How to travel with multiple watches

[520Matt]

I know this subject has been mentioned before, but i need some help. Going to be traveling next week and plan on hooking up with another forum member for a mini GTG, so may be bring more than a watch or two. Any advice on how to transport my watches via carry on would be appreciated. BTW we'll be in Madison Wisconsin if anyone else is near by. Thx Matt

[Matrim604]

I frequently travel with many watches, but I can't really think of much advice to offer you. Just use common sense and be careful. When I travel outside of North America I only bring more than one watch when i travel to places that have a mini safe in the hotel. I'm going on a cruise next month and I know my room has one. Most higher end resorts i've been to have them as well. If I don't feel safe leaving my watches in my room, then I only bring one watch and it doesn't leave my wrist. When I do bring more than watch, it's usually 3, and I always carry them in my Orbita Verona 2 travel case, which fits nicely in my carry on and/or backpack or even my wife's purse if worst comes to worst. Here is a link to the product:

http://www.orbita.net/NEW/StorageCase-Verona.htm

And the 3 watches I usually bring with me are my Explorer II (my "do it all" watch or my "low key" watch), my Daytona, and my IWC Aquatimer (for when i'm in the water) or sometimes my TT GMT-iic takes the place of my Explorer II depending on the kind of place i'm going to. These watches have travelled the world with me over the past few years though, I don't think i'll ever be able to part with them.

Not sure if any of that helped, but have fun on your trip

Here are some pics just for the hell of it:





(Knife pic removed)

[Chuckaz]

I wouldn't. Just a warning about hotel safes.. Make a call to the front desk and tell them you forgot your code, they will come unlock it quickly. They are all cheap and have a set generic code incase a guest leaves it locked or again forgets the code. Visit youtube for some vids.

[Matrim604]

Originally Posted by Chuckaz

I wouldn't. Just a warning about hotel safes.. Make a call to the front desk and tell them you forgot your code, they will come unlock it quickly. They are all cheap and have a set generic code incase a guest leaves it locked or again forgets the code. Visit youtube for some vids.

Yep I don't doubt it. Always a risk when travelling with anything valuable, even if you only take one watch. I've heard more than one mugging story =)

[sherwin]

But how do you explain to customs when entering a foreign land with so many watches?

There was an incident with customs in another rolex forum, read more here

[acce1999]

Originally Posted by 520Matt

I know this subject has been mentioned before, but i need some help. Going to be traveling next week and plan on hooking up with another forum member for a mini GTG, so may be bring more than a watch or two. Any advice on how to transport my watches via carry on would be appreciated. BTW we'll be in Madison Wisconsin if anyone else is near by. Thx Matt

When travelling abroad I always go with one watch only, and the last fifteen years it has been an Explorer. I or II. During eight years I travelled internationally pretty much every week, and my focus was business rather than the watch on my wrist (although it gives me a lot of pleasure to always have an Explorer on my wrist whilst travelling).

At home I rotate watches regurlarly, and on rare occasions I have brought two watches when travelling domestic. When that happens I keep "the other watch" in a Rolex service pouch in my bag.

Best,

A

[acce1999]

Originally Posted by sherwin

But how do you explain to customs when entering a foreign land with so many watches?

There was an incident with customs in another rolex forum, read more here

A truly horrible story...

[Starwalker]

utterly disgusted. Being extorted for tax like that is a scam. I would do something very out of line in regard to that man's personal safety.

[colpol]

Originally Posted by sherwin

But how do you explain to customs when entering a foreign land with so many watches?

There was an incident with customs in another rolex forum, read more here

That is a pretty bad story !! Not sure if thats a rare one off though. Never heard anything like that before. I travelled back from australia to the UK with a japanese stopever & had an Omega SMP in my carry on & wasn't even asked to open the box.

Hopefully UK customs are not reading as they'll no doubt be taking notes !!!

[xela]

This is extortion!! The authorities should be reading this and be ashamed.

[sherwin]

Truthfully, if I was to carry two watches, I just declare them to customs (departing Australia), and have the form showing that I have intent on bringing them back to Australia.

I dont want to get a customs officer upon my return asking me to prove whether the watch left Australia upon departure, or if im trying to import another watch without paying the proper duty

which i believe in oz, is about 16% (value * 1.05 * 1.1)

[Lol-x]

Great photos thanks for sharing including the very artistically crafted pencil sharpener

[RolexWatcher]

Originally Posted by sherwin

But how do you explain to customs when entering a foreign land with so many watches?

There was an incident with customs in another rolex forum, read more here

Wow - this is ridiculous!

[DiamondJack]

I regularly travel with 3-5 watches just because I like to continue my daily rotation when on holiday/business. i have watch preferences for evenings, poolside, sport, business etc etc.

The issue is two-fold

1) Import duties on goods bought overseas when returning to your home country and ;

2) Duties on goods they may think you may be looking to sell in their country.

To mitigate the first, you need to be able to prove you owned the watch prior to travelling. There is no tax on items or goods you already own or nobody would ever travel

This can be evidenced in one of two ways... Best, if possible, is to have a photocopy of your purchase receipt to evidence you already own them. I routinely carry a photocopy of all my expensive items with a copy of my passport, driving licence etc. So watches, cameras, computer etc. Dead easy to do and if you routinely take a copy when you buy high value goods and file them in your travel pack you will very quickly take the smile off the grunts waiting for you at Customs

With second hand watches or vintage this is more difficult since these are often traded for cash etc with no official receipt. So what i always do is take a photo of the watch when i first get it with a close-up of a local newspaper showing a headline and date clearly. I then get this photocopied to travel with. But also useful for insurance purposes etc.

I dont get stopped that often but when i have been, just by having this sort of evidence (which is also good for unfortunate events such as theft or loss), you will have absolutely no problems.

For the issue of selling in their country, there is no advance tax on entry to most countries i am aware of. All they can do if they feel there is a risk of you selling such items in their country is to ask you to complete a summary of the items you are entering with and check this off when you leave. If you have "lost them on exit" then there will be tax to pay - unless you have declared the item as lost/stolen and have a police report.

With import taxes in many countries circa 20%, best to be organised.

[hsfrank]

Originally Posted by 520Matt

I know this subject has been mentioned before, but i need some help. Going to be traveling next week and plan on hooking up with another forum member for a mini GTG, so may be bring more than a watch or two. Any advice on how to transport my watches via carry on would be appreciated. BTW we'll be in Madison Wisconsin if anyone else is near by. Thx Matt

I travel often with all my watches . I use a 5 watch leather case from Ragar. They are the same company that made the Burl wood case I store them in at home. They make a quality and beautiful product.

[Art 1]

I have found that it is so much easier to travel with the watch on my wrist only. I have taken multiple watches to GTG's and vacations and so forth and will never do it again. Must be getting older, and wiser.

[jamesbondOO7]

I must confess that personally I can't see the point of travelling with several watches when using public transportation or staying in public places. I might take my 2 watches if I travel by car and stay with friends. But really I can live with one watch for several weeks, I have done so for 25 years after all.

[Justjosh]

I will likely be in Madison next week as well. Shoot me some specifics as to your plans !

[Lamone]

image uploader

[MortgageGuy]

Originally Posted by Justjosh

I will likely be in Madison next week as well. Shoot me some specifics as to your plans !

I am here guys Of course I will be there, would love to see some others in the area jump in and grab a meal and a few drinks

As for the watches I would either just travel with one or grab a small case also, depends on your personal comfort level. I would assume your watches are insured so I would not worry too much about theft. Also as for the hotel safes usually you can set your own combination of I am not mistaken

[DCgator]

I also travel quite a bit in Europe, and, knock on wood, I have never been hassled by customs by having multiple watches (one on wrist, two inside carry on). I reckon having a red (and sometimes black) passport helps. I just hope I never get hassled by customs anywhere!

[klayface]

This is probably not the best answer but when I went on a cruise my wife didn't trust the Room's courtesy safe. So all I did was simply put on my sub and carried my datejust in my pocket through out the entire cruise and while on excursions .

The thought of being robbed never crossed my mind but hey , what's safer than in your own pocket?

[slcbbrown]

Originally Posted by Chuckaz

I wouldn't. Just a warning about hotel safes.. Make a call to the front desk and tell them you forgot your code, they will come unlock it quickly. They are all cheap and have a set generic code incase a guest leaves it locked or again forgets the code. Visit youtube for some vids.

I don't travel with extra watches. If I did, I would carry them in a small case inside my lockable briefcase. I usually keep my briefcase locked in hotel rooms and haven't had a problem. However, the only thing I carry is a couple passports, typically. If I'm going to a beach or gym, for example, I'll lock my phone, watch, wallet in the briefcase. Not a great system for $20k+ worth of watches, though.

[rms]

I travel internationally with multiple watches often. I've never had a problem.