Wooden watches are something that have become more and more fashionable lately. The other watch trend I am noticing is small boutique brands starting with the help of crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indigogo. My interest got drawn to a wooden watch from a Californian company called Pacific Standard Time Co. They claim to have created the first wooden watch with a waterproof factor of 10 ATM the equivalent of 100 meters.
4 Different Types of Wood
Pacific Standard Time has 4 types of wood for its watches. You can choose between Koa wood, Milo wood , Pheasant wood and Mango wood.
Koa Wood- Hawaiis Heritage
Koa Wood is rare in Hawaii and for centuries only the Hawaiian monarchy were allowed to own anything made from the exotic Koa wood. This precious wood is becoming more and more a rare commodity. Pacific Standard Time loves Koa Wood and want to bring it back. To this it only uses Koa wood from fallen trees for its watches and pledges to bring back the Koa tree by planting a new tree for every watch sold.
Koa Wood is also strong, it actually means “BRAVE, BOLD, FEARLESS” in Hawaiian. The warriors of King Kamehameha the Great created their weapons and canoes using this precious wood. Eventually, the wood became synonymous with the warriors themselves.
Koa Wood
Milo wood
Milo wood has rich red and brown colours with a delicate grain. It’s a highly respected wood throughout Hawaiian history and was also available for Hawaiian chiefs only. In ancient times, the Hawaiians used this to craft their furniture, canoes, paddles and bowls.
Milo Wood
Kolohala Wood (Pheasant Wood)
Kolohala wood, or Pheasant wood is a very rare and valuable wood. The Hawaiians refer to this as Pheasant wood as it resembles the local Hawaiian pheasant.
Pheasant Wood
Mango Wood
Mango wood is a lighter wood, but can contain a kaleidoscope of colours. Usually it’s a golden brown, but other colors such as yellow with streaks of pink or black can also occur.
Mango Wood
10 ATM Water Pressure Proof
The designers behind Pacific Standard Time have created something unique in what they claim is the first wooden watch on the planet that is waterproof up to a depth of 100 meters. This allows you to completely submerge yourself with Polynesian and Micronesian culture: on your wrist, above water and under water.
Tattoo Art
Polynesia and Micronesia have great warrior tattoo art which his been replicated all over the world by tattooists. The bezel of the watch and the face plate incorporate artwork based upon tattoos from indigenous warriors.
Hawaii Meets Switzerland
The one thing the Swiss understand better than anything else it is the watch movements. So to get the best quality the watch has a Swiss movement and a durable sapphire glass to make the watch scratch resistant and tough. This brings out the best of Hawaii and its unique design, and the best of watch movements from Switzerland, a perfect combination in my opinion.
Specs
- Case: 50.8mm x 13.6mm
- Dial: Black Stainless Steel with Polynesian & Micronesian Tattoo Pattern
- Movement: Swiss Ronda 5030.D
- Band: Exotic Hawaiian Woods
- Functions: Chronograph
- Crystal: Sapphire Crystal
- Water: Resistance 10atm
Kickstarter
To get Pacific Standard Time off the ground, a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign has been started and they need your help to finish over the line. With the help of the Kickstarter campaign funds, it can have a successful launch of its unique product. The price of the watch starts at $175 for early bird backers, and it is your chance to own a truly unique wooden watch for a great price. Here is a link to the Kickstarter Campaign – Pacific Standard Time: setting a new standard in timepieces
