I made this beautiful wood watch box for a friend, from Maple & Sapele. It was the first time for me, and the most challenging part was getting the measurements right.
I decided to plane the stock down to about 10mm to avoid making it too bulky. If I was to do this box all over again, I would increase that to 12mm (1/2 inch).
Unlike the wooden jewelry box I made a few weeks ago, the watch box needed exact dimensions for the watch compartments. This was really tricky. I attempted to make a wood watch box before, but screwed up at the exact dimensions, and got a much smaller box than I wanted.
This time, I made sure I got all the components ready first. The key ingredient was the watch pillows, which determines the width, length and height of each compartment.
I decided on these burlap watch pillows, which I feel matches the overall look of the wood watch box and gave it a more earthly feel. It turned out to be the right call.
I made a jig to for spline cuts on the table saw, and another jig to make the actual spline strips from Sapele. I thought about adding a third species of wood to the watch box but decided not to. Maple and Sapele balance each other out really well.
I used a fancy box hasp for this box and matching exposed hinges. I finished the box with Danish oil, my preferred choice of finish. It’s very versatile and truly brings out the deep colours and texture of wood.
The odour is a bit more pleasant than Tung Oil. The second coat of Danish oil really sealed the deal..
The watch box turned out better than I imagined. I love using Maple as it doesn’t twist or warp as much as other wood in humid Malaysian weather.
In the process of making this box, I developed my own “box calculator” for measuring the exact dimension of boxes, including internal compartments. This will definitely come in handy for future box-making projects.
Check out my Etsy shop for my latest boxes. I will be making watch boxes, jewelry boxes, keepsake boxes, and almost any kind of box I can think of. I’ll make cheaper ones from pine as well.
