The best watch roll – A guide to choosing the right watch roll for your watch
Find out why every watch enthusiast needs a watch roll for traveling, what to look out for and how to find the right watch roll for your collection.
This article will take you through every step of finding your all-in-one travel companion for taking your watch on the road.
- Why do you need a watch roll?
- What should you look for when buying a watch roll?
- How do you choose a watch roll?
As a watch lover, your favorite timepiece is more than a mere accessory, it is an expression of your style, your passion, and your personality. Accordingly, you want to be able to bring your watch with you wherever you go, without compromising safety and convenience. By far the best way to do so is with a watch roll.
Why do you need a watch roll?
The three major reasons for getting a watch roll are protection, organization and aesthetics.
Protection
When on the go, your watch needs to be adequately protected from the wear and tear that comes with traveling. You do not want your watch to be flying around your travel bag loosely, causing friction with other items, or have it lay out on hard surfaces in hotel rooms, since all of these small impacts can lead to scratches and other damages over time. Putting your precious timepiece in a designated watch roll with a robust casing keeps it safe and secure during transport and helps prevent marks and imperfections from building up.
Organization
There are few things as frustrating as having to rummage through an entire bag of unorganized, loose items while looking for something specific. To save time and nerves, organizing your travel bag with compartments for all your necessities goes a long way. And if your toiletries, your passport and your laundry all have their specified spot, why should your watch not have one as well? A watch roll offers just that, an assigned, safe place for your timepiece to be easily at hand.
In addition, getting a watch roll that also transforms into a watch stand, like the Theo watch roll by Charles Simon, brings extra organizational benefits. By placing the lid with the watch cushion on the body of the watch roll, it transforms from travel into display mode. In doing so, the versatile watch roll becomes a portable watch stand that provides convenient access to your watch when taking it off after a long day on the road or putting it on before you head out for your next adventure. Instead of combing through the hotel room searching for your timepiece because you ended up having to place it on random, rough surfaces, a watch roll offers a designated display for your watch to be showcased and readily retrievable at all times.
Aesthetics
Even though functionality should be the factor that drives design, one cannot deny the importance of aesthetics. You have invested time, care and money into building your watch collection, so the way you transport and keep those precious pieces should be on par with their level of refinement. The same way you would not park a luxury car in a run down garage, it simply is not fitting to put a valuable watch into a mediocre watch holder. So, in choosing a watch roll that exhibits both efficient functionality and elegant design, you are pairing your timepiece with the accessory it deserves.
Moreover, watch collecting might be about craftsmanship and knowhow and legacy and investment, but it should also be about fun. And getting to perfectly match your watch roll to the color of your dial or the tone of your watch strap is a playful way of engaging with your passion while simultaneously getting to express your personality and personal style.
So, now that you know you need a watch roll, how do you know what differentiates a good from a great option?
What should you look out for when buying a watch roll?
The two major aspects to take into consideration before purchasing a watch roll are the materials and fit.
Materials
Since a watch roll is a product for on the go, it should be made from travel-friendly materials that can withhold the impacts of transportation without weighing down your luggage. Anodized aluminum for instance, is both robust and lightweight, making it an optimal material choice for the casing of a watch roll.
For the exterior, you will want a sturdy material that simultaneously feels pleasant to the touch, and nothing can compare to natural leather in that regard. Leather is resistant and will remain exquisite even after many journeys around the globe. First and foremost, leather is a sensuous material offering an exceptional tactile experience. Each skin has a unique pattern and feeling to it, rendering every leather accessory a truly one-of-a-kind piece. However, not all leather is created equal, which is why the material source is another factor to take into consideration before purchasing your watch roll. French tanneries, such as Remy Carriat, who produces the leather used in Charles Simon's watch roll, are at the top of the industry. Carriat is situated in the picturesque South of France and the family-owned tannery has been producing the finest French young bull leather since 1927. The Carriat leather used in the Theo watch roll offers that integral combination of durability and tactile delicacy. For the interior, the material needs to be soft in order to appropriately cushion the timepiece placed in the watch roll and protect it from any potential scratches or harm. At the same time, the interior should also be durable enough to live up to the role of a travel item. Alcantara for example, is a suede-like fabric that is popular in the high fashion industry since it is both gentle and highly resistant at the same time. Apart from avant-garde garments, Alcantara can also be found on the inside of Charles Simon’s single Theo watch roll.
Fit
Using premium materials for a watch roll is not enough, they also need to be put together correctly. Since watch rolls are first and foremost used for travel, size is of the essence. When packing your luggage, every piece counts and you do not want to bring anything that takes up more space than it has to. A watch roll in a compact, lightweight format is thus preferable. In addition it is not only about size, but shape matters too. A watch container with rounded edges is easier to hold in your hand and slip into your pocket or suitcase and therefore, round shapes are the ones to look for when choosing a watch roll.
Another thing to look out for is the size of the watch cushion, since not all of them will be able to accommodate all timepieces. Watches with a large dial or a particularly thick bezel, as well as small or large wristbands might not fit into a standard watch roll, so make sure to check the dimensions before placing a purchase. And for those with wrists on the outskirts of the size spectrum or with unusually-sized pieces in their collection, a custom fit watch accessory might be the optimal solutions. Luckily brands like Charles Simon offer custom cushion sizing to accommodate wrists and watches of all sizes.
Click here to learn more about Charles Simon’s Bespoke Service
Having identified the key factors to analyze, you are now equipped with the knowledge to go out into the world and buy a watch roll. But from all of the choices and styles out there, how do you decide which one is the right one for you?
How do you choose a watch roll?
Finding the right watch roll for you and your collection is a choice that ultimately comes down to your personality and style and is thus something that no one else can do for you, but there are a few general factors that can help put you on the right track.
Minimalist vs Maximilist
Are you a less is more or a more is more kind of person? Are your watches primarily sleek and subdued or extravagant and elaborate? As a minimalist, you will be more drawn to a watch accessory with clean, simple lines and an understated color palette, such as all black, grey or monochrome shades. If you like to go all out however, you can make your watch roll a true statement piece by going for an eye-catching design or a bright and bold color combination.
Specialist vs Generalist
When purchasing a watch roll, you could be looking for an accessory that goes with one particular watch or that suits multiple pieces from your collection. There is no right or wrong here, you just need to be aware of your intention before starting your quest for the ideal watch roll because it will greatly influence your decision. If you are getting a roll to use with a particular watch, color coordination is the ultimate way of elevating your style. Matching the tone of your accessory to, for instance, the dial color or the strap of your favorite watch creates a more cohesive ensemble that truly sets you apart. This attention to detail is the definition of refined taste and will certainly not go unnoticed.
If you, however, prefer to acquire a watch roll that can be used with many different timepieces, you should look for common denominators in your collection. Of course, sticking to a classical color palette, such as black or marine, is always a safe and suitable option, but it is more about identifying what “classical” means in your particular case and then applying those properties to your search of the perfect watch accessory. Maybe you are an avid participant in #bluewatchmonday, have many blue watches and so an all blue watch roll would be a go-to piece for you. Or maybe you are really into dress watches and hence, need a more sophisticated model as your standard choice. Whatever that red thread is that ties your watch collection together, find it and then follow it until it leads you to the watch roll of your dreams.
For those wanting to go all out, a bespoke watch roll is the ultimate way of personalizing your watch accessory and making it custom-tailored to the timepiece– or pieces– you want to pair it with. From choosing your exterior and interior color combination to adding your initials, a bespoke watch roll lets you fully express your creative vision and identity.
In the end, the secret to finding the right watch roll for you is to ask yourself what your needs, concerns and priorities are when it comes to your watches, but determining that is not always easy to do on your own. Hopefully, this article clarified the reason you need a watch roll in the first place, which factors you should consider and how to find the right model for you.
If you still have further questions or pain points, or would like to get one-on-one advice from experts, the Charles Simon team is here to support you. Just contact us at info@charles-simon.com and a member of our team will get back to you shortly.
In case this article has inspired you to commence your journey of finding the perfect watch roll, you can check out our full collection here or find out more about our Bespoke Service.
If you want a watch roll, but are not sure whether that is enough to adequately support your collection, check out our guide to finding the right watch accessory to gain a more comprehensive overview of the vast range of products available to elevate your timepieces.
