Today, we are releasing our latest watch storage accessory, the Zip Box. It is available in three sizes (storing 2, 4 and 8 watches), and in three different colourways (Black, Brown, Grey). Click here to begin shopping, and read on if you would like to learn more about how the Zip Case was conceptualised and brought to market.
Ideation
The Zip Box is not the first zip-based watch case that we've made - we started out by making the Zip Case, which is a more compact and portable case. While the Zip Case is great if you are often on the go and bring your watches around, it is not ideal for two reasons. Firstly, it is not suited for watches on bracelets or integrated straps, since the watches have to lay flat. Secondly, it does not allow you to display the watches within.
After launching the Zip Case Duo, and learning more about the needs of the watch community, we set out to design another watch case that we think would appeal to most watch collectors. We had three basic requirements for the case:
- Store. Any watch storage solution must be able to store watches. We wanted to provide multiple options to cater to the needs of the community, and that meant having cases that could store anywhere from 2 to 8 watches.
- Protect. Watch cases must also provide sufficient protection to the watches, both from any external impact, and from knocking against the rest of the watches within.
- Showcase. As a firm believer that watches are functional art pieces, the case must not only be classy and presentable to match up to the watches, but the design had to allow the watches to be nicely presented and showcased.
With those requirements in mind, we started designing and making the very first prototypes 8 months ago, and after three different prototypes, we are finally ready to launch our Zip Box.
Features of the Zip Box
Here are some of the features of the Zip Box that we think allow it to stand out from the rest of the watch boxes on the market:
- As always, we use full grain Saffiano leather for the exterior, so the case is extremely durable against scratches and water damage, and should see many years of use.
- The interior is made with a polyester microfiber velvet that has a plush quality of velvet, is easy to maintain and soft to the touch. It has a feel of luxury that can match up to the watch collection.
- Compressible pillows on the Zip Box are padded with a soft, sponge-like material and comes in an "M"-shape that allows for easy compression. Regardless of whether your wrist size is 14cm or 19cm, or whether you use a strap or a bracelet, these pillows can handle it all.
- We designed the watch case and pillow with very tight tolerances, thus ensuring that the watch pillows fit snugly and securely within the case, with no up/down or left/right movement.
- The Zip Box was designed such that the watches are not nestled and hidden within the protective walls of the case when the Zip Box is open, but are instead prominently displayed and showcased for all to admire.
- We made sure to provide sufficient protection and padding around the case, and between each watch slot, to keep the watches well-protected. At the same time, we didn't go overboard with the padding, attempting to find the right balance between protection and portability/size.
- The largest Zip Box can store up to 8 watches. While it is possible to make cases that can store even more than 8 watches, we feel that the size will become unwieldy, and the Zip Box might not be the best style for that.
Zip Box vs Zip Case vs Prism
With three different watch storage accessories (Zip Case, Prism, Zip Box) on offer, which one should you go for? Here's our thoughts:
- If you want to store more than 3 watches in one case, you have to go with the Zip Box (for now).
- If you want the most compact watch storage case that is best suited for travelling / moving around, and don't need to store any watch that is fitted on a bracelet, go with the Zip Case.
- If you want a watch case where the watch is not in contact with any part of the watch case (except for the pillows), and/or want a watch case with a built-in workstation, go with the Prism.
- If you do not wish to deal with zippers, go with the Prism.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. I have small wrists. Can my watches fit in your Zip Box?
- Most definitely. We design our pillows to be sized smaller than the regular pillows on the market, and with a shape that is compressible. We have tested the pillows with watches meant for 14cm wrist.
2. Can I custom make the Zip Box with different leather / colour? Will you be releasing new colours?
- Unfortunately at this moment we do not allow customisation for the Zip Box. Each of these boxes are very complex to make, and we can only sell them at these prices because we are making the boxes in large quantities. To customise and make just one single box would be very cost prohibitive.
- We will release more colours over time, especially if there is interest from the community. Do let us know what colours you are interested in!
3. How much are the Zip Boxes?
- Zip Box (Two): US$245
- Zip Box (Four): US$395
- Zip Box (Eight): US$595
4. Are the pillows on the Zip Box interchangeable across the different sizes (2-watch, 4-watch, 8-watch)? Are they interchangeable with the pillows on the Prism?
- Yes, the pillows across our Zip Box collection are interchangeable - for example, you can transfer the pillow from the Zip Box (Eight) to the Zip Box (Two) without removing the watch from the pillow.
- However, pillows from the Zip Box collection are not interchangeable with the pillows from the Prism. The pillows on the Prism have rails that allow it to slide into the Prism case, while the pillows on the Zip Box do not have these rails.
5. My watches are very large (think 47mm Panerai). Will they fit in your Zip Box?
- The Zip Box is meant to accommodate watches with case size up to 54mm, so it should be able to fit most watches.
- However, the watch crystal will come into contact with the roof of the Zip Box, especially for watches with a thickness of more than 14mm.
- Nonetheless, the microfiber on the interior is very soft and will not scratch your watch, and the Zip Box still has enough protection. Hence, the watch crystal coming into contact with the Zip Box should not be of big concern.
6. I need a case that can store 10 / 12 / 14 watches. Can you make one for me?
- Firstly, congratulations on having such a large collection!
- Secondly, making a case to store so many watches will mean that the case becomes very large and unwieldy. We do not recommend storing more than 8 watches in a design like the Zip Box, and at the moment we do not take custom orders for watch cases.
- That being said, we are looking into designing watch accessories that do not have to be as portable, and can accommodate more than 8 watches. If you have any ideas, feel free to let us know!
