Regular watches can be thrown into your luggage with the rest of your accessories. When you own more luxurious brands, however, you’ll want to take extra precautions. That Cartier watch deserves respect!
Another thing to consider is practicality. A designer watch represents a bigger target for thieves, especially in certain parts of the world. It might cost more to insure while you travel. Damage in transit is also something to beware of when price tags are high.
It is possible to take your luxury watches with you as you fly the globe; you don’t have to sacrifice style for security. You’ll just want to be smart about your choices as you move around. Before you go, consider these tips for luxury watch safety while traveling.
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Tip 1: Get Documented
No one likes to think about having their watch stolen, but it’s important to be prepared for the worst. In this case, preparation means having the right paperwork to prove ownership, insurance coverage, and value. Potentially valuable documents include receipts, appraisals, personal photos, printouts of your policy and more. You’ll need these documents to be clear to everyone that you’re the owner of the timepiece.
Tip 2: Update Your Insurance Policy
Speaking of insurance, you’ll definitely want coverage for big-ticket purchases such as a Rolex men’s watch. There are two options available: travel insurance and jewelry insurance.
Travel insurance can be the easier option, but it’s often limited in terms of scale. It might only insure items up to a certain dollar amount, and if your watch exceeds that value, you’ll be out of luck for the remainder.
The other option is jewelry insurance. It will cover high-value items for around 1% – 2% of the item’s value, and it’s good for theft, damage and loss.
Tip 3: Bring Your Own Carrying Case
If you’d like to travel with multiple watches, consider investing in a locked carrying case. Not only will it be ideal for security, but it will also cradle and cushion your timepieces during transit, reducing the possibility of damage.
As for what kind of carrying case is right for you, that depends on the number of your watches, the amount of security that you’re interested in, and other personal factors like budget and style. If the size is a concern, you can find compact storage containers meant specially for watches. If you’re more focused on avoiding cracks and chips as your luggage is battered around, something with inlaid compartments or a built-in watch roll can help prevent wear and tear.
Tip 4: Beware of Hotel Safes
Hotel safes aren’t always secure. For starters, many of them have “backdoors” that allow staff members to access safes’ contents; this is meant to be for guests who forget their keys or access codes, but it’s also a mechanism abused by thieves. There are also incidents with faulty keys or poor procedures for distributing keys that result in thefts. It happens even in luxury hotels, so don’t assume that a large price tag equals safety.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t utilize hotel safes while you travel. They’re certainly better protection than leaving your watches on the bedside table! Just don’t let your guard down out of a false sense of security. Check on your watches regularly, and don’t store them all in the safe. If the worst should occur, you don’t want to lose your entire collection.
Tip 5: Don’t Check Your Luggage
This isn’t always an option if you’re traveling with a large collection or a storage container that doesn’t meet carry-on rules, but otherwise, it’s a good rule of thumb for traveling with luxury watches. Keeping them with you will greatly diminish the possibility of loss and theft. You won’t have to worry about someone breaking into your carrying case and making off with your men’s two-tone Rolex. You also won’t have to worry about the airline losing your checked bag and everything within it.
What are the best ways to carry your luxury watches on a plane? If you’re only traveling with one or two watches, the simplest solution is to wear them while boarding. You can always pocket them once you’re settled. If you’re traveling with a larger number of watches, consider a watch roll or small jewelry box that you can keep your eye on as carry-on luggage. Some containers are small enough to stash in suitcases, messenger bags and more.
Tip 6: Get Digital With Your Security
If you have to put your watches in your checked bags, there are extra steps that you can take to secure, organize and track them. For example, some carrying cases come with GPS chips embedded in their lining; you’ll register your ownership after purchase and download an app to monitor the connection. Another similar option is an Apple AirTag, but this product will apply to your entire bag and not just your watch. Both of these digital security measures can increase your peace of mind as you travel.
Tip 7: Practice Good Safety Habits
Last but not least, familiarize yourself with anti-theft safety tips while traveling abroad. For example, you won’t want to advertise your wealth in a developing nation by unnecessarily flashing your watch. You should be on guard against common scams, pickpocketing techniques and robbery tactics in foreign cities. You can learn about these things with some basic research into your destination. You can often find travel alerts and advisories that will warn you in advance. A little foresight today can save you a lot of headaches tomorrow.
How To Travel With Men’s Luxury Watches
It’s always a good idea to think about security, liability and privacy while traveling with luxury goods. This is especially true when the goods are designer watches. Use these tips to ensure that your favorite timepieces stay safe and whole as you go jet-setting around the world.
