Truwood Watches Review (Good Value Wooden Watches?)

In the last few years, there’s been a noticeable spike in brands offering impressive lines of wooden timepieces. Some of them provide excellent value for money, others are far from it. After reading this Truwood watches review, you will have a better idea of which group the Canadian-made wood watches belong to.

If you are yet another person who a) feels like a wooden watch will be a great way to diversify your collection, and/or b) wants to bring in some non-toxic products to your apparel and stay in touch with nature, keep on reading.

As an affiliate, Timepieceking might earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) for purchases made via links in the article.

Truwood Watches History (and Mission)

Like in the case of most wooden watch brands, the story of Truwood is still a relatively short one. The company was founded in 2016 by Bishoi Kella, a young entrepreneur from Ontario, Canada.

After the release of the first wooden watch in autumn that year, the company has noted impressive year-to-year growths ever since. What makes Truwood a clear standout amongst other companies offering natural wood watches, is its beautiful mission that not all people are aware of.

For some time already, the company has been partnering with the non-profit organization Trees For The Future. The alliance means that for every Truwood watch purchased, 10 new trees will be planted.

At the time of writing, there have been well over half a million new trees planted in Africa. Not only has it helped restore the biodiversity that goes a long way in tackling climate change but also fed thousands of families in the area. Selling over 50,000 watches globally in such a short period of time is an impressive achievement for a new company entering a competition-packed industry with a niche-specific product.

If you love contributing to environmental wellbeing and at the same time w0uld like to get to wear a unique-looking watch, it’s worth considering TruWood for those 2 reasons alone.

With the continuing success of the watches line, lately, the brand has added other wooden products that include sunglasses and jewelry. Last but not least, Truwood has also an impressive collection of wooden Apple watch bands.

Are Truwood Watches Good Quality?

When trying to rate any watch brand on my website, I always look at the quality-price ratio. In my opinion, it’s the fairest way to provide an assessment of any watch brand.

The reason for that is simple: there’s no point in comparing low-to-mid-budget brands, like Truwood, with some of the best and most expensive in the industry.

Instead, if we look at the different watch metrics and compare them with other brands in the same pricing basket, we can get a fair idea of how quality the brand really is. Most TruWood watches are available in the $100-$300 range. If we focus on wooden watch brands only, we can safely say it’s the mid-price basket. So, does the quality of these watches warrant the price tag?

Durability

Anyone considering buying a wooden timepiece should be aware that these aren’t the toughest watches on the planet. That doesn’t mean they can’t give you a good few years of hassle-free use – when used the right way.

TruWood watches that are fully made from wood are likely to be more delicate and prone to damage than those that combine other, more durable materials such as stainless steel or even leather. By no means is it down to the low quality of craftsmanship. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.

TruWood uses 100% natural wood in all watches, at the same time avoiding any toxic substances that might make the wood tougher to break but might cause allergies in the long run. If you are after an all-natural timepiece, you shouldn’t expect it to outlive some of the most rugged series out there, ie. Casio G-Shock.

At the time of writing, TruWood offers three collections of watches:

• made fully from wood
• leather & wood combo
• stainless steel & wood combo

If you want to stay as green and eco-friendly as possible, go for the all-wood collection, bearing in mind that it’s also the most delicate one. Wooden watches with leather bands are probably slightly more durable but not as tough as those coming with stainless steel elements.

Durability-wise, probably the most solid element of any TruWood model is the dial window. All watches use a sapphire-coated mineral crystal glass that effectively protects against scratches and cracks.

Movement

Truwood offers two types of movements in their watches.

A vast majority of TruWood timepieces are battery-powered quartz models. These watches use a popular Japanese caliber in the form of Miyota.

If you value precision above anything else in a watch, then getting a quartz TruWood timepiece is the only way to go. These models provide a solid accuracy of around +30-40 seconds a month which, considering the relatively low price margin, is a very acceptable result.

Lately, TruWood responded to calls of people longing for the release of automatic models. Currently, there are just over 10 automatic timepieces offered by the brand. All use a Japanese tourbillon movement and come with a unique, skeletonized style.

Since the level of craftsmanship behind an automatic watch is usually higher than that of a quartz model, TruWood’s automatic watches are a bit more expensive. Consider automatic models if you appreciate a higher watchmaking standard, don’t mind losing a few seconds a day and are prepared to manually wind the watch every now and then. To avoid the latter, consider getting a watch winder.

Packaging

All TruWood watches come in stylish, 100% natural wooden boxes, making them a great gift idea. Inside the packaging, you will find your timepiece sitting comfortably in a matching pillow, as well as a manual and a warranty card.

Warranty

Truwood offers a 1-year warranty on all watch models.

The guarantee period covers internal defects only. The return/replacement process is seamless if the issue with the watch is down to workmanship errors. Those include the watch not showing the correct time, one of the hands not working properly or the piece stopping altogether.

Naturally, the warranty doesn’t cover any damage caused by your own negligence, such as the dial window cracking or the band getting broken because you decided to adjust it on your own instead of letting a professional do the job.

Are Truwood Watches Water-Resistant?

Like already mentioned, all wood-made watches are delicate pieces that need to be used accordingly.

One thing that probably poses the biggest risk of damage not only to the body of the watch but also the movement, is the water. The good news is, all Truwood timepieces, unlike some other similarly-priced wooden watch brands, are water-resistant.

The WR rating in all models is rated at 3ATM, meaning it’s splashproof. In other words, feel secure when wearing the watch during everyday activities like washing hands or exercising at the gym. Taking the watch for a swim will definitely be asking too much of it. Doing so can result in permanent damage to both the wooden elements of the watch as well as movement and battery.

How to Properly Take Care of a Truwood Watch?

If you want to squeeze out the maximum lifespan of your Truwood watch, or any wooden timepiece for that matter, you need to take good care of it.

First things first: avoid frequent contact with water. We already settled that these watches can be quite fragile at times and exposing it to liquids of any kind, or high humidity or temperature levels, might cause serious damage. When you are not wearing the watch, place it back in the box it came with. You can also purchase a separate one that can fit more timepieces.

Pampering your Truwood watch with tung or lemon oil is also a great option to sustain the solid condition of the wooden elements. All you need to do is pour 1 teaspoon of selected oil and polish your watch with it. Doing so once every few weeks can greatly prolong the body’s lifespan.

Where to Shop for Truwood Watches?

There are three online destinations I recommend while shopping for legit, fully-functional Truwood watches.

If you are a resident of the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom and would like your watch to be delivered as soon as possible (even the same day), Amazon is probably your best bet. Another option worth considering is eBay. The marketplace includes pre-owned models, often in great condition, that can be purchased at a fraction of the original price.

Naturally, the official website of Truwood, mytruwood.com, is an equally safe place for your shopping. It’s especially recommended for people that live outside the abovementioned countries as it offers free worldwide shipping on orders above $49.

For more alternatives, have a look at our list of best online watch stores.

Where Are Truwood Watches Made?

To keep the running costs down and offer the watches at price points affordable for different groups of customers, TruWood partners with a Chinese manufacturer who produces these watches on a mass scale. Therefore, like the majority of watch brands offering wooden models in their collections, all the timepieces are assembled in China.

The three most popular materials used in Truwood timepieces – black sandalwood, bamboo, and maple, are sourced in other Asian countries.

When it comes to movements, most of the watches use the ever-present Japanese quartz caliber – Miyota.

Truwood Watches Review: Conclusion

Rounding up this Truwood watches review, I think it’s fair to say that the products offered by the Canadian brand are good quality but probably nothing more than that.

For sure, Truwood models are unique, comment-worthy pieces. At the same time, you shouldn’t expect them to outperform other, more established watch brands. Especially when it comes to longevity.

On a plus side, Truwood quartz models provide really accurate movements that won’t stick out in a negative way from some more pricey brands. The fact that by buying a Truwood timepiece you get the chance to contribute to environmental wellbeing is particularly appealing to me.

Again, having an all-wood, 100% natural watch is a great way to diversify your watch collection. Nevertheless, it comes at a cost – both literally and metaphorically. It would be unfair to say that Truwood watches are expensive but there are other brands offering similar quality products at a lesser cost, like BoboBird.

To finish off, if you don’t expect the watch to last you decades and treat it more like a unique-looking fashion accessory instead of a time-telling powerhouse, you shouldn’t be disappointed.