How to Store a Watch or Collection of Watches

Whether you own a single watch, two watches (and are a “double-wrister”) or are fortunate enough to have a watch collection, your watches need a place to lay their cases down to rest at night. This is both to protect them and to keep them in good working condition. Fortunately, jewelers have created a variety of ways to help you securely and safely store your watches while they are doing just that. 

Check out these seven tips for how to store your watch or watch collection:

1. Box them up! Unlike jewelry boxes, watch boxes are only meant to house watches. They generally come with one to 24 slots for your precious collection. In more expensive watch boxes, each slot houses a soft, velvety insert that is curved like the original box your watch came in to keep it in its wearable form while not in use. In other watch boxes, the slot is simply a square or rectangular slot for placing your semi-folded up watch into. Some boxes have glass covers so you can display your collection while keeping them safe from dust and other air contaminants, while others have a solid cover if you wish to keep them hidden from prying eyes. Either way, keep them in a moisture-controlled environment (i.e., out of the bathroom!) and away from direct sunlight to maximize the amount of protection you are providing for your watches. Match the value and style of the box you select with the value of the watches you will be storing. For instance, if you have an expensive collection of luxury watches, you’ll want something better than a synthetic leather watch box with a glass cover. You may want a box made of premium wood or leather that provides an elegant look and finish to your display.
2. Lay them in a tray. If you’re short on additional countertop space or space in your closet to put a sophisticated box, consider a drawer takeover option. Clear out a drawer that’s right sized for your collection and find a flat, watch tray that will fit perfectly inside. This is a great option to keep your watch collection hidden away yet still on display every time you open your secret storage spot! Some bedstands have a perfect upper drawer that fits these trays just perfectly. You can also store a tray in your closet if you have shelves but remember that your watches are not as protected from dust and moisture without being closed away in a drawer. The trays also keep your watches nicely separated while in storage. This is a very affordable and functional option for most people.
3. Roll them out. If you have just a few watches (two or three), a watch roll may provide all the storage and protection you need (and be ready for travel when you’re ready, too!). Watch rolls come in cylindrical cases that sometimes are hexagonal-shaped cylinders. The longer, cylindrical shape allows for several, soft, C-shaped inserts to lie inside the watch roll where each of your watches can attach and be viewed when open. This small roll resembles a sunglass case and is made of sturdy, genuine leather and sometimes even Kevlar for extra protection. Other watch rolls, however, are flat and offer flat storage for your watches that are then rolled up and secured in the cylindrical shape. This option does not provide as much protection as the sturdier kinds with C-inserts. Either way, the beauty of a watch roll is that it can quickly move from your home to your suitcase when you’re ready to travel! It is a great “double duty” watch storage option for that reason and a good solution when you have just a few awesome watches to store.
4. Place them in a pouch. Pouches are a much more discreet way of storing your watch collection. While there are some pouches that are transparent, many are made of leather. For a single watch, a pouch is generally very flat looking and has a way to secure your watch inside once you slide it into the pouch (like a snap or buckle on the outside). Pouches that hold two watches look more like a small wristlet or wallet. Inside, two watches are stored in recessed chambers on each side, separated by a light cushion between them. Like the watch roll, pouches are ideal for travel and can also be used on nightstands or in drawers if your collection is small enough.
5. Wind them up while storing. For those with a collection of automatic watches, you may need to invest in a watch winder for your storage solution. Automatic watches rely on the natural motion of the wearer to keep the mechanisms and gears working, so when you’re not wearing it, it will need to keep moving to be in tick-tock shape. A watch-winder will keep your automatic timepieces moving gently while storing them to take care of just that. Watch winders can be set to your watch’s exact specifications for direction and number of turns per day and can be found in single, double and quadruple options. If your watch has a Quartz battery, it does not need to be stored in a watch winder.
6. Stuff them in a safe. If you have a sizable collection of watches, or even a modest collection of luxury watches, you should definitely consider purchasing a watch safe. A decent safe could cost hundreds of dollars on the low end to thousands of dollars for a good safe and even tens of thousands of dollars for a safe that will be a veritable fortress for your collection! Some safes are made specifically for jewelry (watches being a part of that), while some are made specifically for watch collections and may even include a watch winder as part of that storage solution. This is perhaps the utmost safety you can provide for your watches as safes are heavy, can be bolted to the floor, require a key or code and keep watches out of sunlight and free from dust.
7. Lock them in a jewelry drawer. Some jewelry boxes will come with a drawer that can be locked and this makes a great place to secure your watches out of sight perhaps from small children or even contractors or housekeepers who may be in your house conducting business. The downside to jewelry drawers is that they are not nearly as sturdy as a safe and could be hoisted from you quite easily since they are smaller and more lightweight than safes.

Protecting your watches while in storage

No matter how you choose to store your watch or watch collection, you will want to follow these storage best practices:

1. Store your watch face up. Laying a watch down for any period of time should be done face-up for sure. You don’t want to scratch the glass case. But aside from that, if your watch is stored say, in your bathroom, face-up for a while, it’s likely going to get covered in dust and things you spray in your bathroom (perfume, hairspray, air freshener, etc.). The best way to protect your watch when it’s in storage is to find a drawer (preferably with dividers so it doesn’t scratch up against other jewelry or watches) and keep it there. 
2. Make sure it’s clean first. For both men and women, simply wearing the watch daily can result in skin oils, sweat and other surface bacteria (like E. Coli and staphylococci) getting lodged in the watch case and strap as well. How often you clean it depends on how often you wear it, and if you wear it for heavy-duty use (like gardening, cleaning or working out at the gym, which are all listed in the activities below as no-no's for when to wear a watch). Check out our tips on when and how to clean a watch here.  
3. Leave space between them. If you have multiple watches, you can purchase a watch tray that comes with dividers built into it. If you don’t purchase a watch tray, just keep plenty of space between them so they don’t bump and scratch other watches in the same space.
4. Keep your watch away from magnetic items. Magnets on things like cell phones, necklaces, purse clasps and more can all interfere with your watch’s ability to tell time. Keep them away from things you suspect may have magnets in them, including television and computer speakers, hair dryers and more. Keep your watch from coming close to anything you suspect is magnetized.
5. Use soft pouches to protect it. If you only have one or two watches, use a cloth pouch to protect your watch and again, put it in a drawer where you can protect it from dust and bumps and scratches while not in use.
6. Remove the batteries first. If you have a Quartz watch, it’s best to remove the battery before putting a watch into storage for a longer period of time. You can do this by removing the back of the watch and popping out the small battery. Why do you want to do this? For the same reason you want to change your battery regularly: because a battery will ultimately die. If it’s left inside your watch when that happens, it can leak corrosion inside your watch. Automatic watches or manual watches do not have batteries, so you only have to worry about winding those.
7. Keep your certificate of authenticity in a safe. If you’ve invested in a luxury watch, it will come with a Certificate of Authenticity, also known as a COA. This certificate ensures that your watch was made by a reputable jeweler or watchmaker and is not a knockoff. In the event your watch is stolen or lost, you can use the COA to make your claim with the insurance company who will know that this watch is authentic. It’s worth keeping this valuable information locked away, just in case.
8. Insure your watch. Before you even store it away for safekeeping, be sure to get it insured before the unimaginable happens. It’s easy to get excited about a new watch purchase and want to wear it right away, and equally easy to forget to take that extra step to insure it. Jewelers Mutual makes it easy to secure personal jewelry insurance online with just a few clicks! Simply provide a little information about your watch, including the value either from a recent receipt or appraisal, and you can check your rate online today! 

 

Even if you already have a watch or two listed on your homeowner's insurance, you might want to look at personal jewelry insurance instead of homeowners insurance to cover jewelry as there are zero deductible options, no claims to be made against your homeowner’s policy and it'll be protected by our comprehensive repair or replacement coverage.  Plus, your coverage extends while traveling worldwide. When it comes to your luxury watches, don’t take a chance on your insurance. Get insurance that will stand the test of time with Jewelers Mutual.

Now that you know about all the storage solutions possible for your watch or watch collection, it’s probably also time to invest in some solid storage to ensure your watch is protected and working properly for a long time.