Baron - Mr Red raises a perennial question among luxury watch collectors: are watch boxes becoming excessively large and impractical? His post, featuring a striking 'tower' of watch boxes, prompts a lively discussion on the utility, cost, and environmental impact of these elaborate presentations. This article synthesizes community opinions on whether these 'white elephants' truly add value to the ownership experience.
I am curious to hear what other collectors think about this theme. Watch boxes - are they getting ridiculous? I know of one dear friend who has needed to dedicate an entire room in his house to watches. Now, a part of that is because he has rather a lot of documentation. Another part is about the accompanying boxes that come with our watches. Over the years, and as my collection has grown, I have become increasingly stunned at the size of boxes. For some comparison, I have taken a few out of their storage and built a small tower. Here it is...
From the Fifty Fathoms at the bottom, to the JLC Platinum No.1, then JLC Reverso Retrograde. Then comes the Panerai PAM 36 which is underneath the Patek 5070. The penultimate is a JLC Amvox and top of the pile (of course) the Rolex GMT.
Now, I am not going to begin to say that some of these boxes are not exquisite. The finish on the Patek would make it a beautiful jewellery box or even a cigar box. The Fifty Fathoms contains a metal flask! The Navy Seal has a superb eyepiece and magnifying glass. There are some exquisite boxes here. And no doubt I paid handsomely for them. But, here's the thing.....when I want a beautiful jewellery box for my wife, I buy a beautiful jewellery box. When I need a magnifying glass, I buy one. These boxes are superb, but actually there are only two occasions when I see them; first when I buy the watch and the watch arrives in the box. The last time i see the box is when i decide to sell a watch and it needs to be boxed for the new owner. Other than that, the boxes typically stay in a cupboard for storage and just gather dust. I certainly do not store my watches in these boxes during the course of ownership.
So, I am left contemplating just how much i paid for these "white elephants" and whether I would have been a great deal happier instead had the manufacturers simply provided me a sturdy but simple box and perhaps a watch carrier that would be useful if i ever travelled with the watch. Either way, something much simpler. The storage space taken, the cost embedded, the lack of functional use provided all make this aspect of collecting less than optimal.
I am curious to hear how other collectors view the situation. Having just collected my brand new Rolex GMT 116710, I am left looking at the simple green box, sturdy, effective and pretty much the smallest by far in the tower, and I am left thinking that Rolex have got boxes right. I want a great watch....not a great box.
This message has been edited by Baron on 2014-01-21 12:38:18
Key Points from the Discussion
Many luxury watch boxes are individual works of art, but the 'Swiss made' rules do not apply to them, suggesting they are often outsourced.
While experienced collectors often dismiss elaborate packaging, the average consumer buying a high-end watch expects and appreciates a 'majestic, exotic box' as part of the luxury experience.
Oversized boxes with rigid watch mounts can stress spring bars, especially for watches with deployant clasps on smaller wrists, leading some collectors to re-purpose boxes from other brands for better fit and protection.
A common sentiment among collectors is that a small, well-made travel etui or pouch would be far more practical for daily use than the large presentation boxes.
Some collectors appreciate nice boxes, especially those resembling cigar humidors, but acknowledge that many are 'white elephants' and that manufacturers would likely not pass on cost savings if simpler boxes were adopted.
The forum community, generally comprising seasoned collectors with multiple watches, largely views large boxes negatively, suggesting that their perspective might differ from the average buyer who owns fewer watches and values the initial 'pyrotechnics' of a grand presentation.
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The Discussion
PA
patrick_y
Jan 16, 2014
Ceremonious Boxes...
First of all. I'm biased. I like nice boxes. Especially cigar humidors. So I'm happy with these very nice boxes. However, some I wouldn't even consider very nice. FYI, many of these boxes, for instance the Patek Philippe and Panerai boxes are made in Thailand, so hopefully they weren't woo expensive, and hopefully they did not pass too much of an expense down to us, the consumer. I would agree with you that they should make simpler boxes and pass on the savings. But honestly, the manufacturers w
MA
marcelo
Jan 16, 2014
Reminded me of this:
;)
BA
Baron - Mr Red
Jan 16, 2014
They're all made out of ticky tacky!!!!!!
They may not all look the same, but they are all about as useful as each other! Marcello...i won't get that song out of my head for days. Thank you for that. J
MA
marcelo
Jan 16, 2014
You're welcome, J! ;) [nt]
DR
Dr No
Jan 17, 2014
Learned something new today . . .
. . . and can't believe I've never heard of her until now. Thank you, Marcelo.
MA
marcelo
Jan 18, 2014
My pleasure, Art. ;)
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