Borna Bosniaks
Like so many other strange and sometimes wonderful design and material choices, the wooden dial is a true product of the 1970s, even though its origins go back much further. If you spend any time scrolling through any list of vintage watches, you’ll undoubtedly see a Datejust or two with a wooden dial, maybe even a Day-Date. But since these models all date back to the ’80s, it got me wondering: what about modern watches with wooden dials? Surely they exist.
The heyday of wooden construction
Before I delve into current events, I want to take a look back at some of my favorite wood-dial watches from the past. As is often the case with collectible vintage watches, Rolex is the king here, with a plethora of dial options across their three main model lines, the most highly rated by far being the Day-Date, and there are few vintage Rolex models I like more than the Oysterquartz, with this walnut-dial 19018 being particularly stunning.
If you want something a little less flashy, you can opt for the Datejust, especially the Ref. 16019 and its stunning dark burl dial. What’s particularly cool about this particular reference is that it’s actually in white gold, not steel. There’s something about white gold watches, especially the rare vintage ones, that screams IYKYK. Of course, it does so quietly. For maximum quirkiness, there are also the Rolex Cellini and Cellini Midas references, which feature wooden dials with geometric cases and lugless designs.
In my probably never-ending search for a genuine lapis lazuli-dial Cartier Tank (not the blue-painted one, let me know if you know of one), I’ve come across a lot of strange models, but the Tank Organic certainly tops that list. With a wooden panel resembling a 1980s Chevy station wagon, this watch is extremely rare and was reportedly only produced for one year in the mid-1970s. Production only reached 3,000 pieces, but ended with the merger of two historic offices, eventually uniting as Cartier Monde in 1979. Because Cartier is Cartier, the characteristic blue cabochon was replaced with a brown spinel to match the Brazilian rosewood (aka Parisandre de Rio) panel and dial.
Until researching this article, Universal Genève was a brand I was a little disappointed with for its lack of unique wooden dials. Sure, there were a few round models here and there, but nothing weird enough to make further investigation worthwhile. In my opinion, when it comes to things like wooden dials, further investigation is a must. Then I stumbled across this model, reference 111010. The oval case and butcher’s block dial pattern are just… amazing. Oh well, as a writer, I’m sure I can come up with a better description. In any case, the seller states that this is the only example of this watch they’ve ever come across, and a bit of thorough Google searching reveals that to be true. As with Cartier, fellow UG experts, please let me know your thoughts in my DMs.
Finally, I want to give a quick honorable mention to the Bulova Accutron Woody. To be honest, I don’t think it’s a particularly beautiful design, but I do applaud the audacity to create something different and ultimately cool. If I were to ever buy this watch, I’d definitely write an Unholy Grail article about it.
Preparing for the return
With fancier dial colors and materials (need I remind you, there are so many meteorite dials out there?) becoming more and more popular among smaller, independent, and established brands alike, I see no reason why wooden dials can’t make a comeback. That being said, wooden dials (or wood in the broader sense) have never really gone away, they’ve been mostly confined to two different watch categories. Exotic materials have always been reserved for luxury goods. Urwerk and Ralph Lauren use wood accents on bezels, Ulysse Nardin and Patek Philippe often make amazing wooden marquetry mosaics, and brands like Piaget and Jaquet Droz don’t shy away from simpler wooden dials. That’s all well and good, but what if you don’t want to spend five-figure sums to see if you like the look?
Lately, the more affordable wooden option has become the material of choice for cheap dropshipping watch cases and bracelets with cheap quartz movements. If that’s your preference, I’m not in a position to judge. But with so many microbrands popping up offering great quality and fresh designs, surely there must be a brand that makes great wooden dials, right? I thought so too, but it was hard to find one. Admittedly, wood is not the most durable material for something that is exposed to a lot of knocks, changing humidity conditions, etc. That’s why the wooden case ones just don’t sit well with me. But maybe the brand could step up and offer something new with a cool walnut burl dial?
