Twigs Woodwear Natural Time, For the Treehuggers

What makes a watch cheap, and what makes it inexpensive?  In both cases, the watch itself has to be sold at a low price point, but the former only has that going for it, while the latter offers something else, a deign, a point of interest, some reason to like the watch other than the price.  The Twigs Woodwear Natural Time is an inexpensive watch, not necessarily a cheap one.  At $50 or less, it hits a low price point, but it offers something back in the way of the materials of construction.

I like it when wood is integrated into a watch design in a smart way.  I have seen some unattractive wood designs that are too chunky, where the material choice does not make sense for the design.  With the Twigs Woodwear Natural Time, the designers have built a standard case out of ebony wood which does a good job of featuring the product, without going out of way to club you over the head with it.  The watch utilizes ebony wood in three case sizes, 36, 40 and 45mm, so you have your pick of a style that suits your wrist.  As of this writing, the project is nearly at the funding goal of $15,000, with early bird deals on the small medium and large sizes still available at $30, $40 and $50 , respectively.

This is a watch under $50, so don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles.  It is a simple 3-hander, with a Swiss quartz movement and mineral glass.  It is “splash” water resistant, so no swimming (or showering), and it is offered on two different leather or one cloth strap.  The company is selling other products, including a bamboo watch on their web site and wood sunglasses.  In addition to being a variation someone could introduce into their own rotation, I could also see this watch as a gift for a young adult or teen who does not currently wear a watch, as a way to get them to think about a wrist watch as an option in their life.    twigswoodwear.com

Watch Overview