Materials Wood Watches Are Made From

Wooden watches are made from many different types of wood, including natural materials like ebony, sandalwood, redwood, zebrawood, maple and teak, but by far the most popular material used in natural watch manufacturing is bamboo. Whichever you choose, your wooden watch will be full of natural beauty and truly one of a kind.

Bamboo Wooden Watches

Bamboo is a highly favourited choice of material, when it comes to wooden watch making and there’s a couple of different reasons why.

1. Even though bamboo isn’t actually a tree, but a species of evergreen grass, it produces one of the most eco-friendly types of wood and it doesn’t require many resources to turn it into a workable material.

2. The pure abundance of bamboo is another factor, when it comes to its usefulness in watch making. Bamboo grows fast and has very little negative impact on the environment, so watch manufacturers can source it and replenish it easily without creating much pollution. A bamboo root reaches maturity at just 4 years old and can produce a generous amount of fiber, which is then transformed into “wood” blocks.

3. Bamboo produces light in appearance wood, which is suitable for both men’s and women’s watches and has a smooth texture, allowing it to be easy to work with.

4. There are over 1000 species of bamboo, each with different properties, looks and usefulness. This means that two bamboo watches can be completely different in colour or grain pattern, giving them that one of a kind feeling.

Other Materials Used In Watch Making

Ebony Wood Watches

Ebony is a tree producing a dark, sometimes nearly black looking type of wood and originates mainly from India and Sri Lanka.

Often used in musical instrument making, it’s a popular type of wood to achieve a highly polished, high end look.

Wooden watches made from ebony are usually very dark in colour with minimal, sometimes interlocking grain patterns. Popular especially in production of men’s watches due to its black appearance, it’s one of the most dense types of wood available on the market, making it the perfect material for making wooden watches with great durability and long lasting good looks.

Sandalwood Wooden Watches

Sandalwood is another type of a darker in colour wood, that is often used in natural watch making. Thanks to its unique grain patterns featuring straight lines with occasional waves, sandalwood is considered a very desirable material.

The most common source of sandalwood is the Indian sandalwood tree, which grows mainly in India and parts of Asia. As one of the slower growing trees, it’s quite rare and therefore tends to be more expensive.

Used as a material in making luxury wooden watches, its colour can range from really dark hues, through deep reds to yellow tones.

Maple Wood Watches

Maple wood is light in appearance and very durable, making it a highly praised material used especially in everyday wooden watches. Due to its hard-wearing nature, maple wood is the perfect wood for harsh conditions and can withstand more than most woods.

Fairly easy to work with and readily available all over the world, the maple wood used in handmade wooden watches comes from the outer part of the maple tree trunk, known as sapwood. Thanks to its fine, straight grain and light colour, this type of wood is suitable for both men’s and women’s wrist watches.

Zebrawood Wooden Watches

Zebrawood features the most unique grain patterns, just like stripes on a real life zebra! Thanks to the pronounced growth rings, this type of wood combines elements of both light and dark sections, creating different textures and truly one of a kind look!

Considered as a luxury hardwood, due to its limited availability and depleting numbers, Zebrawood is native to West Africa produces interlocking and often wavy grain, which is stunning to look at! The bold cream and brown striping gives any watch crafted from it a striking appearance and luxury feel.

Decisions Decisions!

So here you have a few of the most popular wood types used in the watch making industry. While none of them can be classified as “best” or “worst”, some of them are certainly easier to source and some of them tend to be more difficult to work with.

Whichever type of wood you choose though is simply down to your own taste. As with all fashion accessories, there’s no rules in picking the perfect wooden watch to suit your needs.

One thing is certain – with the abundance of designs and different wood types, you won’t be disappointed. The sheer beauty and unique features of this natural material will have you hooked instantly!