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

dsio
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
 
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Canuck
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Great question and some nice answers here. I'll have to order a couple of packs of those bags.
 
Larry S
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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.
 
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