There was a period when I was intrigued by the possibilities of a wooden watch case. They were a little unique looking, they were not very common, and they were different. Then, in a flash, they were everywhere and generic, and the limitations of the material really came into focus. The Pacific Standard Time Wood Watches hopes to at least limit one of the material’s obvious flaws, a lack of water resistance. It also looks pretty good, though I would have preferred an auto over a quartz chronograph.
At least they are using a decent quartz movement, the Ronda 5030.D out of Switzerland. The wood is from Hawaii, with the Koa wood being the flagship, though there are other options in the Milo, Pheasant and Mango woods cases as well. I do get a little glassy eyed when the project reads “…no trees are cut for our watch! At Pacific Standard Time Co. we only use the wood of fallen or dead trees.” This seems to the the standard for gathering all Koa, not something that makes PST (and shouldn’t it be Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time? I guess that does not roll off the tongue as well) unique. What does set them apart is the stainless steel housing for the movement that is located within the wooden case. It is this case that is depth rated, and with the denser wood being able to stand up to water, the watch gets a rating to 10 ATM, double the deepest rating I have seen on other watches.
In addition to the depth rating, the lume looks pretty decent and I like the overlapping diamond (or are they arrowheads) on the hand set. There is also a sapphire crystal and some nice engraving on the watch’s bezel, one of the reasons the overall case is just north of 50mm. The project is at about 20% of the funding level, with early bird pledges available for $175. While the watch looks doable at this price, keep in mind that this is a first time project and the nature of crowd funding means that sometimes things go wrong. Make your own assessment of the project before you pledge. pacificstandardtimecompany.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Pacific Standard Time Wood Watches
- Price: $175 – $225, depending on timing
- Who we think it might be for: You want a wood watch that can get wet.
- Would I wear one myself based on what I’ve seen?: As a novelty. I don’t tend to wear quartz chonos in general.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Do the case as an automatic three hander.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: It is a good way to go with wood and maintain a decent water resistance..
Tech Specs from Pacific Standard Time
- Movement: Ronda 5030.D
- Functions: 12 hour chronograph, date
- Case: Koa, Milo, Pheasant, or Mango wood.
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Lug width: Not Specified
- Straps: Wood bracelet to matchcase
- Diameter: 50.8 mm
- Thickness: 13.6 mm
