Tempus Watches makes wood-cased watches – naturally a classy material, but not one I’d normally associate with watchmaking. However somehow, they pull it off – basically. The Tempus Classico is an affordable wooden twist on a modern, simple bracelet watch. It’s a wood-linked, quarts ticker which you get to oil periodically.. for freshness.

“Style and uniqueness wrapped into one with the TEMPUS® Classico Two-Tone. This men’s dress watch exudes class with silver numerals on the face to go with any business-casual wear or suit. The two-tone black sandalwood and rosewood design is class with a hint of rebelliousness, and made from 100% reclaimed wood. Handcrafted by our skilled artisans, this timepiece will be a head turner at all social gatherings.”

In Summary: The Tempus Classico is a quirky, interesting, and relatively affordable watch that makes a great conversation piece. It’s not likely to be super durable, and won’t last generations. It won’t go sleekly with every outfit, but it will enhance any outfit with its individual interest. Grab it to make an interesting impression and an immediate conversation piece – but maybe not as an every day knock-around or high end impression.

First Impressions

It’s pretty cool that they were able to pull off a wooden linked bracelet with a degree of precision and quality. The links are cool, and remain fairly flexible. Given that this thing is made of wood, I’m actually surprisingly happy with the finish of it. The dial is simple, and the oversized Tempus logo adds a bit of intrigue – although for me at the cost of a bit of svelteness.

Fit and Finish

The wood linked bracelet works, and the wood case adequately houses the basic quartz movement. However, I’m unsure how long this tight package will last – with the wood enclosing the movement, any swelling will make the internal capsule loose, and any shrinking could crack the case. So, we’ll see how it fares with a bit of longer term usage.

Luckily, the clasp is made of metal, and has a secure locking mechanism – so unless a link cracks, this thing will stay on your wrist.

On the Wrist

On the wrist, it feels pretty good. The wood naturally smooths out a bit after you’ve worn it for a bit, and it’s relatively lightweight for its size – I credit that to the somewhat low-end quarts movement. That said, I’d take an accurate lower end quartz movement over a shitty and inaccurate automatic movement almost any day, save for a few circumstances.

The watch really does turn heads, but only for a moment. People love to check out the watch, and I love taking it off to let them wear it and feel it. The dial is big and easy to read, and the style goes with a bunch of styles- mostly by virtue of being quirky and exotic, rather than sleek and fashionable.

Standout Features

Obviously, the wood bracelet. I’d say besides this big feature, there’s not a ton else to the watch. That wood those is cool!

Feedback

The one big concern I have is in maintaining the finish and quality of the wood. How about including a little mad of lemon oil or some other maintenance items?

Specs

• Beautiful two-tone rosewood and black sandalwood design for the perfect mix of class and rebelliousness
• GL30 Analog Quartz Movement
• Organic and bio-degradable
• Handcrafted by skilled artisans from 100% all-natural sandalwood
• This unique conversation piece is designed for a formal setting, to keep you looking stylish and unique.
• Wood Material: Black Sandalwood
• Case Diameter: 45mm
• Case Thickness: 10mm
• Crystal: Mineral
• Band Material: Wood
• Band Width: 18mm
• Band Length: 75mm to 175mm (adjustment maybe required)
• Movement: GL30
• Clasp:Fold-Over Clasp with Double Push-Button Safety
• Return within 30 Days
• Free Shipping World Wide