Community Stories

Recommendation needed: Looking for a watch storage solution inside a safe or bank vault

dsio
Posts
30,632
Likes
36,141
I’d never really considered the PVC a concern but then I don’t have any gold-plate just gold and steel in my long term collection so I haven’t really seen anything other than tarnish on the gold which was happening anyway. I’ll maybe see about switching to a different material at some point
 
DaveK
Posts
4,950
Likes
15,076
Vercingetorix Vercingetorix
I shipped a watch once in a closed ziploc and when the receiver got the watch, the leather strap had grown spores. Not sure how that happened.

Did you use a ham sandwich as packing material?
 
Adam2941
Posts
263
Likes
378
Bank vaults can be deadly for watches due to moisture damage in the form of condensation. Vaults tend to be cool, but can also have fluctuating temps according to variable heating and cooling during work day hours, and in places of high relative humidity, which is most places, your watches can be sitting in moisture much of the time, especially if you pack them in Ziplock bags that trap moisture. Vaults generally do not have dedicated ventilation systems. Of course there is much variation from one bank to the next, but how can you really test this? Too risky imho. For this reason I would never put any of my watches in a bank vault. I have a hidden safe in a ventilated closet at home where I can control the temperature and to some extent humidity. Insurance is a good thing too ;-).
 
timjohn
Posts
1,161
Likes
6,807
I use canvas watch rolls -- Barton in the past, but their quality has gone seriously downhill recently -- in a safe with a tub of dehumidifier. You sacrifice visibility for convenience, but it's a small cost.
 
Pastorbottle
Posts
2,389
Likes
4,073
timjohn timjohn
I use canvas watch rolls -- Barton in the past, but their quality has gone seriously downhill recently -- in a safe with a tub of dehumidifier. You sacrifice visibility for convenience, but it's a small cost.
Watch rolls could be easily made from suitable material by someone handy with sewing......alas my mother who was a top professional seamstress and chef amongst many other talents is no longer with us.
I picked up some of the cooking skills but not the sewing!
And Lesley can't sew for shit
 
gatorcpa
Posts
12,689
Likes
17,144
Adam2941 Adam2941
Bank vaults can be deadly for watches due to moisture damage in the form of condensation.
That is why I recommend silica gel packets
One per Ziploc bag. Change every few months. Cheap and effective.

DaveK DaveK
Some pocket watch crystals will yellow over time, at this point they are off-gassing and will easily rust out the hands
These early crystals are generally made of cellulose. Pretty unstable stuff. They can yellow with age and can become brittle. They can also go up in flames if they get too hot. Smoking near one is not a good idea.
gatorcpa
 
This website may earn commission from Ebay sales.
Canuck
Posts
14,495
Likes
41,823
All kinds of choice in Amazon. My one cabinet has a hinged top with glass in the lid, and a drawer, beneath. Nicely stitched vinyl trim, and velvet pockets with suede cuffs for 20 watches. Another one is done in textured vinyl, two halves hinged in the middle, each half for 18 watches. Folded up it is a convenient carry case. Not hard to find suitable storage solutions.
 
ErichPryde
Posts
2,888
Likes
5,422
gatorcpa gatorcpa
These early crystals are generally made of cellulose. Pretty unstable stuff. They can yellow with age and can become brittle. They can also go up in flames if they get too hot. Smoking near one is not a good idea.
gatorcpa

today I learned, very cool. 😲
 
F.Antl
Posts
46
Likes
281
Thanks for all your hints and thoughts so far! I'll go through all of them later today and will be back with a thorough response then.
In the meantime, if you have any further specific product recommendations for my storage problem please keep posting them here.

Thanks,
F.Antl
 
jsducote
Posts
1,018
Likes
1,795
How about wrapped in acid-free tissue paper, then vacuum-packed with a silica gel pack?
upload_2024-6-12_12-42-4.png
 
Gabguzro
Posts
219
Likes
208
Great question and some nice answers here. I'll have to order a couple of packs of those bags.
 
Larry S
Posts
13,079
Likes
52,061
dsio dsio
I just use these or similar, theyre thick pvc ziplock bags which don’t allow watches to scratch or dent eachother, great for moving them around, shipping them when needed, and you can just stack them in the box inside these sleeves. I bought a 100 pack 10 years ago and have only just run out.

I don’t want to be carrying a watch box or anything that implies watches to or from the safe deposit facility, if I’m carrying a couple, they’ll be in these PVC sleeves in my pockets, and if its a bunch they’ll be in a crummy looking plastic K-Mart bag, not in anything fancy or Louis Vuitton printed.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224688444338

IMG_0217.jpeg
I use those too. Never a problem. PVC sleeves for CD and vinyl records, bad ju ju.
 
This website may earn commission from Ebay sales.
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

cimo

Watch storage solutions

cimo Open Discussion
Kobus
Kobus
Posts
15
Views
4K