It seems like there are as many good watch storage solutions out there are there are watches — from rolls to cases to trays to safes to boxes, there’s a product in every price range for every type of collector.
There are few companies who know the business of watch collecting better than NYC’s Analog/Shift, however, and to that end, the famed vintage watch retailer has released a new collection of refined storage accessories. Consisting of a tray, a wooden watch box and a “coffin lid”-style leather box, the Vintage Collection is produced by WOLF, a 180-year-old company that specializes in storage solutions such as elegant boxes and watch winders.
Analog/Shift founder James Lamdin spoke to the inspiration behind the collection: “The idea behind it came from the likeliest of places: all the cool old stuff kicking around my offices! Nearly two years ago I had Simon (Wolf) and his team visit to discuss another project — The Red Bar Collaboration that launched earlier this summer — and Simon and I got to chatting about all the great vintage packaging on display, much of it highly collectible in its own right. As we chatted, Simon disclosed to me that his family had been responsible for the design and manufacture of much of the iconic packaging and display material that I had been collecting, and you can see where it went from there. WOLF makes incredibly high-quality storage and travel accessories for collectors, so hooking up with them to identify, design, and launch a collection of vintage-inspired product with Analog/Shift was a perfect match.”
Analog Shift/WolfThe first piece in the Vintage Collection is the Strap Changing Tray ($115), a small green pebble vegan leather valet with ultrasuede lining meant to help you in that most accident-prone of horological endeavors — the strap change. There’s nothing particularly complicated about the design — it features three spaces for straps, watches, or other accessories and a flat leather tray for the actual strap changing business — but having a quality surface to work on in order to avoid scratching both your watch and a table top is a welcome thing. With its good looks, it can easily double as a desktop valet for several watches or your EDC.
Analog Shift/WolfNext up is the Flatiron II 5-Piece Watch Box ($325). Crafted from maple with a walnut inlay and cork and khaki cotton canvas lining (say that three times fast), the Flatiron II has space for five timepieces and features brass hardware, miter joints with contrasting hardwood splines, a knurled puller and a subtle gold-foil logo. The successor to a box made in Brooklyn in 2015 that quickly sold out, the new box takes advantage of WOLF’s nearly two centuries of manufacturing experience to offer a refined sequel, and a great storage solution for your very best watches.
