Watch travel case and pouch: how to transport your watches safely

The question comes up every time you travel: how do you transport your watches while travelling without damaging them? You slip one piece into a sock, another into your toiletries bag, and you find a scratched crystal when you arrive. Protection during transport is nothing like storage at home: in a suitcase, the constraints are impacts, crushing and space. That's why a well-chosen travel case or pouch is worth all the boxes in the world once you've left the door. I review the formats, materials and uses, so you can travel with peace of mind.

Why the home box doesn't travel

You're tempted to take the box you already have. Bad idea, and here's why in concrete terms. A classic watch box has a glazed lid that cracks or scratches as soon as a suitcase is thrown into a hold. Its rigid structure in wood or composite transmits impacts instead of absorbing them. And its weight, from 800 grammes to several kilos, eats into your baggage allowance for nothing. The box protects admirably on a chest of drawers. In motion, it's exactly the opposite of what you need.

The three travel formats, and which to choose

With us, travel comes in three formats, because they respond to three genuinely different uses. Here's how to tell them apart, with the actual weights measured on the pieces.

The zipped pouch: the most capacious

The zipped storage pouch lays watches flat on cushions, under a zip fastener that holds them in place. It's the format for collectors moving several pieces, or for a weekend when you're still undecided about which watch to wear. Compact, it stores flat at the bottom of a suitcase.

The cylindrical roll: the most protective

The roll (watch roll) is my favourite for 2 or 3 watches. Each piece is placed on a padded cushion, then the whole thing rolls up and closes with a strap. The cylindrical shape distributes impacts and presents no fragile flat surface. It nestles in a bag, between two garments, and protects even if the luggage is knocked about. It's the format I recommend for trips where you care about a few nice pieces.

The individual case: the most discreet

For a single watch, or a short trip, the individual case slips into a jacket pocket or handbag. Lightweight (150 grammes), it protects the piece you remove to go through a security gate, do sport or sleep at the hotel. It's also the simplest gift format to offer with a watch.

Composite faux leather or vegan leather: material for travel

As with boxes, let's be precise about materials, because travel puts them to the test. Our Voyager pouches and rolls, as well as the Trieste pouches, are in composite faux leather: a technical material that resists suitcase friction and wipes clean with a damp cloth. Our Verona cases, meanwhile, are in vegan leather, an animal-free alternative with a feel and grain close to leather, for those who prefer this choice.

Protecting against impacts, water and magnetism while travelling

A good travel case does three things. It absorbs shocks thanks to its cushions and flexible structure, whereas a rigid box transmits them. It resists moisture from your bag and the weather, provided it has a wipeable material. And it limits exposure to magnetism, not through shielding (no consumer travel case is antimagnetic), but simply by keeping your watches away from real sources such as magnetic closures on bags, tablets and travel speakers. For a mechanical watch, keep this habit of distance, the case does the rest.

For storing your collection at home, which has different requirements, consult our complete watch box guide. And if you own automatic watches that you don't wear when travelling, our watch winder guide explains how to keep them running whilst you're away.

Frequently asked questions about transporting watches

To learn more, consult our complete watch box guide for home storage, or explore all our horological advice and guides.