Approximately 99.9% of the articles we publish are stories are about watches. That’s what’s MONOCHROME is all about. However, recently I saw a watch box made by Rimowa. You know, that brand that makes beautiful aluminium suitcases and trolleys, dare I say it, iconic aluminium suitcases. The Rimowa watch case looks very Rimowa and is executed in the exact same iconic aluminium looks. We’re all watch enthusiasts (to say the least) and I wanted to have a closer look, so I reached out to the brand and asked for a review model. Would this make the best ‘travel watch case’ on the market?
In the MONOCHROME Shop, we also sell watch rolls and watch cases ourselves. Since we’re watch collectors ourselves, we always keep an eye on useful (and sometimes more beautiful than useful) watch accessories. Looking at what’s available in terms of watch cases and boxes, there’s quite some variety. From the (often lousy quality) piano lacquered wooden boxes you can find on ‘the bay’ to the most luxurious bespoke, gold-plated, safe with multiple watch winders inside. For our shop, we made our own selection of what we think is good quality and good value for money. Now seeing this Rimowa watch box – that retails for an eyewatering 1,600 EUR – I just had to see and feel the quality.
The quality is superb! Really, I can’t remember having seen or handled a better quality watch box. It’s solid, robust and heavy. With a maximum of three watches inside and the box closed, I cannot imagine that anything could damage your watches. Rimowa states on their website that this Watch Box is fashioned to easily fit suitcases or travel bags… and that’s where they are wrong. Yes, it looks like a Rimowa suitcase, it feels like a Rimowa suitcase, and in my opinion, it feels even more solid and well-made than any of my Rimowa suitcases. But! This is not an ideal travel watch case unless you have a 10-person staff carrying all your belongings when you travel (with your private jet.) It’s simply too heavy!
With a weight of close to 1.3 kilos (kg), I wouldn’t consider bringing this with me on any trip. I won’t want to add any extra weight to my suitcase, simply because I’m the one carrying it. And even more so with the weight limits imposed by airlines! For travelling, I prefer our own, fly-under-the-radar canvas watch roll that’s always in my backpack. It holds up to five watches and it doesn’t scream for attention when going through customs or at any other place in the airport.
However, I really like this Rimowa Watch Case and in my opinion, it would look fabulous on my nightstand or in the dressing room, so I can pick my watch for the day. Big watches fit in snugly and I had no problem fitting in a CFB TravelTec or IWC Big Pilot. When the ‘tube’ glides open (and this goes extremely smooth) three removable padded cushions become visible. When your watches are on these cushions, you can add an additional top cushion layer for extra protection.
Altogether the new Rimowa Watch Case is superbly crafted, looks great, handles smooth, but is simply too heavy to use it when travelling. Keep it on your nightstand and you will select your watch of the day with a smile.
More info at the Rimowa website.