Making the case: The importance of watch packaging
Zach BlassEditor’s note: Making the case is a new column in which the author delivers a heartfelt argument on a watch-related theme. A tick-tock trial if you will. Today I tackle the importance of watch packaging. Does elaborate watch packaging really elevate the offering? Or is it a luxurious waste of time that will inevitably be thrown out?
For a watch collector, having a drawer full of watch boxes is inevitable. Retaining the “box and papers” to maintain your horological investment is an absolute must for the devout collector. But, for those who have yet to drink the enthusiast kool-aid, devoting space to store inner and outer boxes may seem batshit insane. And, to be fair, the mainstream watch buyer, unburdened by the so-called rules of collecting, probably disposes of the box once the watch is on their wrist. A recent picture set, however, from LoupeThis co-founder Eric Ku revealed that not all watch packaging is created equal.
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Thoughtful and elaborate watch packaging is by no means a new phenomenon, but this recently shared example of the box that the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Sejima Edition comes in, and the reaction it got in our Instagram post in the comments, really got me thinking. Does elaborate watch packaging elevate the offering? Or is it a luxurious waste of time – as some will consider any packaging to be waste destined to be thrown out.
Against: Large packaging is burdensome and should be tossed, so why bother?
To the majority, those not within the watch-collecting bubble, packaging is simply garbage to be thrown out. Clutter. I store my empty boxes in a drawer, and have multi-pillowed watch boxes from Wolf to store my watches. So, from the outside looking in, I could understand why those who do not understand the monetary value of storing the original boxes would think it is silly to keep the boxes – especially when watches usually are not actually stored in the original boxes.
Some brands have caught up to with idea that watch boxes can take up too much space, especially in a home where a collector’s partner or children will not be sympathetic to the loss of storage. It also can be considered waste from an environmental standpoint. As a result, some brands have pivoted away from traditional boxes to pouch rolls that not only serve as the box the watch is shipped in, but also a travel case for your timepiece. The Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide is a great example. A novelty born with sustainability in mind, the recycled plastic-cased watch is packaged in a usable coffee mug made using the tide’s recycled material with a removable watch stand that can rest within it. Obviously, you do not want to store your watch inside when you fill it with a hot coffee to take on the go.
My Hanhart 417 chronograph was shipped with an outer box that did not house an inner box. Instead, it held a leather travel pouch that arguably takes up less space and has greater utility than a standard square box. Another example of strategic packaging that showcases an understanding of the burden of big boxes is my Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton “Night Surfer” Time+Tide Edition. I really appreciated the fact that the inner box, which at first glance is the same rather large squared box with a single pillow, has a detachable component. Resting in the centre is a detachable travel box holding the sole watch pillow within, again offering a solution that takes up less space and has greater utility. These strategic packagings are creative solutions that acknowledge the idea that most people, who are not so concerned with the investment component of owning a watch, have no desire to keep bulky watch boxes.
For: Elaborate packaging can really elevate the ownership experience
The Octo Finissimo Sejima Edition was inspired by the “invisible train” in Japan, a train that is mirrored in finish on the outside so that it reflects the scenery around it as it rushes through the countryside. Therefore, creating such an effect for the packaging, as seen on the train and watch, is an incredibly thoughtful means of presenting the watch.
While by no means the most expensive watch on the market, considering each of the buyers are spending more than US$14,000 for this special edition justifies the notion it should have a special presentation box that reminds the lucky owners just how artistic and creative the watch they bought is. Sure, it takes up space. But the packaging is handsome enough to double as a piece of art within an owner’s home and helps tell the story behind the design of the watch in a really cool way.
Even at lower price points, I would argue that special editions call for special packaging as well. The Bamford Snoopy collaboration with HighSnobiety garnered a ton of attention in and outside of dedicated watch media for its clever Snoopy dog house box.
There are also instances in which the box is specially crafted to be an integral part of the offering. The unanimous star of Watches & Wonders in 2021, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque), has a box you would have to be criminally insane to get rid of. With an astounding four different dials on the watch, each hosting a lot of complications, JLC aptly created a watch box that would aid in the owner maintaining the accuracy of each indication. Jaeger-LeCoultre explained upon announcing the novelty: “The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 comes in an exceptional presentation box with a built-in mechanism that allows the wearer to quickly and intuitively set all the calendar and astronomical displays of the watch after a period of being unworn. A two-position crown on the side of the box is used to first set the number of days that have elapsed since the watch was last worn. With the Quadriptyque set within the correction support frame, the box corrector crown can then be extended to its second position and wound to rapidly bring the watch to the current date for all calendar and astronomical indications. There is no risk of overcorrecting the watch or damaging the movement, since the entire process is controlled by the box corrector mechanism.”
A similar instance would be the AMC Atomic Machine by Urwerk, where the box (of sorts) is actually an atomic clock that can both wind the watch and reset the watch in synchronisation with the incredibly accurate atomic clock.
My verdict
I will keep this short and sweet. In my opinion, standard offerings should use “strategic” packaging, but special editions require special presentation boxes. Unless the packaging really aids in telling the story of a special watch, I think more brands should look into creating smaller space-conscious solutions for watch packaging. And, even better, packaging should double as a travel solution for taking your watch along for your travels or your next watch meetup.