Three Watch Accessories That I Use Every Day

I’ve loved watches my whole life, but I’ve only been collecting watches for a couple years now. During that time, I’ve noticed that, like any hobby, watch collecting offers plenty of routes further down the proverbial rabbit hole. There’s always another complication to learn about, a new brand to discover, and of course, accessories to try out. Today, I’d like to share three of those accessories that I use every day.

In full transparency, I did not purchase the accessories I’m about to mention; unsurprisingly, I work for the company whose website you’re reading this blog on. I was provided the products for free. That said, and unfortunately, I have purchased countless accessories from many other brands, and would like to think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to watches and watch accessories.

Watch Roll

Watch rolls are traditionally used for travel or otherwise transporting watches, but they can just as well be used to store watches at home. I have the Everest two-watch roll in Heritage Brown (below, right); it remains full at all times, safely keeping whatever watches I’m not wearing. With a padded microfiber interior (with removable inserts), there’s no doubt that my watches are safe. Also – the Italian leather exterior smells nice.

The beauty of the watch roll is, when it is time to go on a trip or attend a RedBar event, you have a perfect storage method already sorted: no more putting watches in socks, wrapping them in T-shirts, or (god forbid) loose in a backpack. Available in sizes to fit 1-4 watches, the Everest Watch Roll will remain a staple in my watch collecting journey.

A Smörgåsbord of Straps

Remember the rabbit hole I mentioned earlier? Straps are usually the first foray. It’s rare that a day passes where I don’t swap out a strap (I know – I spend too much time thinking about watches). We’ve written countless articles detailing the differences in various strap styles/materials, but nylon and rubber are my personal frontrunners.

My most-worn watches are usually equipped with 2.0mm spring bars and see a number of different nylon straps throughout the month. I’ve unconsciously fallen into this pattern, probably because it requires no tools and I tend to wear sportier watches that go well with nylon. That said, rubber stays in the rotation as well.

Two watches I wear very often are my Seiko SKX013 (above) and my Hamilton Khaki Automatic: both with 20mm lug widths. This is one of the more popular sizes out there, and luckily, it’s compatible with the Everest Universal Curved End Rubber Strap. This FKM vulcanized rubber strap has quick release spring bars (firmly affixed within an ABS plastic insert), meaning you don’t need any tools to install it. The slight curve where the strap meets the lug makes for an almost-integrated look on round watches, but still fits many flat-lug watches (like skin divers) that I’ve tried.

Spring Bar Tool(s)

If you want to swap straps, you’re going to need a spring bar tool. Although quick release straps don’t require tools to install/remove, you’ll need a tool to remove the bracelet or strap that you’d like to swap out in the first place. Everest has a number of spring bar/bracelet sizing tools available. If you just need a basic spring bar tool and a screwdriver (to size bracelets with screwed-in links), you can go for a travel kit. If you find yourself removing bracelets, specifically Rolex bracelets with any frequency, you should go for the Spring Bar Calipers. This is the industry standard bracelet removal for watchmakers worldwide. It features replaceable tips, meaning it will last far longer than any other style of spring bar tool.