I often hear members saying things like "it's going back into the safe," or "I think I'll leave this one in the safe." Well, I don't have a safe, and my collection is getting to the point where I could use one. My issue, though, is that I don't own my home—so I can't install one behind a painting, etc. Meanwhile, I've read that renters in the US are 55% more likely to get robbed. I have to imagine that others have this same issue. How do you protect your collection from fire and theft without being able to install something that a burglar couldn't just easily walk away with? I have renter's insurance, but I'm more worried about not being able to replace the watches because of scarcity than funds. (As evidenced by my current, fruitless search for a Mark II Enicar SuperJet 33 with silver dial lol.) Are there tricks or good safes that you use? Thanks J
I know many people use safety deposit boxes for storage and only have a few pieces in the house at a time. Quite a pain in the rear in my eyes but certainly a very secure option. Perhaps a small safe that can be installed into a large/solid piece of furniture?
https://omegaforums.net/threads/best-watch-safe.11327/ https://omegaforums.net/threads/safe-or-safety-deposit-box.14302/ https://omegaforums.net/threads/watch-safe-recommendations.20163/ Bank safe deposit, don't risk it at home
Some easy steps that don’t require a ‘safe’: - don’t advertise what you have to people who know where you live - keep watches out of sight for when people visit your home
I have no answer to your dilemma. But I will say that, having a safe is like locking the door before the horse is gone. And you have far more peace of mind when you have a safe than when your only protection is an insurance policy.
I was wondering if anyone had anything like this: https://www.amazon.com/Amsec-UL1511-Listed-2-Hour-Impact/dp/B002MMKOW8 250lbs, around a thousand bucks. You could always weight it down more with sandbags, especially if you were putting mostly small stuff inside. I currently go the safety deposit box route, but what a pain in the ass. For example, I'm currently waiting for the spot to open...
I bought a safe at harbor freight. Bolted it to studs in my closet. Not fire safe, as my wife pointed out, but certainly better than having the watches on my office desk.
I have a safe bolted to the floor. It is fire proof and uses a key lock rather than a code system. I was told these are more work to open on location than coded systems. I don t see it as a full proof way of not loosing my watches if I get robbed but as a deterent. Unless thieves know you have a house full of watches I think they will take the easy to get to stuff first like laptops and jewelley left on the dressing table.
Safety deposit box. If you're slick and fancy yourself as an internet Barney Fife, you can tell who uses one and when they've been to the bank to switch watches by what turns up in the WRUW thread.
Please be wary of safety deposit boxes. I think there is a thread already on this re banks that turn off AC after hours and weekends, raising temp and humidity to levels where corrosion occurs. Some banks don't have air handling of any kind for the safety deposit boxes. Ask questions on this topic before using one. Other than a safe, google 'home hiding places', and you'll find a plethora of options to hide things in plain sight. Rule #1, keep valuables out of bathroom or bedroom. The old tricks of keeping rings in prescription bottles is old news. In fact, criminals these days make a beeline to your medicine cabinet anyway for painkillers to sell (or use). You have to be more clever. One of the best I've seen is a fake wall outlet. If you're a renter that's probably out. Corner cabinets are genius idea as there is usually a space between the corner cabinets you can reach from the top, not seen or even thought of. Hang bags in the gap between with binder clips to support. My 0.02.
So we should hide watches and jewelry inside cottage cheese and pudding. Just push'em down into the goo! Make sure to wrap them in Saran Wrap first though. Unless you have a vacuum chamber devoid of all light, things will age.
This. Works well for me. The bank is quite close so it’s hardly an issue. Of course I’d rather keep everything at home, but it’s just not worth the risk.
I have two large gun safes at home. One is a Cannon and the other is a Liberty. I’m comfortable with keeping valuable items in either, as both are large and heavy.
I actually prefer my Colt 1911. There's always at least one handy where ever my watches might be, especially on my wrist
