Traveling With Expensive Luxury Watches (Guide)

It’s no secret that luxury watches are mug targets. But whether you’re wearing an expensive watch or not depends on your destination.

Taking an expensive luxury watch on a vacation or work trip can be scary, and rightfully so.

Nobody wants to be robbed of their prized possession. And it could be more than just the price worth with watches, but also the emotional value.

Not to worry. With the necessary precautions, you can take your dream watch on your dream trip and even have a plan B if it goes missing.

This guide will show you the best way of safely traveling with expensive watches.

Post-Traveling With Expensive Watches

Inspection and Cleaning

If your watch’s expensive enough for you to read this article, then you should clean it on return. It feels like the barest minimum but can go a long way in preventing long-term damages.

Ethan, the CEO of Exquisite Timepieces believes that taking care of your watch will take care of your wallet. This is completely true if you want to avoid the high repair costs of luxury watches.

Some more simple tips:

● Avoid setting the date close to midnight hours.

● Ensure the watch is wound before the reserve runs dry.

● Check that the crown is screwed in.

Updating Your Watch Inventory

Review and update your watch inventory. It’s not necessarily restricted to losses; you could’ve added a model to your collection or damaged one.

And take “after” photos at different angles to observe any change and for record purposes.

Pre-Travel: Choosing the Right Watch for Your Trip

A saying goes, Prevention is better than cure.” It also applies here. And no, it doesn’t outrightly mean you should avoid traveling with an expensive watch, but how to prevent it from going missing. Here’s how you can go about it:

Strap Up for the Occasion

It goes without saying that you should pack for the occasion. Take, for instance, your vacation to the Maldives for scuba diving and two weeks of intense lessons. You’ll need to pack your best diver and GADA watches.

In this case, an expensive watch on a leather strap might not be worth the risk of taking on your trip. Only go with your top-tier watches if it’s practical and necessary, say for a planned dinner.

Avoid Flashy Options

Generally, if you have a watch in the $20,000 plus range, it’s advisable to avoid high crime rate areas.

But anywhere you go, flashy watches are a red flag unless you have a security team, of course. This means yellow or rose gold and diamond-studded or iced-out watches should stay home.

That’s not to say you can’t travel with them. The following guidelines will help you understand how to travel with these expensive watches.

Read: Adventurous Timekeeping: Exploring Breitling’s Connection

Pre-Travel Preparations: Getting Your Watches Ready

Have Insurance

I’ll presume you already have insurance on your expensive watch. If you don’t, try to get one.

Ideally, your authorized dealer can guide you on how to buy an insurance plan against theft or accidental damage.

Both of which are useful while traveling. Without one, traveling with an expensive watch is an uncalculated risk.

Document Your Watch Inventory

Write down the name, model, and serial numbers of the watches in your travel collection. This will be useful in case of theft, and you need to submit a claim. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget details.

Also, take high-quality photos of your watches at different angles. Be sure to capture the serial numbers. These images serve as visual proof of ownership in case they go missing, or you’re asked to declare ownership.

Carry the Bill Of Sale

This helps if you’re worried customs will interrogate you for traveling with expensive watches. Normally, you won’t be bothered. But carrying this document in your watch case is convenient and keeps your mind at rest.

Packing Your Watch for Travel

Choosing Between a Watch Case or Travel Roll

A case is an essential item for traveling with watches, even if you’ll be wearing your watch most of the time during your trip.

Moreso, some case options offer multiplied compartments. They’re cushioned and padded to prevent the watches from scratching, dropping, or being stolen easily. The only downside is cases can be bulky.

Alternatively, if you’re traveling with a collection of three or more watches, a travel roll is a better option. Unlike a huge case, it’s lightweight, but more importantly, it takes up a smaller space in your carry-on bag.

Never Check-In Your Watches

The cardinal rule is always to have your watch case in your carry-on bag. It can get lost in the baggage or get stolen by airport officials, depending on your destination.

Another way of assuring safety is knowing where your watches are at all times. For this, you easily get a tracker, like an AirTag, for less than twenty bucks. Conceal it inside the case. You can track it down to a few meters if it gets lost or stolen.

Wearing Your Watch

Wearing an expensive watch while traveling is simple. It’s the safest and easiest way to carry your watch, except it’s limited to only one piece. Simply mind your business and avoid walking down unknown alleys, talking to strangers, or drawing attention to your wrist.

Going Through Airport Security Checks

You’ve decided which watches to carry on your trip. Now it’s time to catch your flight. Here’s how to go “scot-free.”

X-Ray Screening

Are you worried about magnetism damaging your priceless piece? Or trigger a security alarm? Not to worry. Modern watches would withstand this screening, and their components don’t trigger security alarms.

In any case that it does, you’ll be okay if you follow the next step.

Declaration check

If you’re wondering if customs will ask you to declare your expensive timepiece, the answer is no.

However, you’ll be okay even if it happens. Refer to the inventory list and bill of sale in your pack list for the trip mentioned earlier.

Private Checking

Ask the TSA officer to check you in a private area if you’re traveling with a handful of expensive watches or jewelry.

This way, no one around can target your valuables before or when you arrive at your destination.

Protecting Your Expensive Watch Abroad

Okay, now you’ve crossed the border to your destination. Assuming you don’t have experience with the security situation in the location, here are a few tips to keep your watches safe.

Blend In

As the saying goes, “When you’re in Rome, act like Romans.”

The goal here is to blend in with the culture of the locals and avoid attracting unwanted attraction to your watch.

Nobody in a strange country wants to hear how your Granddad passed down your Audermars Piguet to your dad and him to you.

Use The Hotel Safe or Deposit Box

Most high-end hotels have in-room safes or a general safe deposit box. The safe deposit box has better security – external cameras, guards, alarms, and a stronger safe.

Banking on the hotel to replace stolen jewelry is tricky. Most hotels, especially in the US, offer insurance claims lower than $2,000.

To prevent the back and forth of suing the hotel, have your watches insured. Better still, document your entire inventory as stated earlier to get a substantial claim from your insurer or the hotel.

Travel and Theft Insurance

It’s not enough to have watch insurance and travel, which are essential, by the way. You should also familiarize yourself with the claims process and documentation you need.

In the sad event that your watches get stolen, you’ll most likely write incident and police reports in the visiting country, too. Keep a record of everything through a photocopy or snapshot (preferably both) to make your case solid for a claim.

While Living In The Travel Destination

If you’ll be living for some time at your travel destination, these tips will help you get through it.

Again, Get That Travel Insurance

It is usually only about one to two percent of the value of your watch. So, if you have a $50,000 watch, your insurance should cost about $50 yearly. That’s a small price to pay for such a valuable item.

Avoid Ostentation

It’s hard to be humble when you’re wearing a luxury timepiece, even when you try to. As mentioned earlier, learn to blend in with the crowd. If you have an ostentatious show of jewelry at your travel destination, you may feel more secure wearing your most expensive watches.

On the other hand, some cultures consider flashy pieces a flagrant show of wealth. You’re better off selecting your reserved steel models in these environments. Else, you may seem odd even if you aren’t mugged.

Understand The Watch Culture

Observe how the locals wear their watches. It’s common to wear a watch on the right wrist in some countries. You can do the same if you want to avoid looking like a tourist, who’s considered an easy target by prowling locals.

Conclusion

Globetrotting while wearing the watch you’ve always wanted is thrilling. For some, it’s just another day in the life.

Whatever it is, your responsibility is to keep your prized timepiece safe during your journeys. There are prowlers everywhere you go. Only you can protect your valuables by being smart about it.

Remember to scout and blend in at your destination. Buy travel/theft/watch insurance and keep an inventory of your watches. Last but not least, flaunt your piece wisely.

Enjoy your adventures!