Recycled Whiskey Barrel Watch
These days, it seems like everyone is using bourbon barrels to make just about anything you can imagine. From sunglasses to cufflinks and even furniture, manufacturers are getting seriously creative with this unique and timeless material. And we’re definitely not complaining. The wood taken from whiskey and bourbon barrels has a unique, classy look that just can’t be replicated with any other material. And almost any item made from bourbon barrel wood will grab the attention of a whiskey enthusiast. Make no mistake, if something is made from whiskey barrel wood, you can bet that it’ll make a fine gift for any whiskey lover in your social circle.
Just when you thought they had explored all of the different options when it comes to making things out of whiskey barrel wood, manufacturers have surpassed our expectations yet again. Believe it or not, you can now purchase your very own wristwatch made from authentic bourbon barrels.
These days, watches with wood details are becoming more and more popular. They offer a classy yet rustic alternative to metal. Wooden watches are also much more stylish and easy on the eye compared to cheap plastics and other materials. But while wooden watches have gone relatively mainstream, we’re betting you haven’t seen one made from a bourbon barrel just yet.
Make no mistake, these watches are anything but a gimmick or a passing fad. With sophisticated features and durable construction, these watches are the real deal. Many whiskey enthusiasts are jumping at the chance to purchase one of their own.
But before you hand over your hard-earned cash, you should explore some of the options available to you, and discover some of the best watches being sold online today. Fortunately for you, we’ve compiled a list of some of our top picks. Here’s what we found:
Original Grain – Barrel Collection
Full disclosure: Most of this list will consist of watches from the brand Original Grain. And why not? This brand is clearly one of the leading names in this interesting niche market, and they’ve created some seriously attractive timepieces.
The watch that tops our list is their “Barrel Collection.” Why is it rated so highly? Because the wood they’ve used to create this watch comes from authentic American Oak whiskey barrels that have been storing your favorite liquor for up to four years. The dial itself is made from real whiskey wood, and the band features a brushed espresso stainless steel construction also with whiskey wood accents.
They haven’t neglected the inner mechanisms of the watch itself, either. This watch uses a sophisticated Japanese quartz movement which is on par with the best in the industry. Not only are you getting a watch that looks great, but you’re also getting a timepiece that actually works like it’s supposed to.
An interesting side note is the fact that this watch is actually very ecologically sustainable. By using wood from whiskey barrels, you’re saving trees from being needlessly cut down. If that wasn’t enough, Original Grain plants ten trees for every watch that is purchased.
Original Grain – Brewmaster Collection Barrel Watch
If the barrel collection isn’t quite your style, you can always opt instead for Original Grain’s Brewmaster collection. This watch is also made from reclaimed barrels, although for this timepiece they use authentic beer barrels all the way from Munich, Germany. This beautiful European oak has unique characteristics that might be more appealing compared to the aforementioned American Oak watch.
This watch offers many of the same features as the Barrel collection, including a scratch-resistant mineral crystal glass face that we neglected to mention previously. You might prefer the silver stainless steel watch band on this watch compared to the espresso steel of the Barrel collection.
Original Grain – Classic Collection Barrel Watch
Our final choice from Original Grain is their Classic Collection. Let us point out right away that this watch is not made from either beer or whiskey barrels. It’s just a regular wood watch at the end of the day, but it still looks incredible and we just couldn’t resist including it in our list. As the name suggests, this watch may appear more “classic” than the previous two watches from Original Grain that we’ve mentioned.
The wood used on this watch comes from the same high-quality mahogany used to accent luxury yachts. While the wood doesn’t come from reclaimed sources, it is sustainably sourced from Central Africa. And to put your conscious even more at ease, Original Grain will still plant trees based on how many of these watches they sell.
While the watch shares many features with the aforementioned Barrel and Brewmaster collections, the gold-toned stainless steel band helps it stand out. The dial is also black, and a more prominent crown gives this watch a more regal, classic look.
Bourbon Grain – Johnnie Walker Chronograph Barrel Watch
Aside from Original Grain, we were also enticed by a brand called Bourbon Grain. The name of this brand is pretty self-explanatory – they specialize in creating items from Bourbon barrel wood. Along with a pretty neat watch, they also sell sunglasses and even bracelets.
While they sell an entire range of different watches, we’re going to focus on their Johnnie Walker watch, which is their flagship model. It’s a classic watch with an interesting blend of wood and metal. Much of the band and the case are made from wood, and the watch features Japanese Seiko movement for top-class reliability. The lens also features scratch-resistant mineral crystal for high durability.
So if this watch is so amazing, then why is it at the bottom of our list? While we were definitely impressed with the look of this watch, we couldn’t actually find a detailed description of the materials used. In fact, we couldn’t find any specific references to the fact that bourbon barrel wood was actually used to make this watch. If there was a more detailed product description that cleared up some of our questions, we’d probably give this one a higher rating.
Cover Image credits: Photo by Hugo Filipe from Pexels
