The Five Best Original Grain Watches on the Market Today
Take a single look at an Original Grain (OG) watch, and you can probably guess that it was inspired by nature. As a matter of fact, the entire upstart company was inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Every single wood and steel OG watch is handcrafted, but that’s not even its most fascinating feature. OG only uses reclaimed hardwood in its materials, so every single watch has an origin and a backstory. It makes for an incredibly authentic and charismatic business model and aspiration, and the response to the company’s Kickstarter campaign was proof yet again that sustainability sells. Here are the five best Original Grain watches you can find on the market today.
1. Alterra Chrono 44mm – Koa Stonewashed
This watch was made out of Hawaiian Acacia Koa combined with stonewashed silver stainless steel. The resulting design is stunning as well as the craftsmanship involved. The two-tone style is unique because of its colors, but then again, every single OG watch is unique in some way. The Alterra Chrono watch is OG’s most expensive watch outside of the limited edition category, and it’s quite evident on the quality of the watch itself. The bracelet on this watch is slightly narrower than average, and the triple crown is a nice rugged touch. The watch features a 5-hand Japanese Quartz movement and is also water resistant.
2. Barrel 47mm – Whiskey Barrel
This watch is one of OG’s best sellers. The wood here is sourced from reclaimed American Oak bourbon barrels that are abundant in Kentucky. You’ll definitely get the hint of whiskey in every watch. Actually, this is the perfect watch to gift to whiskey lovers. The brushed espresso stainless steel almost mimics the wood to make for one seamless design. The watch may be simple, but it’s absolutely stunning in its simplicity. It features a Japanese Miyota Citizen Quartz movement and a mineral crystal glass. The dial features four numerical markers at the twelve, three, six, and nine o’clock points; the rest are subtle linear markers. This watch also has a water resistant casing.
3. Minimalist 40mm – Zebrawood Rosegold
For a more classic look, you could opt for the Minimalist Zebrawood. This is exactly the watch for the modern classic man. Its understated design is the epitome of elegance. The bracelet is made of brown leather that only highlights the combination of the Zebrawood and rose gold casing. The eggshell white dial is as clean as all the lines of this watch—from the linear markers and hands to the straight stitching on the leather bands. There’s no other watch that could be as simple and as versatile as this Minimalist watch. The watch uses a Japanese Miyota Citizen Quartz movement and is encased in mineral crystal glass. It’s the perfect everyday watch and is one of OG’s best-selling timepieces as well.
4. Barrel 47mm – Ebony Gold
Ebony Gold somehow reminds us of an 80s flick in a good way. It gives a feeling of nostalgia. It reminds us of the watches that our dads used to wear and wanted to wear but couldn’t. This watch is made from reclaimed oak barrels as well, so the hints of whiskey are apparent and welcome. The all-natural Ebony wood that’s sustainably sourced from Indonesia looks amazing against the brightness of the antique gold-plated stainless steel. The dark dial along with the darkened markers gives this watch a sense of sophistication like no other. The Japanese Miyota Quartz movement and mineral crystal glass are also some of the great features of this watch.
5. Classic 43mm – Rosewood Black
Rosewood is known to have a stunning reddish hue, but against the matte black stainless steel of this Classic 43mm watch, it’s even more stunning. The gloss on the Rosewood acts like a highlighter that gives this watch the most prestigious appeal. This particular wood is sourced from eastern and central Africa. The dial also has the same Rosewood finish, and the silver-tone markers add a subtle hint of an industrial design. Four of the markers are written out in Roman numerals—a nice detail that’s certainly appreciated. Everything about this watch just shows that luxury and sustainability can go very well together. It’s a great representation of what this company is trying to achieve.