Wood dial watches fall right into a class I prefer to name “bizarre design issues that occurred through the Nineteen Seventies.”
I tend to over-romanticize the disco decade, a lot to my French grandmother’s chagrin. She advised me over the telephone the opposite evening: “Ugh, mais non Malaika, the ’70s was the worst interval in trend. So artificial, so cheesy. Not stylish. Quelle horreur!”
Properly, Granny, this time we should conform to disagree. I’m all about stacks of gold jewellery, glittery spandex cloth, clunky platform footwear, and large bell backside pants. And wooden, loads of wooden.
Wood equipment belong to the bohemian aspect of the ’70s. Extra Mick Jagger in Efficiency, swathed in cloth, coated in earthy adornments, laid out on a shaggy rug – and fewer John Travolta dancing below a disco ball in a white three piece swimsuit in Saturday Night time Fever. They have been a signature search for the good arbiter of bohemian trend: Yves Saint Laurent muse LouLou de La Falaise. So far as I’m conscious, LouLou didn’t put on wood watches – however she did put on enormous wood earrings, beads, and bangles layered with semi-precious stones, enamel, and rock crystal pendants. She proved how fashionable useless bushes might be. And once I consider tips on how to put on wood-dial watches in the present day, she’s the inspiration.
Wood-dial watches fall someplace in between earthy and bohemian in matière however daring and generally outlandish in form. And sure, the great ones are all made with actual wooden.
The perfect wood-dial watches from this time interval are retro in each sense of the phrase, however I suppose it might be dishonest if I made this all concerning the Nineteen Seventies. There have been wacky and likewise elegant wood dials created within the Nineteen Sixties, and a few fairly fancy wood dials that continued being made into the Nineteen Eighties – and extra got here after that, too, all the best way as much as the Patek Philippe marquetry dials that began being made within the 2000s.
However the Nineteen Seventies stick out because the golden age for experimentation in each type and materials, from stunning stone dials and hammered gold bracelets by Audemars Piguet to triangular formed “Trinidad” circumstances and biomorphic Grima designs at Omega. An excellent period for the watch world’s Wooden Interval.
Though these wacky watches originated in a selected time interval and are actually an emblem of mid-century to late-’70s design, these merchandise weren’t nostalgic when first produced. They have been meant to be futuristic in the identical means that MB&F and Urwerk are in the present day.
I’ll be the primary to confess that wood dials don’t exude glamor in the identical means that tiger’s eye, lapis, or onyx dials do. Possibly that’s why wooden by no means caught on the best way stone did. The completely offbeat Twentieth-century wood dial watches listed under – minus burl wooden Day-Dates and Datejusts – additionally lie in stark distinction to the classicism that many manufacturers yearn to attain in the present day. Traditional design cuts by way of the timeline and transcends the period wherein it was created, and if a product is timeless I suppose the logic is that it’s going to promote for longer. However a few of us choose period-perfect idiosyncrasy.
I’m sure that these wooden watches will perpetually stay within the area of interest collector class, however they’re nonetheless enjoyable to have a look at and evocative of a freewheeling time when creativity dominated.
Rolex
The eternally beloved Rolex Day-Date was launched in 1956 because the model’s “flagship” mannequin, and it went on to be the muse for an entire host of (now) extraordinarily covetable dial variations. The early ’70s noticed the introduction of excessive gloss enamel Stella dials, in addition to the usage of semi-precious hardstone dials reminiscent of lapis and onyx. However an much more uncommon variant got here in wood type.
The sooner wooden dial Day-Dates within the 4 digit references (180x with plastic plexi crystal) are also known as Sequoia wooden dials. The grain sample was straight and the end was matte with poor textual content high quality. The fourth determine of the reference quantity identifies the sample of the bezel: ref. 1802 options the sleek bezel, ref. 1803 fluted and ref. 1807 bark. These watches have been all produced circa 1973 and housed Caliber 1556.
Ref. 1803 Sequoia wooden. Picture: Courtesy of Phillips.
Ref. 1807 Sequoia wooden. Picture: Croutesy of Stefano Mazzariol.
The bark end on the bezel and bracelet middle hyperlink of ref.1807 is a kind of ending first utilized by Rolex within the early Nineteen Seventies. This ornamental ending, which mimics the bark of a tree however isn’t truly manufactured from wooden, is especially efficient when paired with a wood dial.
The wood dials produced later within the ’70s for 5 serial quantity Day-Dates (with sapphire crystal) have been made utilizing three several types of wooden: birchwood, mahogany, and walnut. They’d a layer of lacquer utilized on them with the print positioned on, which in flip made the textual content considerably extra legible. This collection housed Caliber 3055 which featured a quickset operate.
ref. 18038. Mahogany dial. 1978 Picture: Courtesy of Phillips.
Ref. 18039. Birch wooden dial. Circa 1982. Picture: Courtesy of Phillips.
Ref. 18238 Walnut dial. Circa 1996. Picture: Courtesy of Analog:Shift.
This technology of wooden dial Day-Date is also known as burl wooden, which is theoretically right in that burl is a selected grain attribute that’s current on the later technology of wood dials. However burl is to not be mistaken as a kind of tree (like birch or walnut). Burl is definitely a development that types on the surface of a tree and in flip impacts the grain sample, producing distinctive knots within the wooden.
The extra generally recognized burl dials probably changed the sooner unlacquered sequoia close-grained variants as a consequence of burl’s materials density and resistance to splitting. I personally discover the burly grain extra enticing because it seems richer and extra uncommon. Burl wooden furnishings was common within the Artwork Deco interval and had a resurgence in, you guessed it, the Nineteen Seventies. I fell down a burl-themed Milo Baughman rabbit gap throughout my analysis – I’m now out there for a burl wooden credenza. Oops!
Ref. 18038 Birch Burl wooden dial. 1988
ref. 18038 Birch Burl wooden dial. 1988
Beneath are some enjoyable variants on the wooden dial Day-Date. The Oysterquartz ref. 19018 additionally got here in a strong wooden dial model in addition to a diamond sample variant known as “Wood Roulette.” and Oysterquartz Day-Date ref.19028 with a “Clous de Paris” / pyramid sample on the bracelet and bezel (not pictured).
Ref. 19018 Oysterquartz. Picture: Courtesy of Oliver and Clarke.
Ref. 19018. “Wood Roulette”. 1982. Picture: Courtesy of Phillips.
Ref. 18038. made for the Sultanate of Oman. 1979. Picture: Courtesy of Phillips.
You could find Datejust fashions produced with wood dials, too, together with refs. 16018 and 16019 first produced circa 1979. And Woman Datejust fashions 6917 and 69278 have been additionally round beginning within the late ’70s.
Ref. 1608. Picture: Courtesy of Oliver and Clarke.
26mm Ref. 6917. Picture: Courtesy of Christie’s.
Rolex Cellinis
Rolex additionally made a good quantity of wooden dials for its Cellini line. The hexagonal tonneau-shaped ref. 4122 with mahogany dial measures round 28mm x 30 to 35mm, relying on the mannequin, and appears like one thing a cigar-smoking, backgammon-playing aristocrat would put on to the Groucho Membership in London.
Rolex Cellini ref. 4122. Picture: Courtesy of Christie’s.
The Midas Cellini, which appears to be having a little bit of a comeback today, was additionally produced with a wood dial variant. Ref. 4126 (pictured under) incorporates a burled walnut dial inside an 18k yellow gold case with hobnail-textured ending within the bezel.
Rolex Cellini ref. 4126. Picture: Courtesy of Analog:Shift.
There’s additionally the ref. 4127 with a mahogany burl dial and pyramid motif bezel. This rectangular-shaped case Cellinii measures 33 x 24 mm and was produced circa 1976.
Ref. 4127.
The Genta designed octagonal Cellini ref. 4350 with mahogany dial is a sleeper hit in addition to the diamond-set ref. 4651. Each of those variants are lust-worthy for his or her deliciously chunky yellow gold case and bracelet. These are nearly as ’70s because it will get for uniquely formed costume watches.
Ref. 4350. Picture: Courtesy of 1st Dibs.
Ref. 4350. Picture: Courtesy of 1st Dibs.
Cartier Tank Natural
The “pre-Should” Cartier Tank Natural refs. 20611 (medium) and 21611( jumbo) have been produced within the mid-’70s by each Cartier London and Cartier New York in a uncommon Brazilian rosewood referred to as Palissandre De Rio. The watch had wood aspect panels and a matching-grained wooden dial with a plated yellow gold case, gold Roman numeral hour markers, and gold epée fingers.
The Tank Natural is a critically unconventional design for Cartier; it nonetheless stands proud despite the extremely uncommon shapes Cartier (notably made below Jean-Jacques for Cartier London) had made over time.
In keeping with this very informative discussion board publish, The Cartier Natural line existed for less than a brief interval throughout c.1975-76, earlier than it was abruptly discontinued in 1976 when the final of the three firms have been taken over and Cartier turned one large group as we all know it in the present day.
I received the prospect to attempt one on courtesy of London-based watch seller Alex Stevens @alexstevesvintage, and it was just about unimaginable to take an image given the glare created by the plastic case.
This watch is believed to have solely been made in roughly 3,000 examples. And given the issue of sustaining such a fragile design with uncovered wooden panels and meagerly protected dial – susceptible to cracking and shrinking or increasing relying on the local weather – there are probably few pristine examples obtainable.
Hamilton Sherwood Automated assortment
Hamilton, the American watch firm based in Pennsylvania in 1892 – which then moved a lot of its manufacturing to Switzerland in 1969 – was a giant participant within the left-field type of ’60s and ’70s watch design. The corporate created numerous space-age-inspired circumstances together with the Dateline TM-5903, the Odyssee 2001 (the unique prototype created for the seminal Kubrick movie famously by no means went into manufacturing), the QED LED, and the Fontainebleau Chrono-matic.
1961 Mahogany Flight II Prototype. Picture: Courtesy of Classic Hamilton Watch Restoration.
Alongside the futuristic designs of the furnishings, trend, and automotive house, pure supplies additionally featured closely in mid-century interiors, and it seemingly permeated out into the design briefs for sure watch manufacturers too. Again within the late Nineteen Fifties and early Nineteen Sixties, Hamilton prototyped the Richard Arbib-designed Flight II & Pacer Electrical with wood dials. This led to a couple wood dial variants being produced later down the road below the Sherwood Automated assortment. The circumstances have been manufactured from 14-karat gold and the dials from Mexican mahogany.
Picture: Courtesy of Classic Hamilton Watch Restoration.
Bulova Accutron ‘Woody’
Bulova, additionally initially an American watch firm, produced an Accutron in 1973, (pictured under) that includes inlaid wooden on the bezel and steel bracelet. The “Woody” incorporates a Day-Date operate and homes an Accutron tuning fork marked Bulova 2182.
Picture: Courtesy of Unwind In Time.
This watch is fascinating to me: The distinction of one thing as space-agey as an Accutron with a fabric as natural as wooden makes completely no sense. However then once more neither do sunken dwelling rooms and fondue in giant metropolitan cities.
The watch nearly seems like a chunk of retro kitchen decor – the wood inserts remind me of linoleum flooring. Possibly this may be higher with out the bracelet, quadrupled in dimension, and hung up on the kitchen wall?
Movado Zenith Wooden Dial
Picture: Courtesy of Stay Auctioneers.
This double-marked Movado Zenith watch produced in 1970 homes the in-house Zenith Caliber 2572PC computerized. Each Movado and Zenith manufacturers belonged to the identical holding firm (the Movado-Zenith-Mondia group) when this watch was manufactured. After the 1969 merger between Mondia, Zenith, and Movado, Zenith often used Movado actions (notably Caliber 405 and 408) and Movado used Zenith actions, most importantly the El Primero (Zenith Caliber 3019).
On the time Zenith was encountering trademark points within the US in opposition to US-based firm Zenith Radio Company. To be able to sidestep this drawback they used the Movado model identify – with each names generally showing on the dial – to be able to retail El Primero actions Stateside.
This watch isn’t as space-agey because the Bulova. The Roman numerals really feel like an try at retaining some extent of classicism. The wooden on this dial feels extra toned down and pure – extra Northern California hippie and fewer suburban catalog kitchen suite.
Gucci
Picture: Courtesy of 1st Dibs.
Wrapping up with my private favourite, the above wood Gucci watch. Okay, so it doesn’t have a wood dial nevertheless it deserves an honorable point out! It’s constructed from Macassar ebony wooden and strong yellow gold with a buckle fastening and homes a guide motion. I heard a rumor on a sure any person’s instagram web page that the case was even made by the identical case maker as Cartier. Nonetheless on my mission to unravel that so don’t quote me!
