PRODUCT REVIEW: Toxic Watch Rolls – Made in the USA by Toxic NATOs

A watch roll seems to be standard equipment these days for many watch collectors. Just attend any watch meet-up and you will likely see more watch rolls than watch cases. If this sounds interesting, then sit back and read about my quest for the perfect watch roll. The one I found is excellent, affordable and made by a familiar company.

Watch collectors are picky about protecting their watches and we all have our preferred methods of storage and transportation. Some people prefer hard cases that look like you are carrying gold ingots around. If you want to really cause a scene entering a watch meet-up, just add handcuffs to the suitcase’s handle. You could even rig the case to have a soft golden glow with a single gold-plated Seiko inside. haha. This could make you like Jules from Pulp Fiction, and you know he was a bad motherf**ker because it said so right on his wallet. But I digress.

Watch cases are designed to carry large numbers of watches with maximum protection. Each watch sits around a soft velvet pillow and they are inserted into slots to keep them from touching each other. A layer of foam in the case top comes down and compresses to keep the watches in place and safe from bumps. A hard outer shell protects watches from scrapes and dings. A “lock” gives the appearance of security, but let’s not get crazy… these are really for looks and could be picked with a screwdriver. Still, it might keep honest (or incredibly lazy) thieves out for a while.

While I really like using the TSBOXAL12 Watch Case that I reviewed before, there are times when a more stealthy and low-key method of transportation is a good idea. Watch rolls are a lot easier to hide than a large watch suitcase. Instead of a flashy aluminum case that might attract the wrong kind of attention, a watch roll can easily look like a rolled up burrito. Who’s gonna mug you for a burrito? Practically nobody…unless they are REALLY hungry.

I have to admit that I am a bit slow to get into the watch roll game. I have been sitting back and looking at what other watch enthusiasts bring to the local Watch GTGs, also known as “watch get-togethers”. For the most part, I have seen a lot of leather watch rolls. It seems like a natural choice seeing how watch nerds like high-end leatherwork on their fancy straps. Like those straps, leather watch rolls can cost a fortune running well over $100 or more. I was not willing to spend that, even if I liked the look of them.

Being the bonafide cheapskate that I am, I decided to try to find a bargain watch roll. It took me three brands to finally find one that I think is worthy enough to put my watches in… and guess what?  It is not leather. Yeah, I was surprised too. The model that I picked was the 5-slot TOXIC WATCH ROLL by Terry over at Toxic NATOs. Anybody who has been collecting watches has probably already heard of this company.

Toxic NATOs has been in business for only three years (as of late 2018) but has a stellar reputation for no-BS products that offer great quality and value to watch collectors. Terry is a U.S. Army veteran who worked in COMSEC Repair Tech (don’t ask or he’ll have to kill you). Toxic NATOs is famous for their watch straps, concentrating on NATO style straps that offer more than the competition. Whether it is their Toxic Shiznit, Toxic Zulu or Toxic Magnum (the affordable Isofrane replacement), these straps get rave reviews from a lot of people. You should definitely own at least one, or two or four Toxic NATOs if you like great quality watch accessories. However, this is a watch roll review so let me get back on target.

Like I mentioned previously, it took me a while to settle on the TOXIC WATCH ROLL. Boy, do I feel dumb now because this ended up being a clear choice (knowing what I know now). I had a few failures before I found the solution that worked for me. This included a $10 nylon watch roll that was embarrassing when someone pointed it out at a meeting. I have to admit that placing your precious watches on watch roll made from cheap materials can make your wonderful watches look silly. Watch meetings are where you want to strut your stuff and not look like a clown.

Watch rolls not only carry watches between home and destination, but they pull double-duty as a display mat. Once you get to where you are going, you simply unfurl the watch roll to reveal individual slots where your watches are nestled. Many people pull the watches from their slots and sit them on top of the roll. This is preferable to putting your watches on a sticky table. Also, this method puts the watches in a confined zone so you can easily glance at your collection to make sure that they are all there. Call it a simple safeguard.

After my plastic watch roll “fail”, I tried to buy a leather watch roll from a reputable company. It was on holiday special and I could get a $70 leather watch roll for $35 so I purchased it from StrapsCo. I do not really want to ding this company or their product because they were really nice about accepting a return. I’ll just say that I did not like that my watches would have been a tight fit in their leather watch roll. I was unwilling to shove my larger chronographs into the snug slots. I am a freak about scuffs on my watches and I keep them away from abrasives… even somewhat softer ones like roughout leather. Sure, I know I baby my watches, but that is why they look so good.

The outer shells of TOXIC WATCH ROLL are made from the same heavy-duty canvas that Carhartt, the popular outdoor apparel company, uses. Inside, an incredibly soft velvet cacoons your watches (or knives or EDC gear). Untreated canvas dries fast in case your roll ever gets wet, and Terry said you can treat the roll to make it water resistant if you ever wanted that. Sheets of canvas and velvet are sewn together with nice clean stitches and perfect edges. Terry told me that these rolls are the work of a single artisan’s hands and she has bonafide great skill sewing and expertise in making tool storage rolls. If you think that person lives somewhere overseas, you would be wrong. TOXIC WATCH ROLLs are made in the U.S.A., which means the cool factor just went up even higher.

There is another benefit of having canvas and velvet sewn together. When rolled up, the TOXIC WATCH ROLL feels like it is padded. Many leather watch rolls feel like there is little buffering between the watches, but that is not how it is with the TOXIC WATCH ROLL. The last feature of the TOXIC WATCH ROLL is a leather binding used to keep the roll tied. It’s simple, looks good and works great. What else would you need? How about a slot for your watch changing tool… it’s there too.

There is a wide variety of colors and slot combinations to choose from. I had a hard time narrowing it down, but I eventually picked the brown because I thought it would make a great background surface on which to photograph watches at watch meet-ups. Watch rolls tend to be the backdrops for many Instagram posts so this is something to consider.

Choose from black, olive, brown, blue or orange for the canvas colors and 3, 5 and 7-slots for the size. You really cannot go wrong with any combination that you choose. You could even get a few different colors to bring organization to your collection. Orange for your Seikos, black for your Pateks, green for your road rash Rolexes… haha

Besides the excellent materials and build quality, the real genius of the TOXIC WATCH ROLL is the extra large 3-inch wide (~77 mm) pockets. If you cannot fit your watch into one of these pockets, then you likely have a 60mm Invicta and you should just grab a garbage bag instead (just kidding!)

Not only are the pockets wide, but they are tall too. They are at least 2 to 3 times taller than the average roll and measure 5.75-inch (~148 mm) high. Many of the other rolls on the market have stubby pockets that only cover a watch head and do not provide the security and protection that the TOXIC WATCH ROLL does through a superior design.

As you can see, there is no chance that your bracelets will scratch each other because they will not touch once inserted into the deep pockets. If you happen to have more watches than slots, you can double-stuff a pocket with two watches if you insert them end-to-end. Of course, use common sense and pair a bracelet with a strap if you are double stuffing. Metal on metal can scratch in close proximity so be smart about it.

If you think about it, a TOXIC WATCH ROLL is kinda like Terry of Toxic NATOs himself. Each roll is tough on the outside but is really just a softy on the inside. haha. I mean that as a compliment of the highest order. Seriously. I feel like Terry instilled his personality into a product that stands for value, honesty, and integrity. In my book, that makes these watch rolls winners and they stand out from the rest of the pack. That is why I chose it over so many other watch roll designs of supposedly more luxurious materials.

The uses are not just restricted to watch nerds, and the TOXIC WATCH ROLL can also be used for knife collectors or EDC (everyday carry) enthusiasts. These guys are picky about their gear too obsessing like…well, watch collectors. If you like what you see, head over to ToxicNatos.com and buy some for yourself. You’ll love the TOXIC WATCH ROLL and better yet, you won’t look like a chump at your next watch meet-up.