Prosawood is an Estonian brand that produces a range of accessories and quartz watches made from wood. For this review, they provided a Venus Black quartz watch with a counterclockwise Japanese movement.
Right off the bat, I have to say that I have no love for novelty movements. When I strap on a watch, I want to be able to tell the time without a second thought, so any watch that requires extra effort to fulfill its most basic function is already at a disadvantage. Can you get used to reading a backward watch? Yes. Is it a worthwhile skill? No. I found it maddening and pointless.
With that big caveat out of the way, let’s concentrate on the Venus’s other features. The watch is constructed from sandalwood stained dark brown. It is lugless, measuring just 41mm in diameter with an 18mm leather strap recessed into the case. Its flat sapphire crystal is a welcome addition, not common in watches of this type. Given its unconventional mechanism, it is no surprise that the Venus’s gold crown is placed at 2 o’clock – which is actually 10 o’clock on this dial, but you get the point.
The case back is fastened with four small screws. The review sample was blank, but Prosawood offers a free engraving service for your choice of text, preselected images, or a combination of both.
The black dial is concave with a printed index, embossed numbers and logo, and polished baton hands, all in gold. There is no lume. I like the dial’s bowl effect and applaud their decision to put the logo in place of the 6 o’clock marker. It makes perfect sense given the reverse nature of the watch and the logo’s size and intricacy. It is a sound layout if a bit bland.
On the wrist, the Venus’s low profile and lugless design make it wear small, which is in keeping with its somewhat dressy bearing. I should have expected that sandalwood and a quartz movement would yield a lightweight watch, but I was still shocked at how the way the Venus vanished on my wrist. Compared to a standard stainless steel case, the sandalwood feels like a feather.
The black leather strap was a good complement to the brown, black, and gold elements on this watch. Quick-release spring bars are a nice touch and particularly useful given the deep-set perches. It has a gold buckle, signed on its contoured frame.
Prosawood sells the Venus directly from its webstore for €138, or about $158 USD. Standard shipping is free. I like the idea of a watch that incorporates wood into its design, and even though this one left me cold, Prosawood offers several other models on its site, with conventional clockwise movements and different case and dial designs, all of which are similarly priced. You can browse the collection at prosawoodshop.com. ⬩
