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Good evening, everyone!
This column, where I discuss mechanical watches from an engineer's perspective, concludes our series on dials with its 23rd installment.
"About Natural Wood Dials"
This will be our topic for today.
The "dial" is often likened to the "face" of a wristwatch and is its most prominent component. We've introduced various dials over several installments, and this final one will focus on "natural wood dials."
And, as is customary every year, new announcements from various brands are approaching! As the first installment, I, Dr. Ito, would like to share my 2025 new model predictions.
Please read to the end.
Types of Wood Dials
① Birch
The birch dial, made from Japanese cherry birch, boasts a beautiful fine-grained, glossy wood surface and an attractive light, yellowish hue. Another appealing feature is its resistance to color change over time.
At our store, we received a 'Day-Date' with a beautiful birch dial at the end of 2024, and it sold out immediately. Ah, it really is cool!
② Walnut
Walnut is one of the world's three most valuable woods, alongside "teak" and "mahogany," making it a luxury material.
Generally, walnut refers to "black walnut" from North America, characterized by its white outer layer and a darker brown color towards the heartwood. It also features a natural color change over time, but when used for watch dials, a thick coating is applied to the surface to prevent deterioration.
A 'Datejust' with a simple atmosphere takes on a tropical dial-like charm with a deep-toned walnut dial, doesn't it?
③ Mahogany
Mahogany is a general term for three species of trees belonging to the Meliaceae family and is considered a rare and luxurious material, ranking among the world's three finest woods.
It has a beautiful reddish grain, and as a wood, it is easy to process due to its large pores and softness. It is also known as a wood used for luxury furniture and musical instruments due to its three-dimensional appearance, known as ribbon grain, which appears along the fiber direction.
The luxurious, reddish wood grain pairs perfectly with 18K yellow gold and is often used for instruments like violins.
Big Predictions for 2025 New Models! Part 1
And now, for what you've all been waiting for: the first installment of "Big Predictions for 2025 New Models"!
Many brands announce their new models in April each year, and I'm sure you're all wondering what new models will be unveiled this year and which models will be discontinued.
Also, the Rolex watches with wood dials I introduced this time are actually all discontinued models, not current ones. Therefore...
This year, the highlight of the new Rolex models will be
"The Return of Wood Dials"!!
This is my prediction, Dr. Ito.
If a model with a wood dial in such a quartz case were announced, even I, who am not particularly interested in current Rolex models, would jump at it!
A dial that uses wood for the subdials, reminiscent of the tropical dial on the manual-wind 'Daytona', would also be interesting.
While this includes a fair bit of wishful thinking (lol), I truly hope that wood dials will be featured in this year's new Rolex models.
Summary
Watches made with natural materials offer a noble impression with their unique beauty and one-of-a-kind colors and patterns. If you're looking to own a watch that sets you apart from others, why not consider one?
And as the new model announcements draw near, let's all enjoy predicting the new releases together!
I hope this article provides valuable information for everyone and sparks even a little interest in luxury watches! Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask directly, and I will be happy to answer them thoroughly. We look forward to your visit and inquiries.
Stay tuned for the next installment! See you then!
