Wood, The Unlikely Watchmaking Material
The thought of a wooden watch is likely to remind enthusiasts of cheap gimmicks found in tat-shops and Christmas markets. But given the versatility of the material, why wouldn’t we want watches made of wood? Wood is sustainable in the sense that we can grow trees, it’s inexpensive, aesthetic insofar as it’s natural, hypoallergenic, and is more hardwearing than we think…
the kindling
In horological history, wood has had more influence than perhaps first thought. John Harrison, the inventor of the Marine Chronometer, among other horological accolades including the bimetallic strip and the grasshopper escapement, was in the first-place a carpenter. Harrison’s background in carpentry is what influenced him to use wooden cogs and pinions in his clocks which, although some teeth would necessarily be weak when aligned with the grain of the wood, was useful in that wood is self-lubricating. Natural oils in the wood meant the clock stayed lubricated to the correct level for longer without a service and without dried lubricant acting as an abrasive, which damages the mechanism. The self-lubricating wooden cogs in Harrison’s early clocks went on to influence his Marine Chronometers which had to stay correctly lubricated without service for months at a time at sea.
A recreation of a Harrison clock mechanism with wooden components
a case for wood
The warm natural aesthetic of wood hasn’t just been adopted by the unknown tat-shop brands. Some very high-end luxury names have used wooden dials in their watches. Perhaps the most famous example is Rolex’s day-dates from the late 70s/80s fitted with mahogany and birch dials (nicknamed ‘burlwood’ by collectors) who’s luxury gold-on-wood aesthetic proves that wood can look sturdy and expensive.
1988 Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038 With 'Burlwood' Dial - hodinkee.com
But it is Patek Philippe who take high-end wooden dials to the next level with their micro-marquetry dials. Using different kinds of wood for each texture and shade, an artisan can produce a micro mosaic small enough for the dial of a watch, like so…
Just one expert artisan employed by the Swiss giant was first commissioned to decorate a one-of-a-kind presentation box. So impressed with the craftsmanship, Patek challenged the man to create a micro-marquetry small enough for a pocket watch caseback. This was achieved in 2008 with the Black Crowned Cranes of Kenya pocket watch.
The one-of-a-kind 2008 Patek Philippe Black Crowned Cranes of Kenya micro-marquee pocket watch (ref. 982/115) - patek.com
A more affordable example of wood in modern watchmaking is a short run of Tissot’s infamous Rock Watch featuring a wooden case, rather than rock. The fact that these watches still come up on the market in honest but good condition is a testament to the resilience of wood as a case material when done properly.
1980s Tissot watch with wooden monoblock case and dial - etsy.com