William Wood is a London-based upstart producing firefighter-themed watches using upcycled materials harvested from firefighting equipment. Before us is the “Fire Watch” diver with a layered dial meant to illustrate a dial set ablaze. The diver is priced at $1,293 USD and is 41mm in diameter. Without question, this is a hulking watch that will grab the attention of any passerby, but is it more than a novelty?
On the Wrist
The Fire Watch’s commanding presence on the wrist is primarily due to the case thickness and an oversized crown I enjoy. The measurements listed on the site are 15mm and 15.5mm, including the crystal. However, my measured dimensions, including the crystal, were just over 16.6mm. I am no stranger to chunky watches, and fortunately, my wrist can accommodate the beefy chunk of steel, so this wasn’t a massive issue for me.
Pictured above, you can see the side profile, though large, is quite aesthetically pleasing. The orange strap is made with recycled fire hose material and was shockingly comfortable. When reading the specs, I anticipated the strap would feel stiff, but that was not the case. The fire hose material is combined with quality rubber (scentless) for comfortable wear in any weather. Should you decide to swap straps, these are complete with quick-release bars, the lug-to-lug length is listed at 49mm, and the measurement came in at 48.8mm, making strap swapping seamless. The only thing to be wary of is the thickness, as it’s unlikely a NATO-style strap would be comfortable.
William Wood Fire Watch Specs | |
Case Width 41mm | Lug-to-Lug 49mm |
Case Thickness 15.5mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 100m | Strap Custom Strap made from firehose |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Yes |
Movement Seiko NH35 | Price $1,283 |
Dial Details
The dial has three layers (four if you include the raised date outline) that give a phenomenal depth. The color combination is a classic, and as a lover of color, you won’t hear too many complaints from me. One area that was a challenge for this design is the lume. Due to the layers, your lume plot is substantially below the dial, making an ultra-bright lume challenging to pull off.
I was left somewhat disappointed, although I understand the choices made. The result is a yellow glow that appears much brighter on the hands than the plots and fades quickly. The specific lume is not listed on the site, so comparing it to the same lume with a more traditional application isn’t possible. In the future, I would like to see this listed alongside the other specs for the watch. Currently, the lume is left off for all of William Woods’s collections.
Case, Movement, Misc
As mentioned, the case thickness is the component of this watch that jumps out at you first and foremost. In part, this must be due to the accommodation of the Seiko NH35 inside. The NH35 is also used for their standard dive watch collection, the “Valiant” series, and the thickness is listed at the same 15.5mm, including the crystal.
While the movement and multi-layered dial are part of why this watch is so thick, I can’t help but wonder if this was more of a conscious choice than a simple addition of all the components.
The caseback is solid steel with a prominent fire hazard warning as a nice touch.
As viewable in the side profile image, the crown is filled with bronze from old (100 years old) firefighter helmets, which was my favorite part of the watch. The crown is easily the most premium feeling feature of the diver. The 120-click stainless steel bezel leaves some to be desired, though. While my particular review model was easy to grip and use, there was a significant amount of slop in the rotation. At a given location, the bezel could be shifted as far as a full minute (two-click distance) in the clockwise direction. I prefer the tolerances to be tighter than that at this price point, but bezels are primarily a personal preference, so this may be fine for you.
Final Thoughts
William Wood is a new brand with a ton of success already; this watch shows they still have room to grow. With support from a cult fan base, they will no doubt continue to tweak and push these watches, as seen in their latest release this past month, the Fire Exit watch. I would like them to improve mainly by trimming the case thickness, tightening the tolerances on their bezel action, and possibly altering the overall specs. Yes, this watch is good to 200m water resistance, but what is the fire rating?
I got that question three times while wearing it out and about, and I had no good answer. Even if you need to make something up, I get the watch, which is suitable for the bottom of the ocean; it’s 16mm thick. Tell me this is good to wear outside a fire suit instead.
Check out more dive watch reviews at The Watch Clicker here
Check out the William Wood website here
