Don't sweat it. If you like it, enjoy it. Not everything has to be haute horlogerie.

As for this company, I believe there are a number of shops in Germany and Austria. "Holz" is wood in German. I almost bought one of these because it's very nearly my (real life) surname.

Anyway, it's a fashion watch, but don't overthink it. If it ends up in that drawer with all the other impulse buys, so be it.

 

If you like it, enjoy it. Not everything has to be haute horlogerie.

Yup.

 

Yes, if you like the watch then just wear and enjoy it. Post a picture when you get a chance.

 

I don’t know this watch could you post a picture please?

 

Which model?
For your question, it doesn’t really matter. If you think the watch is “pretty” and “gorgeous” wear it, admire it, enjoy it - I seriously doubt your friends will laugh at you.

 

I often wear piles of crap I put together. It's probably nicer than those.

 

don't let the perception of others stain your own experience. maybe you overpaid, maybe you didn't, maybe they are a bad company, maybe they aren't, but do you actually like the watch? pretend that you hadn't seen these reviews and judge the watch based on what you can see and feel, if you still don't like it, send it back, but my guess would be that you still like it.

i've never actually heard of this brand before, but don't worry about people who would consider you a poser or something for wearing a watch you like, those kind of opinions show you that those people are not really worth listening to.

 

I’d never heard of them but a quick look at their site reveals a bunch of aliexpress drop shipped watches. The wood models in particular are literally just 10 or 20 dollar watches from ali that have a variety of brand names on them sold at gift shops in folksy places like Gatlinburg for 3000% markup.

I’d return it on the basis that you seem to have at least halfway discovered that these are not worth anything. That same $400 or so bucks could actually get you some very cool watches that you also like.

 

A former coworker of mine had a Holzkern and loved it. Yes, they are a bit on the fashion watch side of things and not the kind of product most enthusiasts here would rave about. But they have some pretty cool designs in my opinion. I regularly find myself browsing their mechanical pieces to see if there's anything new. I'm partial to blue pvd cases and I also love nicely grained wood, so who knows.. Maybe something like their Manila model might find its way into my collection some day..

 

But, for whatever reason, I didn't do much research before buying it

Things went south from here.

 

I'm trying to get a feel for the probability that the watch will break under reasonably placid conditions, and - if I'm honest - worried about being associated with a brand that has a poser reputation.

It's always a good idea to be gentle with a watch, be it Holz- or Stahlkern. As for the general thrust of your post, you say yourself that you like the watch, so don't sabotage your enjoyment thereof.

I’d never heard of them but a quick look at their site reveals a bunch of aliexpress drop shipped watches.

I beg to differ - the collection looks too coherent. The watches may well be made in China but I think these are original designs - which will affect the price. They do also employ a bunch of people in Austria, who must do something:

 

It's always a good idea to be gentle with a watch, be it Holz- or Stahlkern. As for the general thrust of your post, you say yourself that you like the watch, so don't sabotage your enjoyment thereof.

I beg to differ - the collection looks too coherent. The watches may well be made in China but I think these are original designs - which will affect the price. They do also employ a bunch of people in Austria, who must do something:

It looks coherent because they make a lot of these wood watches for drop shipping and have done for years. Search “Bobo bird” and you’ll see pages and pages of very coherent watches that just happen to have the same designs, colors, movements, and finishes for as low as 5 bucks a unit.

The other alternative is that this team of 20 photogenic young adults have designed upwards of 100 watch designs they feature on their site and keep them all in stock all the time. That they look like Bobo birds is just a coincidence.

 

They also happen to come in the same box. The odds!

 

Holzkern watches are certainly not high-end luxury, but rather count as fashion watches and are probably of rather low quality. However, Holzkern has a few quite nice examples in its range, such as the Space Warp…

or the Edisto, whose dial is made of a fig leaf.

 

I 100% understand your situation
and feelings.

I was in a similar situation about 6 years ago. I wanted to treat myself to a “nice” grown up watch so I knew I would be splurging on this purchase. I had been eyeing a Shinola Runwell Chrono for a better part of a year. I decided to take the plunge. With taxes the watch was $800USD. At the time it was the single most expensive thing I bought, besides my car.

I too didn’t really do any research. Whether or not it’s an excuse, I didn’t even know that watch forums like this one and YouTube was even a thing. I’d say that 6 years ago watch YouTube was still in its infancy. But this was the time that Shinola was under fire for its Swiss watch made in America issue, so when you Google Shinola a lot of stuff came up. People on the internet bashing on brand/watches didn’t really help build confidence on how much I spent.

I ended up returning it because I knew myself; it would constantly weigh on me. But that was on me and I decided to continue down the rabbit hole while looking into Shinola.

You have to be completely honest with yourself. Only you know you. Don’t settle. You should buy what you like. While Holzkern is not nearly as pricey as Shinola it is still a sizeable amount. There is a lot of competition in the price bracket they positioned themselves in. Definitely better value out there.

I would do things a little differently now. And the biggest thing now is that I know how to research before buying.

 

Thank you all. Great discussion; and this is the reason I enjoy the watchuseek community so much.

 

I think its a pretty unique and good-looking watch. Enjoy it!

 

Or, I guess I could hold off buying any watch for a while, pool the dollars, and then go for a Nomos-Glashutte, Sinn, or an anOrdain.

Probably this would be the best approach.

 

If you have doubts about it

(... reviews are not good. Neither for the company nor for the quality of the products they sell. I recognize now that the watch is overpriced, ... It just stings to feel like you've fallen for hype and will be laughed at by your buddies ... like an anti-status symbol ... worried about being associated with a brand that has a poser reputation ... just a touch of buyer's remorse. Or, maybe, "buyer's worry about the risk of buyer's remorse?")

then why keep it, if you can get back some/ a large part of your expense (i.e. for shipping both ways).

By the looks of it you can always get another one later.

 

I saw someone on YouTube pitching these. I believe it was Freddie Dobbs.

 

Several people asked for a picture. Mine is nice, but without as much marbling. I'm sure they choose the best for marketing shots.

 

I have the relational and the naturalist in my 25 watch rotation. I like them a lot. Not sure if I'll regret it later but at 60yrs old I'll enjoy it as I continue to buy watches I like. Thank you for your review. My only wooden watches are original grain

 

I have 3 marble face watches. I love them all for what they are. Great fashion watches well designed with marble. The movement does what it's supposed to do tell time. I love the variations in the marble and the naturalist view on construction.