Whether travelling or on business, it can be tricky to take your favourite timepieces with you. The watch roll is therefore an elegant, space-saving solution that is perfectly suited to protecting the various components of a watch. Small jewels of technology and know-how, watches have a number of elements that are sensitive to scratches and other shocks, starting with the crown, push buttons and of course the dial. Avel and Men explains what a watch roll exactly is, its advantages and the situations in which it will be able to make the difference.
Watch roll: definition
In French, the mother tongue of the creators of Avel and Men, a watch roll is called a marmot. In other words: a groundhog. First and foremost, we then think of the small mammal that spends the winter in a deep burrow, very carefully closed. Perhaps there is indeed a link between the cute little animal and the owner of an Avel and Men leather watch roll who would spend the winter restoring beautiful regatta chronographs.
The Latin roots of the name marmot tell us it is the male of the mountain. The temptation is then great to establish a relationship with the watch case GENEVA and its Leman Lake nestled between the mountains: a paradisiacal place where marmots and navigators happily cohabitate. It is also a nod to the unique relationship linking the male to his vintage chronograph. Or perhaps it is simply our imagination.
Still, the marmot is, for the watch lover, above all a flexible case designed to protect watches. Depending on the model, one or more compartments can hold as many timepieces. The marmot is then rolled up on itself and secured with a closing system. Here again, different options are available to the collector, from simple Velcro to leather laces. In the case of Avel and Men, it is of course a piece of line, the technical rope par excellence from the world of sailing, which closes the watch roll.
Storing watches in a watch roll rather than a box
Finding a storage solution for watches is a delicate task. At home, at work or when travelling, the constraints are indeed not the same. However, the main objective remains unchanged: to protect the timepieces from outside view and from aggression, shocks and scratches. It seems natural to turn to a watch box. After all, isn’t it the case that is given to us by default with each new purchase?
While solid and often elegant, the case has some disadvantages. It is massive, voluminous, and therefore not easy to transport or store. The watch roll, on the contrary, is light, flexible and takes up very little space. It is therefore a perfect alternative to the box or any other type of specific watch storage. Thanks to its materials specially adapted to the storage of timepieces, the watch roll protects them from scratches and humidity while fitting in just about anywhere.
Protecting watches on the road and at home
Contrary to appearances, the watch roll is far from being only for collectors. Although they never go out without their favourite timepieces, they are not the only ones who can enjoy the advantages of a beautiful leather watch roll such as those available in the Avel and Men collection.
The watch roll is therefore intended to accompany all professionals who like to treat their watches with care. Watch brands and boutiques are of course included and can use it with customers. Their sales representatives do the same, constantly rolling and unrolling the larger capacity watch rolls to present their collection on the roads and at trade fairs. Finally, the sailors, for whom the notion of time is of prime importance, generally prefer not to have their last purchase sea-bathing.
On the move, business travellers are thanks to it able to place their most elegant timepieces in the safe for a well-deserved after work drink. Holidaymakers, on the other hand, may prefer to go out with a chic timepiece, but to swim with a sports watch during the day. On the contrary, they could be reluctant to play tennis with a Rolex.
Finally, everyone will enjoy using a leather watch roll as storage at home. In any case, it is easier to slide it into a drawer than into a box, and also easier to hide it from the view of the curious.
Avel and Men, watch rolls for every need
Avel and Men’s collection of watch rolls comes straight from the minds of enthusiasts of both vintage and sailing watches. The real needs of the users are therefore well known and the whole range is based on the protection and convenience necessary for the transport and storage of watches. Depending on the model, it is possible to store 1, 3, or 6 watches.
In terms of features, there are fairly high gussets that allow easy storage of watches head to tail. The leather is Italian; the manufacturing is of course French. The linings are made of cotton twill and display a design reminding of the isobaric charts so important when sailing. The whole is printed locally in Normandy, near the Avel and Men headquarters. In order to carry the passion down to the smallest details, every watch roll of the range is closed with a piece of line (technical rope) that only needs to be rolled up and blocked with a sailor’s flat knot. So, are you ready to fit out your watch roll?
Avel and Men, offering a range of leather goods for sea lovers, often sees its interlocutors smiling and wondering when we tell them that we make leather “marmots”! Few people are aware of the existence of this practical object, which is also used for other applications: painters use similar leather covers to store their brushes, as do pen collectors, who appreciate the large and high compartments of Avel and Men marmots, preventing objects from touching each other.
We hope you now know more about watch rolls and will take a fresh look at these beautiful pieces of leather goods next time you store your watches!
You can find our collection and new products on www.avel-and-men.com/en/.