What is a watch?
In all its simplicity, a watch is a timepiece worn on the wrist. Just like people, watches come in many shapes and forms. For you, a watch might be a device that shows the time and date, acts as a GPS on your walks, and even measures your heart rate. It can have all the same features as a modern sports heart rate monitor.
Then there are watches. A watch tells something about you. It shows your appreciation for tradition, craftsmanship, and shapes refined over the course of history. These days, you rarely see watches like that – real watches. Back before the internet and the rise of global online shopping, gentlemen's (and ladies') watches were made in Switzerland, since that was the only way to get a beautiful watch with a high-quality movement. That changed once quartz watches became common. Watches made using traditional craftsmanship and classic materials, yet affordable for the average person, became widespread. Today, anyone willing to invest a little more can get a genuinely fine and functional watch on their wrist.
A watch tells you about its wearer
Each of us is an individual. We all have our own personalities and characters, which we want to express in our style, whether consciously or not. For many of us, a watch is an important part of our identity. It shows whether we value beautiful shapes, understated minimalism, or perhaps durable construction and functionality.
The materials used in a watch let you stand out with ease, whether you're dressed casually or for a special occasion. Wood as a material is a durable and eco-friendly choice. Luckily, this sustainable choice also feels wonderfully comfortable on the wrist, so you don't have to compromise between responsibility, style, and comfort.
Choosing the perfect watch for you
We've put together this buying guide to make choosing your watch easier. We want to make it simple for you to find the watch that's just right for you. That's why, in the HAVU online shop, we've put real effort into the quality of our photos. We want you to get exactly what you order, so you'll see our watches in stylish photos that show them exactly as they really look. The details are the exception to the rule, since each of our watches is unique in its surface pattern thanks to the natural character of the wood. If you'd like to see more of our watches, feel free to check out our Instagram account @havuwatches, where you'll find more stylish photos and showcase videos.
We've photographed our watches so that the first product image on our website gives you a sense of the watch's actual size. This makes it easier to find a watch that's comfortable to wear. A good rule of thumb is that a 40-42 mm watch suits nearly every man, while 36-40 mm watches suit women. A gentleman with a broader wrist will look stylish with a 44 mm watch, which is already quite a striking size. Smaller watches suit those who love the classic dress watch style, or those with slimmer wrists.
Watch features
Water resistance of the watches
Every product page for our watches includes a water resistance rating in ATM. Water resistance can be expressed in several ways – for example, 10 ATM, 10 bar, and 100 m all mean the same thing.
A watch's water resistance can decrease over time. The seals can become brittle, dry out, and harden. We recommend keeping this in mind when using your watch.
We don't recommend intentionally getting your watch wet. The wooden parts may swell slightly when wet, but we've found that they return to their original shape well. We've listed the water resistance rating for each watch so you know how well your wooden watch handles water. You can also learn more about our watches' water resistance ratings here.
Water resistance ratings:
3 ATM = splash-resistant. Must not be submerged in water.
5 ATM = Withstands damp conditions. Submersion in water is not recommended.
10 ATM = Suitable for swimming. Must not be used for scuba diving.
20 ATM = Can be submerged in water and used for scuba diving. Should not be used at depths where mixed gases such as helium are used.
30 ATM = Can be submerged in water and used for professional diving.
Watch movements
Our wooden watches are fitted with high-quality quartz or automatic movements. Our watches show you the time, and some also show the date. Our watches don't have smartwatch or sports heart rate monitor features, such as alerts and notifications. We believe that phone notifications are enough, letting you simply enjoy your watch as a timepiece. What could be nicer than checking the time on a stylish wooden watch?
Watch descriptions on product pages
We believe the watch description gives you the most essential information for choosing your watch. We've aimed to create as accurate a description as possible for every watch, without unnecessary fluff. The description also covers the watch's technical features, such as the movement, dial width, dial color, band, and band size.
Getting started with your watch
Setting up your watch and shortening the band
Here's how to set up a quartz watch. Remove the plastic cover from the time-setting crown and set the correct time. Push the crown back in, and the watch will start running. The batteries come pre-installed in the watches. Easy, right?
An automatic watch can be started by turning the crown clockwise while it's in its normal position. Turn the crown several times, after which the watch will start running normally. We include instructions with every watch, so you can easily get it up and running.
Your HAVU watch comes in a beautiful wooden watch box, where you can store your accessory whenever you take it off your wrist. A quartz watch will keep running until its battery runs out. Replacing the battery only takes a few minutes at your local watchmaker and is usually a very affordable service. The beauty and uniqueness of an automatic movement lies in the fact that it runs on kinetic energy. Energy is stored in the watch through normal wear. If left unused for a while, an automatic watch needs to be wound again and reset to the correct time.
If your new HAVU watch has a wooden band, your watch box will include a band adjustment tool, which you can use to shorten the band to fit your wrist. We've also mentioned this on each watch's product page.
You'll find a tutorial video on shortening the band here link.
Band and band replacement
Even though wood is a wonderfully comfortable and lightweight material, you can swap in a different band for your watch if you like. A metal band can add a striking contrast, while a leather band brings classic elegance to a wooden watch face. In our range, you'll find metal mesh bands, as well as leather and fabric bands in various colors. Changing the band is made easy with a band tool, available in our shop's accessories section. The tool makes it easy to remove the old band from your watch.
You'll find more information about alternatives to the wooden band in our band buying guide.