Storing a high value Rolex collection

[goldboy]

I know this is a big subject here for many of us. At least for me it became a huge issue as I grew my collection. Do I store my watches at home in a safe, hidden? At the bank? But then it's difficult to access them to wear etc...

Found a great article that covers most of these issues and thought I'd share it here: https://www.watchreviewblog.com/ulti...de-collectors/

I'd love to hear some ideas from you guys on the best way to store/safeguard your collection - I'm always down for some new tips.

[WatchMySix]

If you are storing inside your home, spend up and get a safe that 1. Fits your collection, 2. Has room for it to grow, and 3. Has plenty of more room for other items because inevitably you'll just" put it in the safe". Get a safe with a high fire rating, also if you position your safe on an exterior wall of your home that fire rating will be more true to form as opposed to having it on an interior wall. I understand a "watch safe" could be attractive but you'll probably be paying up for essentially a secure watch holder. Get a "gun safe", they are highly customizable and made by more reputable companies who have been doing it for years. And again you'll inevitably want to put documents, other heirlooms, ect., ect., ect.... in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[goldboy]

Originally Posted by WatchMySix

If you are storing inside your home, spend up and get a safe that 1. Fits your collection, 2. Has room for it to grow, and 3. Has plenty of more room for other items because inevitably you'll just" put it in the safe". Get a safe with a high fire rating, also if you position your safe on an exterior wall of your home that fire rating will be more true to form as opposed to having it on an interior wall. I understand a "watch safe" could be attractive but you'll probably be paying up for essentially a secure watch holder. Get a "gun safe", they are highly customizable and made by more reputable companies who have been doing it for years. And again you'll inevitably want to put documents, other heirlooms, ect., ect., ect.... in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Absolutely, this is what I'm looking into. Although I'm hearing that it's essential to use a safe rated for burglary at least TL-15 or TL-30. Most gun safes can just be cut open with a grinder because the metal is so thin.

[brandrea]

Firstly, I’ll say I don’t consider myself a collector … I only have three nice watches.

What I will say, is that based on the article and IF I had a larger collection, I’d probably land somewhere between the two options of home and bank storage. I’d keep most of my collection at the bank, and I’d keep the ones I wear most at home in a rock solid, good quality safe.

For me, I wear one watch a per week (or thereabouts), so it’s no big deal for me to go the bank once a week to switch them out. I live literally 5 minutes from my bank, so I guess I’m fortunate in that regard.

[goldboy]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Firstly, I’ll say I don’t consider myself a collector … I only have three nice watches.

What I will say, is that based on the article and IF I had a larger collection, I’d probably land somewhere between the two options of home and bank storage. I’d keep most of my collection at the bank, and I’d keep the ones I wear most at home in a rock solid, good quality safe.

For me, I wear one watch a per week (or thereabouts), so it’s no big deal for me to go the bank once a week to switch them out. I live literally 5 minutes from my bank, so I guess I’m fortunate in that regard.

That's actually a great idea. Makes sense. I guess the issues is if you have a small or medium sized collection, but in that case just store the watches less worn at the bank, and daily's at home.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by goldboy

That's actually a great idea. Makes sense. I guess the issues is if you have a small or medium sized collection, but in that case just store the watches less worn at the bank, and daily's at home.

That’s always worked well for me, under the circumstances


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JasoninDenver]

I have a medium sized safe bolted to the floor of my basement.

[goldboy]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

I have a medium sized safe bolted to the floor of my basement.

Super heavy with a good rating?

[PhilAviate]

Originally Posted by WatchMySix

If you are storing inside your home, spend up and get a safe that 1. Fits your collection, 2. Has room for it to grow, and 3. Has plenty of more room for other items because inevitably you'll just" put it in the safe". Get a safe with a high fire rating, also if you position your safe on an exterior wall of your home that fire rating will be more true to form as opposed to having it on an interior wall. I understand a "watch safe" could be attractive but you'll probably be paying up for essentially a secure watch holder. Get a "gun safe", they are highly customizable and made by more reputable companies who have been doing it for years. And again you'll inevitably want to put documents, other heirlooms, ect., ect., ect.... in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry, but this is wrong.
A gun safe, in 99% of cases are not real safes. A full size gun safe weighs less than a tiny real safe, in safes the weigh tells most of the story. Most gun safes are class b, or residential security containers, and easily opened by anyone with brute force.

You need a TL rated safe. TL15 is the minimum, expect a 12"x12" TL 15 safe to set you back a couple thousand, and weigh 400lbs+.
I'd consider a TL15 good for trinkets and minor valuable items.
If you collection is significant enough to be having this discussion you probably want a TL30 safe or higher. Your insurance company may even demand this as a minimum if you have big $$$ coverage.



Best advice is go to a real local safe/locksmith store. They'll point you in the right direction. Inkas safes are a good choice. The downside of real safes is they are pretty tiny inside compared to their outside dimensions, but the wall thickness is what makes the safe safe.....

As for the bank, if they're stored in a bank,why even bother owning them? Sell them and get one or two grail watches that you wear.

[KatGirl]

I own over 100 watches. Most are mid tier non-Rolex, lots of Seikos, and many Swiss brands. Average value per watch 800-1,000 dollars. I’ve always thought I don’t have anything that expensive, so I don’t need to worry. However, when I add up the value of my collection, it’s a lot of money, especially when I add a few Rolexes on top. I recently looked at safes. There is actually a company in Sacramento, that sells only safes. So, it would cost a bit under $2,000, for the one I picked out. Still thinking about it.

Kat


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[goldboy]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

I own over 100 watches. Most are mid tier non-Rolex, lots of Seikos, and many Swiss brands. Average value per watch 800-1,000 dollars. I’ve always thought I don’t have anything that expensive, so I don’t need to worry. However, when I add up the value of my collection, it’s a lot of money, especially when I add a few Rolexes on top. I recently looked at safes. There is actually a company in Sacramento, that sells only safes. So, it would cost a bit under $2,000, for the one I picked out. Still thinking about it.

Kat


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I started to feel "unsafe" once my collection surpassed about 40K in value, the feeling was accentuated every time I left the house

My stuff is sorted now, but I'm still looking into any tips / ideas to improve the safety.

[fsprow]

Originally Posted by PhilAviate

Sorry, but this is wrong.
A gun safe, in 99% of cases are not real safes. A full size gun safe weighs less than a tiny real safe, in safes the weigh tells most of the story. Most gun safes are class b, or residential security containers, and easily opened by anyone with brute force.

You need a TL rated safe. TL15 is the minimum, expect a 12"x12" TL 15 safe to set you back a couple thousand, and weigh 400lbs+.
I'd consider a TL15 good for trinkets and minor valuable items.
If you collection is significant enough to be having this discussion you probably want a TL30 safe or higher. Your insurance company may even demand this as a minimum if you have big $$$ coverage.

Best advice is go to a real local safe/locksmith store. They'll point you in the right direction. Inkas safes are a good choice. The downside of real safes is they are pretty tiny inside compared to their outside dimensions, but the wall thickness is what makes the safe safe.....

As for the bank, if they're stored in a bank,why even bother owning them? Sell them and get one or two grail watches that you wear.

100% agree. A store specializing in quality safes is the way to go and they can probably install it for you. A gun safe can be easily opened by experts and is useful only to prevent “snatch and run” thieves.

[cdmorenot]

I live in a gated community. Burglaries are not uncommon in my part of the world even in gated communities ...

When I was in the US, a simple floor safe was sufficient. Down here, I picked up the heaviest safe that I could find within the size specs that I needed. It is well hidden and something built up around it. Bolted to the floor and to the wall. If someone really wants what is in there, they'll get it. But I've made sure they have to spend at least a few hours inside my house drilling stuff out of the way.

I tried the bank, but having a collection of 10 made it very unpleasant to go to the bank once or twice a week.

[johnk]

Originally Posted by PhilAviate

Sorry, but this is wrong.
A gun safe, in 99% of cases are not real safes. A full size gun safe weighs less than a tiny real safe, in safes the weigh tells most of the story. Most gun safes are class b, or residential security containers, and easily opened by anyone with brute force.

You need a TL rated safe. TL15 is the minimum, expect a 12"x12" TL 15 safe to set you back a couple thousand, and weigh 400lbs+.
I'd consider a TL15 good for trinkets and minor valuable items.
If you collection is significant enough to be having this discussion you probably want a TL30 safe or higher. Your insurance company may even demand this as a minimum if you have big $$$ coverage.


Best advice is go to a real local safe/locksmith store. They'll point you in the right direction. Inkas safes are a good choice. The downside of real safes is they are pretty tiny inside compared to their outside dimensions, but the wall thickness is what makes the safe safe.....

As for the bank, if they're stored in a bank,why even bother owning them? Sell them and get one or two grail watches that you wear.

LOL, 99%?, No,

99% of gun enthusiasts I know have “real” safes.

Don’t confuse an inexpensive “gun storage cabinet” with an actual “gun safe”. A firearm enthusiast knows the difference. No one with a collection valued at ~$200k++ is going to put them in a $300 cabinet from Walmart.

Each of mine weigh ~1900lbs empty are are rated at 120 minutes @ 1,750*.

Good luck...

.

[Straphanger]

Best solution is to have 2 quality safes one very large bolted to the floor of your basement and hidden with lots of room and another smaller one easier to access also bolted so you can keep the watches in the rotation in there as well as your important paper.
If your house get burglarised chance is that they will concentrate on the smaller safe which they would find first.

[HHIslander]

I’ve got a small bolted down safe hidden behind a mirror door in the bedroom closet. Hidden security camera with motion detector. If someone has the time and the motivation, they’re going to find it no matter what but that’s the best setup I could come up with.

[ArtNouveau]

Just my thoughts, but if I had so many expensive watches that I needed to offload some of them to a bank vault I would trim the collection.
Security at home has lots of variables. I firmly believe that most home burglaries are random, the thief looking for the path of least resistance and the goal to get in and out as quickly as possible. Anything that slows them down helps in your odds.
For almost 30 years I lived in an urban center, not high crime but it definitely occurs. I kept any watches I wasn’t wearing in a small safe in a closet bolted to the floor. The average thief isn’t carrying a sack of tools, they are making a quick passthru looking for cash, jewelry, guns that are easily accessible. Drawers all over the house will be ransacked. In those 30 years I had one burglary attempt. The thief broke out the half glass top of my back door and climbed in. 10 feet into the house he tripped a motion detector, alarm triggered the siren, and there was blood by the back door as he made his quick exit, nothing taken.
I retired to a much smaller town, I’m in a neighborhood where anything out of the ordinary is noticed. I still have an alarm on my house just in case but very little petty crime around. Up until just a few months ago I simply “hid” the watches I wasn’t wearing around the house, all in separate places. In late November I bought another small safe, put it in a closet bolted to the floor. If anyone broke into my house the alarm goes off and I can’t imagine them doing anything but fleeing immediately.
Perhaps most importantly though, they are all insured on a dedicated Hodinkee policy. I am not worried.

[fly4food84]

I insure my watches and keep them out of sight and if I'm traveling I'll hide them in a small safe and keep that out of sight. That's enough for me to maintain 2-3 nice watches. If I had a dozen Rolex watches I'd buy a large safe and secure it to the slab.

[mmbiker]

I currently only have two watch that are worth putting in a safe.

I just rotate them and have one watch put in my safe at a bank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yobber76]

For most of us, the safes we have at home, unless they are hidden in an inset of floor or wall, are not really burgular proof.
The truth is most theives want to work fast, snatch and grab most of the time, and steal what is easily visible, and easily carried. Laptops, jewelry/watches on your dresser, TVs, guns in your closet or night stand,stuff in your car/garage.
If you make it hard for them, they won't take the time to look.
Some tips: Store valuables as much as you can in the basement/attic if you can control temperature. Thieves don't want to be trapped where they can't get out a window or door.
Be careful who comes in your home. Door to door sales people may seem legit and nice, but they could be casing your home. I let no one on my property, garage or home unless I called them and vetted their company. I even call the village office to see if they are aware of these people in the neighborhood. Lock your doors, windows, have timers for lights, alarm system that works wired/wireless. Bank vault for some of it a good idea too.
Small built in wall or floor safes for small items, put them in out of way places.
I knew a guy who built big beautiful coffee tables that were a bolt down heavy duty safe. You would never know it, beautiful wood outer shell. He hid stuff in plain sight.
Fireplace mantels with compartments another option.

[jernigan78]

My current situation:

1. Home Alarm.
2. Cameras throughout.
3. Large Firearm safe - Bolted to the concrete (purchased many years ago to store firearms, but I store watches there too.
4. Homeowners insurance.
5. Watches are separately insured through another insurance company.

If a thief gets past the safeguards I have in place, insurance should cover me. If they come in when I am home, hopefully God is covering them...

[ltmgeller]

Insure them, get a good safe, and a good camera system. No safe is impenetrable. There is always someone who can crack it. Just do your best and enjoy your watches. The insurance is the best protection on my opinion.

[PhilAviate]

Originally Posted by johnk

LOL, 99%?, No,

99% of gun enthusiasts I know have “real” safes.

Don’t confuse an inexpensive “gun storage cabinet” with an actual “gun safe”. A firearm enthusiast knows the difference. No one with a collection valued at ~$200k++ is going to put them in a $300 cabinet from Walmart.

Each of mine weigh ~1900lbs empty are are rated at 120 minutes @ 1,750*.

Good luck...

.

Yes, 99% of so called gun safes are not tested nor rated as safes. Don't believe me, ask to see their UL certification. Even more importantly ask if your insurance considers it a safe. Unless it is TL15 or higher I bet they won't.

I'm a former professional shooter, so this isn't a new topic for me. Gun knowledge doesn't mean you know anything about safes, unless you care to do the research.

Can you buy real gun safes? Yes. But it is highly unlikely you'll be buying it from Bass pro or wherever.

A full size gun safe, with a TL15 rating, like you say is 2000lbs+. Most firearms folks are not buying them and fall for the marketing of the glorified storage locker brands. The most expensive ones I can see on Bass pro today are less than half the weight they should be to be a real safe with a UL rating. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cabe...y-liberty-safe is their most expensive one, it is practically fraud to call it a safe. It isn't. It is a glorified locker. But as you're an enthusiast I'm sure you know that.....


https://inkassafes.com/ul-tl30-certified-gun-safe/ is an example of a real gun safe, 2800lbs for the one that would fit rifles.

Also, fire rating has nothing at all to do with a safe rating. In fact many of the highest end safes have no fire rating. Also, you should research what the rating even means, often it is only saying that documents will still be readable. Your guns will be wrecked for sure as heat will still destroy them. For instance many say they'll keep it to 350f for the time rating. 350 is like putting your rifle in an oven, it is toast. But your bank documents are likely still readable.

[goldboy]

Originally Posted by PhilAviate

Yes, 99% of so called gun safes are not tested nor rated as safes. Don't believe me, ask to see their UL certification.

I'm a former professional shooter, so this isn't a new topic for me.

Can you buy real gun safes? Yes. But it is highly unlikely you'll be buying it from Bass pro or wherever.

A full size gun safe, with a TL rating, like you say is 2000lbs+. Most firearms folks are not buying them and fall for the marketing of the glorified storage locker brands.

As someone who's been researching safes recently, you're correct. As Rolex people we should all be looking at proper burglary rated safes TL15 or TL30.

[123Blueface]

900 lb. Ft. Knox safe with 90 minute fire rating.
I have one in each of my two homes.
I insure them as well.
I don’t trust bank safety deposit boxes. Plenty of stories of those not working out well.

[WatchMySix]

Originally Posted by goldboy

Absolutely, this is what I'm looking into. Although I'm hearing that it's essential to use a safe rated for burglary at least TL-15 or TL-30. Most gun safes can just be cut open with a grinder because the metal is so thin.

Any safe is just a "timing mechanism". Yes you want a secure safe, but if someone enters your house with an expectation to get into your safe, they most likely will. A home invasion where the assailants are improperly equip to get into your safe most likely won't. As long as they can't carry it out....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnk]

Originally Posted by PhilAviate

Yes, 99% of so called gun safes are not tested nor rated as safes. Don't believe me, ask to see their UL certification.

I'm a former professional shooter, so this isn't a new topic for me.

Can you buy real gun safes? Yes. But it is highly unlikely you'll be buying it from Bass pro or wherever.

A full size gun safe, with a TL15 rating, like you say is 2000lbs+. Most firearms folks are not buying them and fall for the marketing of the glorified storage locker brands. The most expensive ones I can see on Bas proo today are less than half the weight they should be to be a real safe with a UL rating.

Also, fire rating has nothing at all to do with a safe rating. In fact many of the highest end safes have no fire rating. Also, you should research what the rating even means, often it is only saying that documents will still be readable. Your guns will be wrecked for sure as heat will still destroy them.

You are a “former professional shooter”. Exactly what class did you professionally compete in? . ;^)

I don’t need to ask to see certs, they are always published inside the door frames, you should know that.

NO ONE I know with a significant collection buys their safes from Bass Pro (or 7-11 LOL) as they deal in cabinets or very low end unrated safes. The fact that you’re discussing Bass Pro safes speaks columns. Quality safes are purchased directly from Browning, Liberty, etc. or through their distributor network.

Fire rating is a significant factor on a quality safe, the FR is published adjacent to the UL sticker in the door frame and shows the temp rise inside the safe over time at the external rated temp temperature. (Ie: 120 minutes @ 1750* @ 200*). A quality safe will protect its contents at far below the paper char level you referred to above, but they aren’t available at Bass Pro or Walmart.


.

[WatchMySix]

Originally Posted by PhilAviate

Sorry, but this is wrong.
A gun safe, in 99% of cases are not real safes. A full size gun safe weighs less than a tiny real safe, in safes the weigh tells most of the story. Most gun safes are class b, or residential security containers, and easily opened by anyone with brute force.

You need a TL rated safe. TL15 is the minimum, expect a 12"x12" TL 15 safe to set you back a couple thousand, and weigh 400lbs+.
I'd consider a TL15 good for trinkets and minor valuable items.
If you collection is significant enough to be having this discussion you probably want a TL30 safe or higher. Your insurance company may even demand this as a minimum if you have big $$$ coverage.



Best advice is go to a real local safe/locksmith store. They'll point you in the right direction. Inkas safes are a good choice. The downside of real safes is they are pretty tiny inside compared to their outside dimensions, but the wall thickness is what makes the safe safe.....

As for the bank, if they're stored in a bank,why even bother owning them? Sell them and get one or two grail watches that you wear.

Couldn't be more incorrect. A "gun safe" is not even a real term, when I referenced "gun safe" I referenced a safe big enough for guns, my apologies. My "gun safe" - safe specifically built to fit rifles, with a TL30 rating is approximately 800 pounds. It's a great safe. If someone wants to get into a bank vault, has the time and equipment, they will. If someone wants to get into a home safe, has the time and equipment, they will. Best bet is maintaining good personal security (I.E. being careful who you tell about your home safe, your personal watch collection), layering your home safe with a good security alarm, and the best fire rating possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Johndong888]

Originally Posted by PhilAviate

Sorry, but this is wrong.
A gun safe, in 99% of cases are not real safes. A full size gun safe weighs less than a tiny real safe, in safes the weigh tells most of the story. Most gun safes are class b, or residential security containers, and easily opened by anyone with brute force.

You need a TL rated safe. TL15 is the minimum, expect a 12"x12" TL 15 safe to set you back a couple thousand, and weigh 400lbs+.
I'd consider a TL15 good for trinkets and minor valuable items.
If you collection is significant enough to be having this discussion you probably want a TL30 safe or higher. Your insurance company may even demand this as a minimum if you have big $$$ coverage.



Best advice is go to a real local safe/locksmith store. They'll point you in the right direction. Inkas safes are a good choice. The downside of real safes is they are pretty tiny inside compared to their outside dimensions, but the wall thickness is what makes the safe safe.....

As for the bank, if they're stored in a bank,why even bother owning them? Sell them and get one or two grail watches that you wear.

We call those gun cabinets instead of safe. Like the vaulteks. Those are gun cabinets that you have throughout the house. Those are not proper safes. Real safe should be over 2000lbs. You need a rigging company to come move it in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Patekfinder]

If your watches are insured and your insurance doesn’t required a certain type of storage, then put them in a nice watchbox. No sense in locking away something covered under insurance, unless a particular watch has sentimental value.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk