Time for a Sail - Jord Dover Wood Watch Review

"The half minute which we daily devote to the winding up of our watches is an exertion of labour almost insensible; yet, by the aid of a few wheels, its effect is spread over the whole of twenty-four hours." - Charles Babbage

Sailing is sometimes that way too. The raising and trimming of sails is like the half minute exertion of watch winding labor whose effects can carry us hundreds or even thousands of miles through the wind and waves. If the wind is right, you get a lot for a little.

With today's battery powered smart watches and quartz movement self-winding watches, the exertion of labor that Babbage describes is not only insensible, but in many cases actually non-existent. Take for example the subject of this review, the wooden Dover watch from Jord. The Dover requires an initial winding, but then daily activity keeps it ticking if it's worn for 8 hours a day or so.

What I really like is that the wood feels light and comfortable on my wrist and adds a nautical flare to match the teak on our sailboat. Jord offers several wooden watch models for men and women in a variety of colors, but I particularly like the Dover in zebrawood and cream (pictured) or ebony and rosewood. The Dover also features a sapphire crystal face covering the industrial looking inner workings that remind me of why winch maintenance seems so daunting...lots of intricate moving parts precisely aligned for a specific task.

So the look of a Jord watch works well with the sailing lifestyle, but what about more practical matters like durability in a sometimes harsh environment? Jord watches are considered splash proof, which is to say they aren't intended for full submersion in water so you might consider leaving it below decks if you're sailing in rain or other wet conditions. I wore mine over the weekend on a mini cruise to a port 8nm north and found it comfortable and unobtrusive while steering, trimming, etc. but we had sunny skies and light air. Build quality feels and looks excellent with craftsmanship and a solid feel evident in all the components. Note that there's no date display, so all you're getting is time with the Dover. That's just fine for my needs, but if you're looking for a watch that does more you'll need to check out a different Jord model or perhaps complicate things with a techie smart watch.

Considering that Jord is Swedish for "earth, soil, land", I'd say that their watches make a stylish and simple statement on the sea too. Take a look for yourself here on Jord's website.

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