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The Best Cases, Rolls and Pouches for Traveling With Your Watches

Keep your beloved timepieces safe and orderly.

hodinkee oval leather travel case Hodinkee Shop
Andrew Connor

By Zen Love and Andrew Connor

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Putting together the perfectly packed and organized travel bag is immensely satisfying, and if you’re traveling with your watch collection in tow, be sure to extend that satisfaction to your timepieces. A good case, roll or pouch should keep your watches safe and organized and be compact enough to fit in with the rest of your on-the-road gear – here are our favorites, ready for your next adventure.

Products in the Guide

Watch Rolls vs Cases

What’s the difference between the options you have for carrying watches? It’s pretty straightforward. Watch rolls are relatively compact and they, well, roll right up to secure your watches from most risks they might face when traveling. What they don’t do is provide a hard outer shell that would protect a watch from pressure if it were, say, stored with other bags on top of it or which might shift around. Or if someone sat on your bag with your watch roll inside. Pouches offer similar considerations as rolls.

That said, watch rolls and pouches are usually more than sufficient, especially if you pack them carefully. Cases, on the other hand, do offer stiff material to protect watches from any such pressure. This is probably what you want if you’re carrying around delicate, high-value watches — though hard cases do tend to take up more room in your luggage that could be used for hotel soap.

What to Look for in Your Watch Travel Solutions

In addition to the above considerations, there are a few things you’ll want to look for in any solution for helping you travel with your watches. You’ll obviously take note of how many watches you can carry at once, but if you’ve got big watches, also pay attention to whether or not they’ll fit. Thick watches might not fit into pouches (including those in watch rolls) and they might make cases hard to close. Wide watches might cause similar issues. If you can’t tell from the specs or info offered by the seller, it’s advisable to ask.

Materials are another factor. These can affect everything from durability to style and even weight — the latter of which is always relevant to travelers. At the lower end of the spectrum, you really just need something utilitarian and hopefully durable. When you’re paying more money, though, you’re going to want to know that you’re getting nice materials and workmanship — depending on your budget you might want to look for real leather with nicer treatments, as opposed to the “PU” (for polyurethane, also known as “pleather”) often found on more affordable options.

Watchpod Travel Case

  • Materials: Balistic nylon
  • Capacity: 1 watch
  • Closure: Zipper
  • Measurements: 2” x 5” x 5”

So you just want a simple and cheap way to carry around an extra watch while traveling? If you don’t want anything fancy, you can’t go wrong with one of these lil’ guys. The hardshell case features 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon and a padded interior, and the conical shape provides a base for your watch to wrap around while the case is closed, keeping it held in place.

DSPTCH Dopp Kit

  • Materials: Balistic nylon or twill
  • Capacity: Unspecified
  • Closure: Zippers
  • Measurements: 9” x 4” x 4”

Okay, yes, this is a dopp kit, and its primary purpose is for typical dopp kit things — which are not watches. Except it has an ingenious ace up its sleeve: a drop-out compartment with a built-in valet tray. So this ingenious little compartment fulfills two needs at once, storing your watch both for transport and for when you get to your destination. In fact, we love it so much we gave it a GP100 award way back in 2014.

Worn & Wound ADPT EDC Watch Fold

  • Materials: Neoprene, nylon
  • Capacity: 1 watch
  • Closure: Paracord
  • Measurements: 5.75” x 2.5”

Worn & Wound’s ADPT EDC Watch Fold fold is simple, functional and looks cool as hell, thanks to some bright color accents. The interior of the fold is made up of two soft neoprene pouches accommodating two watches, and the exterior is made from handsome and durable 1000D nylon. Meanwhile, a length of 550 paracord keeps the fold closed together.

Timex Leather Folio Case

  • Materials: Smooth Gange Leather, “soft-touch fabric,” nylon
  • Capacity: 2 watches
  • Closure: Zipper
  • Measurements: 6.5” x 5.125” x 1.125”

Sometimes, watch brands are some of the best sources for finding watch carrying solutions. Makes sense, right? Not that many other companies are going to be that tuned in to the needs of watch wearers. An excellent case in point: Timex with this Folio Case that neatly holds two watches and a passport.

Convoy Watch Roll

  • Materials: Italian full-grain Nappa leather
  • Capacity: 4 watches
  • Closure: Cord and toggle
  • Measurements: 30.8cm x 25cm

Convoy Co’s watch roll represents one of the better values on this list – it fits four watches, while an additional pocket can carry extra straps, spring bars and a strap-changing tool. Better yet, it’s made from Italian leather that will patina nicely with age.

B&R Canvas Watch Roll

  • Materials: Washed canvas, Italian suede/leather
  • Capacity: 4 watches
  • Closure: Leather cord
  • Measurements: 11.5” x 11.5”

B&R bands are primarily on our radar for their quality watch straps, but we took notice of their canvas watch roll. Holding four watches (with another pocket for a tool or the like) it’s got a rugged look but with the kind of premium details appropriate for your precious watches. Canvas provides a durable exterior but soft suede lines the inside and it’s all secured with an Italian leather strap.

Crown & Buckle Navy Canvas Watch Roll

  • Materials: Canvas, microsuede
  • Capacity: 6 watches
  • Closure: Velcro
  • Measurements: 15.25” x 5.75”

Another rugged design that can fit up to six watches, this roll features a canvas exterior that’ll hold up to abuse and look better with age. Meanwhile, a soft microsuede interior won’t be rough on your watches. The closure is canvas band that’s secured with Velcro-style hook and loop. It’s available in four color variants.

Wolf British Racing Green Triple Role

  • Materials: Pebble-grain leather, suede
  • Capacity: 3 watches
  • Closure: Snap
  • Measurements: 8” x 3.25” x 3.25”

While a hard-sided watch roll doesn’t accommodate as many watches and accessories as a soft roll-up, it offers just a bit of added protection. Wolf is well known as a maker of solid watch accessories for the money, and for under $250, you get a handsome full-grain leather exterior and a soft suede interior that will keep three of your timepieces safe and sound. In even includes a cheeky secret compartment integrated into the roll.

Moore & Giles Accessories Case

  • Materials: Vegetable-tanned leather, shearling, brass
  • Capacity: Unspecified
  • Closure: Zipper, snap (interior)
  • Measurements: 8” x 4.5” x 1”

If you really want to make sure you’re watches are cradled in the plushest way, how about a case made with a shearling lining? This case from American leather goods purveyor Moore & Giles has that, along with an exterior made of leather from Virginia. While the additional interior pocket is meant for small items like earrings and cufflinks, we see no reason why you can’t pack a couple of extra NATO straps in there.

Hodinkee Leather Travel Tube

  • Materials: Leather, suede
  • Capacity: 3-4 watches
  • Closure: Buckle
  • Measurements: 8.5” x 3”

While Hodinkee makes plenty of fine watch-carrying solutions, their handmade leather roll is a truly upscale option with many of the features you’d expect from a good roll: a refined leather exterior, an interior lined with soft suede and space for a few watches.

Shinola Multi Watch Case

  • Materials: Vachetta leather
  • Capacity: 3-4 watches
  • Closure: Snap
  • Measurements: 4” x 8.6” x 3.5”

Two things that come to mind when you think of Shinola (aside from shoeshine and old-timey expressions) are likely watches and leather products. The modern brand was built on the former but in the latter area they do make some fine items, indeed. A leather watch case from the brand ain’t cheap, but it’s also going to be of high quality, and this one is made from vachetta leather and holds three larger watches or four smaller ones.

Everest Watch Portfolio

  • Materials: Calf leather, microfiber
  • Capacity: 3 watches
  • Closure: Snap
  • Measurements: Undisclosed

A unique concept from Everest — which makes some damn-fine rubber straps for Rolexes — this “watch portfolio” features an exterior made from naturally-tanned calf leather, a soft interior that has three removable watch pouches. As a bonus, it accommodates straps and tools as well and even features a zippered pocket on the outside fold for extra storage.

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