Where’s A Gentleman to Store His Watches?

There comes a time in every man’s life when he takes stock of his life and thinks to himself “I do have a lot of watches”. When this day comes (and it’ll happen to you) there are essentially three courses of action open to you: you can sell some of your watches (that’s up to you, but my precious wrist candy won’t be going anywhere), you can tuck your watches away in the back of a drawer to be dug out as and when you want them (again, your call, but I don’t buy pretty things to then hide them from sight) or you can invest in a watch case to give your proud timepieces the on display storage facility they deserve!

In case you haven’t guessed, I plumped for option three. For me watches are a great deal more than functional accessible tools for timekeeping. A watch makes a statement, it says something about you, and it looks ruddy great! I’ve been fascinated by watches ever since I was a kid and I’d notice just how sparkly and exciting the engraved TAG Heuer watch my dad used to wear was when it caught the light. Of course I had no idea at the time just what a status symbol this classic Swiss timepiece was and its premium build quality and reputation as a luxurious fashion accessory was completely lost on me. What was not lost on me however, was just how GOOD it looked.

So Began My Love Affair With Watches

It was my twelfth birthday when I finally got myself a watch I could be proud of. Knowing that I was so obsessed with my dad’s watch my parents decided that at the grand old age of twelve I was ready for my own slice of sexy wrist gear. They presented me with a Swatch Flash Out GM412 complete with sexy shiny silver centrepiece which made me the happiest kid in the world at that moment. Whilst other children my age would be lucky to get one of the Swatch for kids watch range (Flik Flak), my parents had bought me a proper adult Swatch watch that I thought oozed class and style.

Obviously being a twelve year old boy they weren’t going to adorn me with a watch on a par with my dad’s TAG Heuer and the plastic strapped GM412 was far removed from the chunky stalwart my father was so proud of. But to me, this beautiful gents’ watch was the absolute height of awesome. I didn’t need a metal strap or chronograph, I just wanted something shiny that I could show off to my friends and this funky little watch ticked all the right boxes.

Never mind that I struggled to tell the time accurately on it due to the fact it didn’t have any numbers and I couldn’t always work out what the big hand was supposed to be pointing to, the fact was this fantastic wristwatch was mine, all mine, and I treated it like it was a beloved family pet. Initially I would take it off each night before bed and keep it in its original box, which wasn’t particularly exotic or interesting, but I liked knowing that it was safely stored away in its proper place. Eventually this box got a little tatty and I felt its scruffy appearance was no longer befitting of my finely crafted watch. I threw the packaging away (wish I hadn’t now) and asked my Dad what he did with his watch when he went to bed.

The Wonder of a Watch Box

To my absolute delight my dad showed me his watch case which he kept in the cupboard beside his bed. I hadn’t realised it before but he had a selection of watches and not just the TAG Heuer timepiece of which I was so fond. That watch had been the one he wore most commonly as it was a specially engraved gift from my mum but he told me that he would occasionally adorn his wrist with one of the others depending on the occasion. There were shiny glistening gold and silver dials aplenty and I was absolutely mesmerised by this box of wonder. I knew then that as much as I loved my little Swatch watch, it was not going to be enough, and I too would require a full on collection of watches.

Fast forward to today and whilst I still own that lovely little blue and silver watch that began my love affair with watches, it’s not in regular rotation as part of my regular wrist outfitting. Instead, I’ve built up a collection of slightly chunkier metal and leather strapped watches from the likes of Diesel, DKNY, Thomas Sabo and Storm. No, I don’t have my own TAG Heuer (yet) but I’m adamant that one day such a timepiece will be added to my collection, as will a James Bond style Breitling and a special edition Seiko. After all, a man’s gotta dream!

For now however, my fledgling collection needed somewhere to be collated so I started searching online for watch boxes. I wasn’t entirely sure what sort of thing I’d find but was impressed to discover that there was such a wide range of options available. It seems I’m far from alone in my desire to have an elegant and luxurious display case for my prized watches and there are a great many companies out there making truly stunning boxes and cases suitable for collections of all sizes.

Pride of Place

I currently own seven watches so decided I’d need a case suitable for ten, allowing me space to grow my collection further. After a great deal of painstaking research (and drooling over sexy designs well out of my budget) I decided upon a black leather 10 piece Windsor watch box from WOLF which I have been absolutely delighted with ever since it arrived. It really looks the part, has a truly premium feel and has obviously been made to very high quality standards. Opening and closing the lid is such a delightfully smooth and liquid operation whilst the lock and key have a solidity and robustness to them that belies their small size.

Fitting my watches in this box has allowed me to give them all pride of place on my bedside table, meaning that each morning when I wake up I am greeted by the sight of my treasured collection, all of which are beautifully presented and just begging me to make my selection for the day ahead. Having them all lined up neatly together in this fashion has really made me give more thought to my choice each day and as a result I’ve found I am rotating through them with far more regularity. I no longer plump for the most accessible or dig around for the one I think I fancy at the time, because they’re all sat there inviting me to make my selection from the moment I get up.

It’s a simple thing and I’m a simple man of simple pleasures, but what a fantastic piece of kit this is. I can’t tell you how pleased I’ve been with this purchase and I’d urge anyone with their own burgeoning collection of watches to get involved with a watch box. This is sophistication that money CAN buy and I’m delighted that I’ve done so.