Reply With QuoteVery tidy indeed. I like the way the watch heads float...
I started out with just one or two watches carefully placed alongside each other in a small unpadded box but then "Sales Corner" messed everything up and I realised I needed a better sort of storage to protect the watches. I decided on making a watch box from a Pelican case after seeing some of the nice photos in these threads, particularly Ian's (a.k.a. Backward point) in this thread:
Building a Peli Case Watch Box (text and picture heavy)
...and a post by "richnyc" in this gargantuan thread of 220 posts all about Pelican cases:
Thrilled with new PELICAN CASE
I finally settled on the Pelican 1170 case in Desert Tan colour, as it is one of the flattest in height terms, while enabling you to store 7-10 watches depending on layout in a relatively compact size.
I ordered it from 3d-cases.co.uk costing £38.82 plus VAT plus delivery. The lack of competition in Pelican pricing in Europe, and vastly cheaper prices in the USA, was discussed in this thread:
The box arrived, and it was exactly the high quality that I was expecting. Everything functions very nicely and the two-stage release levers are a whole lot easier to use than the old style. Now the question was how best to arrange the layout of the watches and cut the foam accordingly. The Pelican cases have what they call a "Pick 'N' Pluck" foam insert, which essentially means it is half-cut into cubes making it very easy to create shapes that fit your contents. The 1170 model is a grid of 19 squares width, 10 squares height, and about 3 squares in depth.
Around the edges is a 1-square-wide uncut surround, and underneath is also a 1-square deep uncut layer. The whole foam insert removes out of the case making the cutting fairly easy.
I currently have 8 watches but was hoping to create 10 spaces as per Ian's layout in the first link above. Because I'm an obsessive git and didn't want to mess it up, I created a grid layout in Photoshop and then experimented with different options:
I was pretty much settled on a 10 watches layout of five 5x2 holes and five 4x2 holes, giving me 10 spaces:
But then after putting my watches in these positions they seemed a bit uncomfortably close together. So I decided to drop down to only 8 spaces but in a nicer layout that allowed more space between each watch. In this design there are three 4x2 holes for smaller watches, three 5x2 holes for bigger watches, and two 6x2 holes for larger watches with stiffer straps.
In case anyone else ends up with the same case and is wondering about different possible layouts, I have uploaded all the alternate layouts I came up with here.
I used broken-in-half wooden cocktail sticks to mark out the above layout on the foam, and then carefully used a sharp knife to cut out the holes. I tried to keep the block of squares for each "hole" intact so that I could re-use these blocks as cushions for each watch.
I played around with using the cushions, but in the end I decided to just place the strap in the hole with the watch head sitting on top of the surrounding foam. It seems easier and quicker to get the watches in and out.
I am very happy indeed with the final result. In retrospect I perhaps should have got a slightly larger case to allow for future Sales-Corner temptation. As I said I was hoping to squeeze 10 watches in and while you could indeed do that, especially if none of them are large, I felt the 8 watch layout was better overrall. There are some photos of the final result below, but first I want to give a big 'thank you' to Ian who in the true spirit of the forum spent a load of time in email discussion giving me excellent advice about the various details.
PS - In case anyone is wondering, these are the watches:
Top row: Swiss Army, Speedbird III GMT, Sekonda Tideranger
Middle row: Crepas El Buzo, Kemmner Bund
Bottom row: Modded Seiko SKX007, Tactico TC2, Sekonda Tideranger Ana-Digi
PPS - If anyone was wondering, here is what it looked like layed out with....
10 watches: (They do fit, but are a bit close together maybe risking hitting each other at some point, which as Ian correctly pointed out, defeats the whole purpose of the exercise)
9 watches: (this fits better than 10, as long as the center watch is a small one)
8 watches - alternate layout: (this has plenty of room and is a good layout, I just thought the one I used was prettier)
Last edited by occamsrazor; 1st October 2014 at 17:25.
Very tidy indeed. I like the way the watch heads float...
Great case, nicely executed and very informative.
Thanks.
Good choice :)
Like the layout - Tempted to order a new foam set and redo mine as struggling a bit with a couple of larger pieces.
Nice collection too!!
I find this oddly pleasing to look at. Wonder why?
In any event, good work!
Well planned and executed - good job!
That looks really good!
I might need to get another foam insert for mine now.......
And a Kemmner Bund!
It's true the foam inserts are dead cheap - £6 at Amazon UK - and as they are easily removable you could have a couple in different layouts for different watches.
Good work! Looks great. Also have a Peli case but I think you made a better job of it… might have to order some new foam and have another shot.
Thanks for all the nice comments. I have updated the end of the original post with photos of the 10, 9, and 8 watch layouts that I tried first before settling on the one I used.
That's the level of obsessive, craftsmanlike attention to detail that I've come to expect from TZ. Lovely work, and now I have to get one too!
Hmmmmm - now I'm thinking about building one of these and a rotating plinth to clip it onto to provide winding functionality.....
My 1400
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Nice cases ! Do you guys keep them in a safe like this as look a bit bulky ? I use breitling travel cases in a small safe at the moment but am considering something larger so be interested if you keep locked away as do look very handy if fit well ?
Think you've started a trend here mate!
Nice. Are you using the "foam cushions" inside the holes, or not? I didn't feel they added much and were a hassle, and without them the watch heads just sat nicely on top of the holes anyway.Originally Posted by bitfield
Nicely presented.Think you've started a trend here mate!
Nope, you're right - no need for them. The watches fit snugly into the holes, they're displayed beautifully, and the layer of foam inside the lid holds them solidly in place when it's closed. The whole thing feels very well-engineered.
I got this to be a travel box, but I like it so much it's been promoted to my main watch box, and I'm going to get a smaller one for travelling!
Too bulky for my safe. Used mainly for transport.
I use a "slice" of pipe lagging to strap each watch round.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Great idea this. Looks way more secure than the average watch box too.
Might do this when I get my next watch.
... but probably with a smaller pelican box to limit myself.
So here's the travel case version, based on the Peli 1120. This is just the right size to stuff in my overnight bag or a suitcase; I prefer that to carrying a separate case which I might leave on a train or in a coffee shop...
This was the layout I ended up using, which is similar to occamsrazor's for the bigger case (I like the idea of offsetting the watches so that the crown of one doesn't bump into the watch next to it). The foam is a little harder to work with, since the cells are smaller, but it's still pretty easy.
Here's the Peli 1120 next to the 1170 to show the size difference (I found it quite hard to visualize how big it would be).
And here's the case in my hand to show how small it actually is! (No, I'm not a giant. That's a really small case.)
Really very nice....safe and sound combined with stylish lay out
WOW! That's brilliant. Certainly have to look into that.. Watch forums are a dangerous game - for the wallet.So here's the travel case version, based on the Peli 1120. This is just the right size to stuff in my overnight bag or a suitcase; I prefer that to carrying a separate case which I might leave on a train or in a coffee shop...
This was the layout I ended up using, which is similar to occamsrazor's for the bigger case (I like the idea of offsetting the watches so that the crown of one doesn't bump into the watch next to it). The foam is a little harder to work with, since the cells are smaller, but it's still pretty easy.
Here's the Peli 1120 next to the 1170 to show the size difference (I found it quite hard to visualize how big it would be).
And here's the case in my hand to show how small it actually is! (No, I'm not a giant. That's a really small case.)
Bought a 1120 a couple of months ago and it was just sitting there so decided to have a go. I got some pipe insulation foam (£2 from B&Q) which I used to support the watch in its slot. With a bit more planning I could have got another watch in there but ho hum. I went a bit too big on the first slot and had to glue some of the foam back in but found 3x6 was ideal cutting the insulation foam to about 2.9cm wide which made for a snug fit but not too snug so it starts dragging on the pick and pluck foam when pulling the watch out.
Thanks to this thread I bought a 1120 case and gave it a go. The sections removed are 5x2 squares. The watches are a bit close to each other, but apart from that I'm quite pleased.
Always loved the look of the Omega 176.007....
Peli cases are excellent.
Thanks for the review and photos.
Given me some ideas
That they certainly are. You can also padlock them/chain them to something solid, and because they are airtight and waterproof you can store your prized possessions anywhere where a thief is unlikely to look, which is a bonus if you don't have a safe.
Great thread everybody. Just wondering if anybody puts a silica gel sachet in the case to absorb moisture or is it possible that it would dry out the oils in the watch too much? In case (no pun intended) anyone is wondering I did an online OCD test and failed.
Thread ressurection.
Anyone have a pelicase (or similar) for 5 watches? What size are the internals?
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