Treat yourself to handcrafted luxury with Charles Simon accessories
Buffy AcaciaThere are always ways to cheap out on anything. But for every brand that claims to offer a luxury product for attainable prices, there are ten no-name sellers whose products will fall apart in weeks. If you’re the kind of person who’ll spare no expense to avoid buying something twice, then an upmarket brand like Charles Simon is the only place to look. It’s not just about getting the best materials and having some neat designs, but the attitude of excellence that comes from an engineering background.
One of the biggest factors setting Charles Simon apart from all other watch accessory brands is that it is not solely a watch accessory company. Watches undoubtedly play a strong part within the company’s culture, but its catalogue expands into business, lifestyle, and travel products, including an incredible suitcase with retractable wheels. The founders, of course, Charles and Simon, were both accomplished engineers before starting this company in 2014. Based in Montreal, Canada, everything is handmade in their own studios. We’re not just talking about basic leatherwork either, as most hobbyists could stitch together a decent watch roll in a few afternoons of effort. Charles Simon is also well-versed in the precision machining of aluminium, which is incorporated into many of its products.
Charles Simon’s newest product is also one of its simplest, and that’s the Oscar 1 Watch Roll. As the name suggests, it’s designed for daily carrying of a single watch in a rigid French Taurillon leather shell, lined with soft Alcantara. A flexible inner card prevents your watch’s bracelet from scratching itself or the caseback, and the tray is completely removable should you want to keep your watch displayed on your desk while working to avoid desk rash. If your watch has a leather or otherwise two-piece strap, there’s also a Tall version of the Oscar, which has more length to prevent straps from getting scrunched up unnaturally.
Another option for single watch storage is the Theo, which may be a more familiar shape to those whose watch rolls emulate the shape of a wrist. This generally works well for both bracelets and straps. The aluminium cap makes for a great point of grip as well as a stylish embellishment, but it also doubles as a friction fit to transform the roll into a watch stand. When placed horizontally, the stem juts upright for a fun watch display that can also be colourful depending on your purchase. You can also decide on the colour of the aluminium anodisation, whether it’s black, a natural grey, or a champagne gold.
Watch stands are pretty much the ultimate excess. There’s really no benefit you can get from a stand that you can’t get from a smaller case or a box that can fit multiple watches, but that won’t stop anyone who relishes the finer things. The Charles Simon Hudson 1 Watch Stand is made from blocks of anodised aluminium welded into its sculptural and geometric shape, then covered with soft Alcantara. While in theory it is only designed to hold a single watch, you can probably fit two or three if you slide two along the top or utilise the bottom row as a tray.