I have a generally casual style. Sometimes it’s aggressively casual. Typically, for me, a canvass strap or Nike Sport Band is stylish enough for most situations. However, there are times when I get fancy. Times when I wear a dress. What if I want to look good for a formal event? What if formal events start happening again? I wanted something that was unique. Something that was both classy and a little rugged to it. I wanted a watch band that could compliment my red Apple Watch and provide elegance, without giving up my “down to earth” style.
A while back, I had found Jord watches (pronounced “yōd.” You know, like “Yoda,” without the ‘a’). I love the way they look. They’re wooden watches, with steel frames and other metals providing accents. They come in automatic and quartz varieties, in numerous designs and styles. They’re beautiful. Jord’s watches are the kind of watch that you gleefully refer to as a “timepiece” in a hushed tone.
But they can’t tell you the weather, your upcoming meetings, or let you send a text message. My casual style? It springs from utility. Doc Martens for when it’s cooler, skate shoes for when I’m skating. Jeans, cargo pants, tank tops, it’s all utilitarian. A watch, to me, has to be able to do more than tell the time, especially during quarantine, when I don’t even know what day of the week we’re on.
Since I need a smartwatch, and just couldn’t give it up, even just for an evening, I decided on the next best thing: picking up one of Jord’s premium Apple Watch Bands. This gives me some of the beautiful wooden accents of Jord’s watches with the functionality of my Apple Watch.
And you know what? It works.
In This Article:
Appearance 9.5/10
This is a wooden watch band. Wood! Of course it looks fantastic, it’s wood! The Jord Apple Watch band features stainless steel lugs and a stainless steel clasp, along with titanium links and, yes, real wood. In mine, it’s ebony wood, but there are many other options to choose from, like koa, kosso, walnut, and zebrawood. They’re accented nicely with black titanium links and matching stainless steel lugs. I went with ebony wood. It’s an incredibly dark brown, nearly black color. It’s striking. It’s not quite as obvious at first glance that it’s wood, as you’d get with the other varieties, but I love the high contrast black and red look, so I went with it.
Jord also has a limited edition “Harmonic” series, which features wood with stainless steel accents. It’s a gorgeous look, and, while only a limited collection, I hope they keep it around, at least until I can afford to splurge on one again.
I’ve got some good looking Apple Watch bands, but the Jord wood Apple Watch Band is the best looking one I own. I do think their harmonic series looks a little better, which is the only reason I didn’t give this a perfect score here. The sections of the band create these block-like rectangles on your wrist. The Harmonic links appear mix the middle and outer layers up, making it flow a bit better, a more elegant design than this band. Jord’s standard wooden Apple Watch band is a band that blends a sort of rugged look with charm, but it’s thrown off by appearing just a little too chunky for that perfect score.
Comfort 8/10
You might assume that wooden jewelry would be uncomfortable. It’s a hard material, after all. However, the links on the Jord Apple Watch band are small. This allows it to conform to your wrist closely, while also leaving plenty of room to breathe. While it’s certainly a heavier watch band, and you will notice that, it’s surprisingly comfortable. I can wear this watch band all day, swapping it out only to sleep. It’s not comfort keeping me from sleeping in it though, as I’ll discuss in a bit.
It’s not my most comfortable Apple Watch band. That still goes to the Archer canvas strap. But it’s more comfortable than nearly every other watch band I have. I also like that it’s very easy to move around on my wrist, even without actually removing it, so I won’t have to input my passcode again. It’s a very comfortable all-day watch band.
Sizing
You should get the band sized by Jord (as I did) or a jeweler. Band sizing is done exclusively by removing links. There’s a butterfly clasp at the bottom to put the watch on or take it off, but no micro adjustments. The size you get from adding or removing links is the only adjustability. This requires some special tools if you don’t want to potentially damage or lose anything.
You’re probably seeing a problem here. Without micro-adjustments, you’ve got to hope you’re close to the size the links can provide. They’re fortunately not too long, about 1cm. Still, I wish I could break that down into a few millimeters. Even just 2mm in either direction would be welcome. The body isn’t completely static. People gain and lose weight. You retain and lose water depending on hormones, sodium in your diet, water consumption, exercise that day, and the temperature. We can’t rely on replacing full 1cm links, you need something more adjustable.
I will admit that Jord’s sizing was as good as it could be. One more link taken out and it would have been uncomfortably tight. It was sized as well as it could have been and the band actually fits me quite well, especially on warmer weather days. It gets a little too lose in cooler or dryer weather though. This is why they really needed a user-adjustable way to just add or subtract a small amount.
On a normal watch band, you have holes that are placed about 5mm apart. So normal watch bands have a 5mm adjustability, while the Jord can only be accurate within 10mm, and you can’t adjust it easily. That means that, while you could give yourself a little bit more space on days you need it with a normal band, you can’t with the Jord.
Most luxury watch bands are like this, but they also often feature micro-adjustability. Small sections on the clasp where you can move or tighten the clasp. The Jord lacks that, which isn’t a problem on any of their watches. Unlike those analog watches, the Apple Watch needs a secure fit. Otherwise it can’t get your heart rate or blood O2 levels.
Sizing of the Jord isn’t perfect. You can get close, and it’s quite comfortable, but it’s not as close to perfect as my other watch bands can get. I’m lucky that it’s very close to perfect for me, but others may not be as lucky.
Quality 9/10
For my past Apple Watch bands, I combined the “Durability and Quality” categories. However, these reviews are evolving as I go threw different watch bands. For obvious reasons, the Jord band can’t easily be rated for both quality and durability in one score. You see, it’s a gorgeous watch. Every piece is meticulously cut out. The titanium, carved wood, and stainless steel ooze quality.
However, it’s not perfect. For example, the links that connect to the lugs are just a little too long. Or perhaps the lugs are too short. The links closest to the Apple Watch can actually rub up against it and the lugs. This could be solved by smoothing them out more.
Otherwise, this is a gorgeous, high-quality watch band. I hate that I had to knock off a point for that, but it really is a large oversight in the design. You won’t notice it too often, especially during wear, but it can make putting the watch band on your Apple Watch far more difficult than it should be. This could be why Jord’s “harmonic” bands have metal pieces by the lugs.
Clearly the Jord Apple Watch band is a high-quality strap, one that’s worth its price. In fact, if you compare it to Apple Watch straps, Apple’s Link Bracelet band can cost as much as $450. Their recycled yarn and silicon loop, the Woven Solo Loop, costs more than this Jord band. Frankly, this isn’t just high quality. Compared to Apple’s offerings, it’s an incredible deal. This is a higher quality product—and looks it—for less than Apple’s charging.
Durability 3/10
If you look very carefully, you can see just a bit of wear from the past few weeks of wearing this. Just a divot here or there. Not much, but they’ll add up over the years.
Though excellently crafted, this is still a wooden watch band. It’s not titanium, or brushed steel, but wood. My Jord watch band is made of ebony, which is an extremely dense and tough wood, but softer woods will get scratches and marks more easily. It’s a wooden item, you may actually want this. Wear and tear can show “character” on wood, increasing its rugged appearance.
The fact is though, wood is less durable than metal, which is usually used in more formal watch bands. Furthermore, it’s not waterproof. Water could seep into the watch band, and, under rapid changes in temperature (like going from a heated room to frigid outdoor air), could expand, causing large and unsightly cracks. In fact, rapid changes in temperature alone could cause damage. If you live someplace where it gets very cold in the winter, you may want a different band for the coldest months. For their watches, Jord recommends humidity between 30% and 60%, and temperatures between 55ºF and 85ºF.
You’re probably washing your hands a lot more than usual. Or, at least, you should be. With the Jord band on, you’re going to want to be careful that you don’t get it soaked. A few splashes are okay, it’s water resistant, but submerging it in water could damage it.
I bought this band knowing that it would be my “special occasions” watch band. However, I’ve loved wearing it so much it’s turned my lazy Sunday into a “special occasion.”
Maintenance and Wood Choice
Though the band isn’t cheap, is well-made, and looks incredible, it will show wear over time. If you want to wear this often, you’ll have to accept that. Research the type of wood that Jord’s using, and pick one that’s a bit more durable if you want it to retain its exact appearance for more time. You can also polish the band with lemon or tung oil. Jord also sells their own polish. Personally, I’ve used a lemon oil with some SPF 15 to protect the wood and give it a nice shine. It’s worth noting you won’t have to do this often. Even with everyday wear, Jord only recommends using their oil pen twice a year in six month intervals.
The Waterproof Watch and the Vulnerable Band?
I was hand washing some laundry in my tub. I took my Apple Watch off to do this, and a thought hit me. When did I have to worry about this before? If my Apple Watch got splashed or even dunked, it would be fine. But now I had to remove my watch because of the band. This just struck me as ironic and funny. In the old days, your watch was the vulnerable piece. Your band itself usually wasn’t as vulnerable as your watch. Now it’s the other way around. This is one of those things that has me thinking of this as a “sometimes” watch band, rather than an “everyday” band.
Fitness and Sleep
I almost forgot to include this section. After all, I would never wear this watch band while exercising. That’s mostly because my version of exercise often leads to falls. However, I don’t think the wood would fare well covered in sweat for hours. Jord says not to submerge the watch band either, which takes out swimming and other water sports.
I don’t wear the Jord band to sleep either, and this is for a few reasons. First, at the clasp and on the links, there are a few harsh edges. This is also a problem I have with its appearance, but I thought it would be more relevant here. The edges of the band have sharp corners. It increases the bulky look of the watch. It also means it could potentially get caught on things. Mostly sheets, but I am also worried about my hair. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night with my hair caught on something. I have to chop off so much hair when it’s safer to get a haircut.
I’m also worried about damaging the watch band. It doesn’t feel delicate, but it is a link bracelet. I don’t want to pull on it in my sleep and damage it.
I like to switch up my bands, but having to swap it out at night can sometimes be annoying. Still, this is a “special occasion” watch band for me, though I’ve been wearing it most days since I’ve had it. This isn’t an annoyance that I’d have often.
Odds & Ends
The biggest thing that will stand out when you first try to put this on your Apple Watch is just how hard it is to get it on your Apple Watch. So here are a few tips that’ll make it easier.
- Open the clasp. This will give you more “wiggle room” so the band isn’t pulled at an angle.
- Slide just the corner of one for the lugs into the button side of your Apple Watch. You can put it in until it just barely starts to touch the rubber grips of the connection.
- Now insert the other side the same amount.
- Make sure they are parallel. They should be preparing to slide in to the watch at the same time, at the same angle.
- Now push on the flat side of the Apple Watch, guiding them into place.
Part of the reason this is so difficult is what I mentioned earlier about the lugs and the wood. The wooden segments can come in contact with the Apple Watch and make this incredibly difficult. Make sure they’re out of the way. The other reason is that Jord wanted a tight fit. I’ve used some Apple Watch bands (with reviews coming!) that had lugs that fit very poorly. They’re easy to get on and off, but rattle inside of the housing. It just doesn’t feel trustworthy.
Overall 9/10
Pros:
- Beautiful and unique
- Elegantly rugged
- Excellent price to quality ratio, a steal compared to other high-end bands.
Cons:
- Sizing can work for some, perhaps not for others
- Wood will show wear and tear and requires upkeep
- Not good for sports, sleep, or fitness tracking in general
I absolutely love my Jord band, but I’m willing to admit, it’s still got a few flaws. It’s simply not a watch band you can wear every day. Perhaps for weddings, interviews, or dates. Remember dates? A nice dimly lit bar or restaurant. Butterflies in your stomach? Wondering if you should ask for a kiss or if it didn’t go that well? Now we’ve got to worry about catching the plague. 2020’s the worst.
The Jord Apple Watch band is truly unique. Being wood, every piece is, literally, unique. However, it’s unique among watch bands. I can’t think of another wooden watch band for the Apple Watch. It’s a conversation starter and a unique piece of your outfit. It’s classy, yet the wood and chunkiness of it still has a rugged quality. I could see it working well with leather bracelets complimenting it as much as silver or stainless steel bangles. I feel like I could work it in to my more casual outfits as well as my formal ones.
This may be my favorite watch band. It’s just a shame I can’t wear it all day, every day. Still, that’s not what it’s for. This is a piece to treasure, not something to beat up rock climbing, skating, or swimming. This is an elegant and organic watch band, and I think it compliments the Apple Watch wonderfully.
I’ve reviewed quite a few Apple Watch bands, and plan to review many more. You can find the reviews I’ve written on other bands here.