Many people now own wood watches. It was not long ago that watches carved from solid wood were just a dream. But today, there are several major companies who make wood watches of very high quality.
Before you choose you wood watch, ask yourself the following questions:
- Has the wood watch company been around for a long time? If the retailer has not been around for at least 15 years, you cannot be sure that the retailer will be around if your wood watch needs servicing. Never ever buy a wood watch from a kiosk in a mall. This is tantamount to buying a diamond ring on a street corner. These kiosk hawkers have no legitimacy and do not stand by the products they sell. Frankly, they might not even be there in the same location tomorrow.
- Does the wood watch company have at least 50 varieties of wood watches? Many fly-by-night companies have just 5-6 different styles of wood watches. Why? Because they buy them fresh off a barge from China. If you are looking for a reliable wood watch, be sure you have at least 50 different styles to choose from. This will ensure that the company is serious about wood watches and is not just leaping on a trend to make a fast buck off of you. Companies like Martin & MacArthur offer over 100 different varieties of wood watches.
- Can the company selling the wood watch adjust the wrist band on the spot? Believe it or not, many unqualified retailers do not offer this service. They simply say that the watch is easy to adjust, but their store personnel have never adjusted a watch before. Full service retailers like Martin & MacArthur adjust the watch at each of their locations.
- Does the company offer a variety of different face styles, including mother of pearl, gold or silver. Gone are the days when the faces of wood watches all look the same. The best wood watch companies offer mother of pearl faces or faces made from jewelry metals like gold or silver. Choose wisely and be sure that the retailer has a variety of watch faces for you to choose.
- Does the wood watch come with an instructions pamphlet – written in English? Many cheap retailers simply buy knock-off wood watches from China. These watches have no warranties and certainly have no instructions on how to adjust the watch. Serious retailers will always provide you with an instruction manual to explain how to adjust and take care of your wood watch. Ask to see the instructions manual before you buy your wood watch.
- Does the company offer a website to read about its wood watches? Unreliable companies do not want you to contact them again. Hence, they do not have a website for you to read about their wood watches. If they do, be sure that the site looks professional and features at least 50 different styles of wood watch.
- Who makes the movement for the wood watch? If the retailer does not know the specific name of the company who makes the watch movements, then forget about it. These naïve retailers know nothing about the watches themselves. It would be like buying a car from a dealer than does not know where the car was made.
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What is the service warranty for the wood watch? The retailer should have a clear service warranty for their wood watches. Where do you take the wood watch for repair or servicing? What is the cost for a repair? How long does the repair normally take? All of these questions must be clearly spelled out in the warranty for the wood watch.
Ask to see it before you buy your wood watch.
Overall, if you follow these buying tips, your wood watch will be a worthwhile and treasured timepiece that offers you years of enjoyment.
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Written by Michael Tam, a man who owns over 15 wood watches and can’t wait to get his next one.