton hands, and elegant Roman numeral markers at 6 and 12 o’clock. SVENN pairs the Jet Black Wood Watch & Ebony with a matching Ebony wood bracelet.

1. Holzkern Cross Country Canopy – $239 USD

No other wooden timepiece is as striking as the Holzkern Cross Country Canopy. Its mesmerizing leaf-green dial attracts the attention of all and perfectly matches the watch’s Canopy’s Zebrawood case. The blend of leaf-green and Zebrawood-brown gives the timepiece an eco-friendly feel that is not just sustainable but also quite classy.

On the watch’s evergreen face, you can find thin hour indices, obelisk minute and hour hands, and a date window between 3 and 4 o’clock. The base of the dial is wooden and features the chronograph’s three subdials. This wooden timepiece is also operated by a Seiko quartz movement.

On the whole, this Holzkern wooden watch is a gorgeous piece. It measures around 45mm in diameter and comes with an authentic Zebrawood bracelet.

1. Uwood UW1007 Tan Walnut Wood – $40 USD

The Uwood UW1007 Tan Walnut Wood is the most affordable wooden wristwatch on our list. For just $40 USD, you get your hands on a charming and eco-friendly timepiece made from 100% natural and hypo-allergenic walnut wood. Weighing only 55g, this wristwatch is also super lightweight despite its solid wood build.

Moving on to its watch face, the dial boasts slender silver-toned indices and watch hands. It also has small Arabic numeral hour markers that add nicely to the dial’s minimalistic design. Underneath the watch face runs a Japanese Miyota movement concealed by a screwed-in wooden caseback. As with most wooden watches, it is not advisable for you to wear this timepiece while bathing or swimming, primarily because this Uwood watch only has a water resistance rating of 30m.

1. Treehut Sierra Walnut Blue Marble – $220 USD

Treehut’s Sierra collection showcases 43mm time-and-date watches crafted from wood and marble. Among the Sierra’s selection of best wooden watches, one model that caught our attention the most was the Treehut Sierra Walnut Blue Marble. With its walnut wood exterior and one-of-a-kind blue marble stone dial, you really cannot find a timepiece like this anywhere else.

Minimalistic in design, this Treehut watch favours comfort, style, and legibility. Its marble dial boasts thin silver hands, hour indices, and a date aperture, outlined with silver, at the 6 o’clock position. Below its natural marble surface is a Japanese Miyota GM10 quartz movement. The watch’s bracelet is also made from natural walnut wood, ensuring that this timepiece keeps you literally in touch with nature from its case to its strap.

1. Vejrhoj The Rose – $245 USD

Classic, minimalist, and distinctive in design, the Vejrhoj Rose melds walnut wood and surgical-grade stainless steel into one fashionable timekeeper. Vejrhoj also pairs the timepiece with a genuine brown leather strap. Its wood and steel case bears a rose gold finish for a more luxurious feel. The understated step dial is very clean, with barely anything on its face besides its baton hands, brand signature, and the indices on its rim. This wooden watch is powered by a Miyota 2025 quartz movement. With a layer of sapphire-coated mineral crystal on top, the timepiece is water-resistant up to depths of 30m. This is enough to prevent splashes and raindrops from entering this watch.

1. LAiMER Marco – $290 USD

Visually, you cannot deny that the LAiMER Marco looks astonishing. Encased inside 43mm of recycled oak wood and stainless steel, this LAiMER watch is sturdy yet lightweight. The dial has an oak wood base and a stainless steel upper layer. This is topped with applied white gold hands and hour markers.

Below the watch’s face is a high-quality Miyota quartz movement protected by a solid steel rear case. This wooden watch is also paired with an oakwood and stainless steel bracelet. For maximum comfort, both the case and the bracelet are hypo-allergenic, allowing anyone and everyone to wear this eye-catching piece.

1. Kerbholz Fritz Walnut Tobacco – $185 USD

The Kerbholz Fritz Walnut boasts a classic and minimalist design on a wooden canvas. Its dial carries simplicity and legibility comparable to the style you typically see on a Nomos Glashutte Orion Neomatik. The case of this Kerbholz watch is made from gold-toned recycled stainless steel. It also uses a sapphire-coated glass to shelter its dial. Apart from its dial, the crystal also protects the high-grade Miyota movement that powers this wooden watch. Paired with a soft brown leather strap, the Kerbholz Fritz Walnut is very comfortable to wear indeed. It is also resistant to splashes and raindrops.

1. Plantwear Select Chronograph – $220 USD

Hailed as Plantwear’s most advanced and detailed wooden watch, the Select Chronograph is powered by a Citizen Miyota movement. This movement features a stopwatch function, a date display, and a 24-hour clock. The wristwatch itself is made from walnut and wenge wood.

Depending on the model, this watch’s case diameter can range from 47mm to 54mm. As such, this timepiece is ideal for burly wrists and those who love sizable wooden watches. Its dial contains silver hands, detailed engravings, and a polished finish, all protected by a layer of mineral glass. The Plantwear Select Chronograph definitely has a natural look, and it goes very well with its two-toned wooden bracelet.

1. Piaget Altiplano G0A42142 – $44,300 USD

This piece is not exactly a “wooden watch” per se. That said, if you want a grail-level timepiece that uses wood innovatively, then this slick and dapper Piaget Altiplano G0A42142 is the perfect answer. This watch primarily uses wood in its brown dial. Its marquetry is done by utilising wood and leather to make up an alluring dial pattern you simply cannot stop looking at. This Piaget Altiplano watch also comes with a rose gold case and a brown alligator leather strap.

Operating beneath the face of this Piaget watch is a hand-wound mechanical movement. This calibre has a power reserve that can run up to 60 hours when fully wound.

Benefits of Buying a Wooden Watch

After viewing this list of best wooden watches, you might be asking yourself, “Do I really need a wooden watch?” If you are still not entirely convinced about how capable these wooden timepieces are, here are a few more reasons why you should consider buying your very own wooden watch.

1. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly

Wood is a natural and renewable resource. It is a sustainable material that emits a lighter carbon footprint than steel and other such metals. That, in turn, makes wooden watches friendly to the environment. Wood is also pretty durable and has resistance to heat, cold, corrosion, and pollution. As such, using wood to craft your watches can make for very hardy timepieces.

Additionally, wood also stores carbon and requires less energy to harvest, transport, manufacture, and dispose or recycle. Furthermore, in the event that your wooden watch has completed its service and no longer works, it can even be recycled or biodegraded. This lessens its potential as a problematic pollutant.

1. Lightweight and Comfortable

Those who have worn all kinds of stainless steel watches agree that steel can be quite hefty on the wrist. On the other hand, wood is considerably lighter to wear. Wooden watches tend to be easier to carry, and do not cause as much hindrance, whether the wearer is at work or play. Wood also has a relatively low thermal conductivity rate. This, therefore, allows you to sport a wooden watch without the cold tingle you usually get from a stainless steel timepiece.

1. Unique and Bold

Unless you have one, a wooden watch is something you do not see every day. Its looks are stylish and give off a sense of uniqueness that only wood can provide. Wearing a wooden watch assures that attention is definitely drawn to the wearer. It gives people a good impression, as they perceive the wearer as fashionable, but also conscious of the world’s natural resources. And since no wood grain pattern is the same, your watch’s design will always be exclusive, even if someone else has a similar model to yours.

Final Thoughts

So yes, wooden watches are fantastic options for a wristwatch. Rugged, reliable, and pretty affordable, wooden watches prove that a capable timepiece does not have to be built around steel and precious metals. At the end of the day, wooden timepieces do their job of keeping time well, and they look good while doing so. Stylish and universal, wooden watches make for brilliant timekeepers and fashion accessories that can be worn with any outfit. To top it all off, they are eco-friendly, comfortable to wear, and possess an exclusive look that makes them stand out in the mundane crowd. If you want a timepiece that is out of the ordinary, a wooden wristwatch will do just right.

Featured Image By LAiMER.

Need a reliable timekeeper with a mechanical movement? How about taking a look at what could be the “king” of affordable mechanical watches, the Hamilton Khaki King Auto.