I think this question has been asked before, but I can't locate the answer. I know my watches are safe from the grubby hands of robbers. But are they safe from the sweaty hands of moister? And humidity? It would be a BoA vault. Are you guys of the opinion that watches are generally safe from degradation in safety deposit boxes?
And even if they do have climate control, is that climate control 24/7? I remember reading stories here about how the bank's A/C didn't operate on the weekends in some place like Hong Kong and watches in the safety deposit boxes were ruined.
After a career in banking, I can say that no bank vaults I ever saw enjoyed any special climate control over the general building HVAC. Some had no air conditioning outlets within their vaults. They were comparatively hot and stuffy in summer and chilly and clammy in winter.
I'd ask when opening an account / looking into renting a safety deposit box. The details (separate system vs building; 24/7 vs only when the building is open etc) probably differs by bank
Wherever I stored them, I would include a handful of silica packs for good measure. The ones you DO NOT EAT. $2.99 a ton on Amazon.
I would agree with @abrod520 . That said, I have held boxes in 4 different BoA locations in the American South and while the vault wasn't on it's own HVAC the general environment was. Turning the AC off down here invites mold. This may not hold in a more temperate to cold place. A heat wave in Chicago, for example, those locations AC may not be adequate in older buildings.
Having been a BofA customer for many years, I would highly doubt there is any special climate control for bank vaults unless your branch specifically tells you there is. If you are keeping items sensitive to humidity in there, I would highly recommend silica gel packets. These would need to be changed regularly, as the packers do get saturated with moisture and can only hold so much. Hope this helps, gatorcpa
And just a warning about products like this Slightly different example but I had a mate using these in the top shelf of a gun safe. It was extreme conditions but the tub collected so much moisture that it overflowed taking whatever chemical gunk it is with it and poured straight down the barrel of an expensive, highly finished and decorated rifle. Not a pretty sight afterwards and wouldn't look good on a watch collection.
I would agree, DampRid might be good in basements or garages, but NOT in watch storage. I like Wisedry products because they have a visible color change. I would suggest putting watches in a small pelican-style case (I like the 1030) with a few desiccant packs before storage in safe-deposit, for protection from moisture...or whatever else. https://www.amazon.com/Desiccant-In...srs=16053968011&ie=UTF8&qid=1498162783&sr=8-1
You can buy inexpensive humidity/temperature devices which can monitor your vault 24/7. Leave your watches there a week and then retrieve the monitoring device and see if there is an issue. Previously discussed here https://omegaforums.net/threads/how-do-you-store-watches.43645/page-2#post-559009
Fantastic and valuable responses. Thank you guys. I walked around my local BoA vault. It was a little warm (no air conditioning within the vault). Not much different from my closet. I will ask if the bank is air conditioned during closing hours. I will consider buying a humidity/temperature monitor and testing the safe deposit box out for a week or a month.