Where to put the watch depends largely on one’s own preferences, which can be influenced by the size of a person’s collection, lifestyle and economy or space. Unless you only have one watch, like a fake Rolex, and wear it every day, you’ll likely need a place to store them when they’re not on your wrist. Storage options for watches can include original boxes, showcases, cases, packaging, wallets, winders, safes, and so on, so let’s explore some of the most common and relevant pros and cons.

This one is probably not ideal for many people and is a proposal I would only advocate if space were severely limited. Keeping the original box and papers of a watch you have bought yourself or managed to obtain pre-loved is essential should you ever wish to sell the replica watch for its maximum secondary market value, but using these boxes as storage systems is not a good idea on several fronts.

To begin with, overusing a box will only harm its condition and reduce its value. I store all of my original boxes in a separate box in a cool, dry location, away from any kind of light to prevent the exterior fading or becoming laden with dust.

Second, it looks a little messy. On most models, you can’t see the watches at a glance, and in some cases, the boxes of the same brand don’t have any visible signs that tell you what to see when you open them. For me, as long as the watch comes out of its original packaging, it shouldn’t go back there until it delivers it to a new home.

A display cabinet is a bit of an old-fashioned concept in this slick, tech-heavy world in which we live, but for those who prefer to arrange their watches behind glass in a static position, it is still an option. Individual watch stands are ever more available and can make for a display when marshaled with care and attention.

One of the reasons I favor cases is because I am often on the move, and sometimes need to travel with a huge number of watches in my possession for fairs or RedBar meet-ups. However, sometimes traveling with 15-20 watches is not only unnecessary but simply untenable due to luggage restrictions. Here watch wraps and watch wallets become necessary pieces of kit, and while I wouldn’t leave my replica rolex timepieces in either for a significant period, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve relied on these light-weight and durable options to get my beaters from A to B.

Look, it is certainly true that leaving a watch unused for a long time is unhealthy for it, but for a few days or several weeks at a time, it makes no practical difference. On the contrary, leaving a watch running constantly obviously increases the wear and tear sustained by the components, which are of course working harder and for longer than is necessary.

Whether a watch is a good fit for your collection depends on its size and composition. For example, if you rarely wear a watch, it’s not a bad idea to give them a little activity every few weeks to make sure the lubricant is still working, but doesn’t need to leave these rarely worn winder models running forever.

However, speaking of perpetuity, certain models would benefit from life on a watch winder, and those are very sophisticated models featuring things like perpetual calendars or complex moonphase indications that can run for over 100 years without needing to be reset. Watches of this complexity will benefit a lot from the wind-up mechanism of a watch, which is the main reason they exist in my mind.

Despite the high price tag of this stylish security device, it can be a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of replacing or repairing a fake watch that has been stolen or damaged due to a lack of storage solutions. Aside from insurance and regular maintenance to keep your replica watches in good working order, finding a home for them that will keep them happy and healthy for years to come is not something to sneeze at.