How to safely store your watches
Tom AustinAll of us reading this probably have at least two things in common. Firstly, we all own watches, and if you don’t yet, chances are you soon will if you’re here reading this. The second thing is that we all need somewhere to store our watches when we’re not wearing them, and often, this gets completely overlooked as part of the whole watch-ownership experience. There are several things to consider when storing your watches, and while this may seem like overthinking, there’s more to it than you might think. Your watches are, for the most part, designed to outlive you, so long as you look after them, you want them to remain your property, too. So here’s a definitive look into how best to store your watches for longevity, security and peace of mind.
The sense of security
I’ll make an assumption here that if you’re fortunate enough to own a nice watch, chances are that you live in a relatively decent home, in at the very least a fairly respectable part of town. However, typically, these prerequisites don’t necessarily equate to solid home security. Usually, the nicer the area you live in, the more relaxed people tend to be when it comes to things like locking your home while you’re there during the day, or keeping expensive items lying around. Robbery usually comes as a shock, but it can and does happen, even in the nicest of areas. It’s also common for the feeling of a sense of security, it’s that ‘it will never happen to me’ kind of thing, which leads to people getting sloppy with locking up their valuables.
The reality is, though, unless you live in an impenetrable fortress, there’s always a risk of something bad happening. You can’t live your life thinking that thieves lurk around every corner, but you can stick to a few rules that probably should be applied if you have expensive luxury watches in your home. Firstly, lock your doors. It’s incredible how many people still leave their doors unlocked today, and those with bad intentions are aware of this. Walking into someone’s home is significantly easier if everything is unlocked, but if it’s all locked up, the chances of them having a go at it are way less.
Consider some basic security features, too, at least. Set that alarm you always walk past when you leave the house. Ring doorbell cameras are a handy and worthwhile addition, and door & window sensors are super cheap too. Also, consider getting a dog; dogs are just awesome anyway, but a loud, barking woofer is a brilliant deterrent for any would-be burglar. None of these will necessarily prevent something from happening altogether, but they’re regular additions to your life that can drastically improve things if you have nothing in place.
Lock it down
If you have several watches, it’s probably best to get a safe. And not one of those small tin-can things you see in hotel rooms, either. A decent, large safe is excellent for storing all kinds of valuables, sentimental things, documents and passports, etc, and it’s amazing the sense of security that a solid, heavy safe can give you. Go for a model slightly larger than you need (for more future watches, naturally) and preferably one that can be bolted to the floor or wall from the inside.
If you’re super-cautious, you can keep things in fireproof lockers, inside the safe for added protection. Small safes are fine, but they’re often easily crackable and can be easily picked up and taken. I know it seems like a pain to keep going in and out of a safe to get your watches, but after a while, it becomes second-nature. Like a lot of things, there are safes, and there are decent safes. Brands like Wolf offer a range of ultra-high-end watch safes with built-in winders, but the all-purpose safe world is a bit of a minefield, so I recommend speaking to a local independent dealer who can help you pick out the right thing for your needs.
To display or not to display
Watch enthusiasts leave watch boxes out on display because, as collectors, we love to collect things and show them off. But, to be honest, that’s just an open invitation for someone to take the entire thing, so for me, locking them away securely is the best way to go. If you’re going for the safe route, you will still need a good box to keep inside a safe anyway, and boxes like the Wolf 5 Piece box are superb additions to ensure your watches stay snug and scratch-free. You can even run power into some safes, allowing you to use watch winders such as the Wolf Roadster 4 Piece Winder, if you need to keep your watches set and running. This can be especially handy if you frequently change your watches, as you don’t have to keep setting the time each time you want to wear them.
Some people opt for a more utilitarian approach. I use a lockable, waterproof Pelican case for my watches, which can be picked up relatively inexpensively with pre-cut watch-sized inserts. It’s not the most glamorous of looks, and it can make you look a bit like a YouTube watch dealer, but it’s great that you don’t have to be precious about marking or dinging the box. The fit is secure, meaning that if you need to travel or move house with multiple watches in tow, it blends in inconspicuously and is incredibly safe and shock-resistant. Pelican cases are designed to securely contain (and waterproof!) expensive and fragile technical equipment, making them an ideal choice for luxury watches. Pick the right size, and they’ll fit comfortably in a safe, too, for extra security.
Cases don’t have to be boring plastic or posh, rich leather either, if that’s not your thing. Our friends at Cased in Time have you covered with their hilarious yet awesomely functional single watch travel cases, such as our Time+Tide Strawberry D’ohnut case, or the latest, and arguably tastiest yet, the Royale with Cheese case. These are great for storing watches in a safe or while travelling.
Secret stashes
If you’re super paranoid, you can even use hidden devices such as fake electrical outlets or hollow books that blend in on a bookshelf. These are especially good if you perhaps have a busy household where a lot of people come and go, but they do pose other risks. For example, they can be relatively easily stumbled upon, or, say, you used one like a fake food can – chances are, this could be thrown away. These solutions can make you feel very clever, until they don’t. Furthermore, and more critically, these devices offer limited protection in the event of a fire and will almost certainly lead to a total loss should the worst happen.
The ultimate solution
High-end luxury watches pose a reasonably high risk when it comes to security. They’re small, easily concealed, and often highly valuable and easily sold. That’s what makes them such prime targets for thieves. Ultimately, there is one solution which is probably the safest of all, and that’s in a safety deposit box at a bank. This is a relatively inexpensive solution that perhaps gives you the ultimate peace of mind. The smallest of boxes can cost around £250 per year, where you could store around 10 watches in a high-security vault, which is monitored 24/7.
I know several collectors who follow this rule because it offers significant protection from theft and disaster. But it does come with a couple of caveats. One drawback is that you can’t enjoy your watches at your leisure; you have to travel to and from the bank to change them out, which, for some, can be quite an inconvenience if you don’t live nearby. Furthermore, each time you do visit, you’ll be out and about with potentially several watches on you in public, which, again, poses a fair amount of risk in itself.
Closing thoughts
We all want to enjoy our watches; however, this can lead to laziness when it comes to storing them. I guarantee that if you’re reading this now, there is something you could do to tighten things up a little. Every solution has its drawbacks, though; no one solution trumps everything, at least without completely removing the enjoyment from things. Oh, and one final bonus tip: Social media. We all love to share our watches on social media, and it’s become an enormous part of watch collecting lately. Consider where you are and what it is you’re sharing, and try not to disclose sensitive things like current locations and home security setups, if possible. You never know who’s watching.
So the real message here is to think a bit smarter; nobody wants to be in the position where something terrible happens, but ultimately, that cannot be prevented entirely. Taking a little time to protect your watches to some degree and exercising a little caution can go a long way. It can save you a lot of headaches and allow you to enjoy your watches all the more.