Collecting luxury watches is more than just a hobby; it's a passion that often involves a substantial financial investment. Whether your collection consists of watches inherited from family or rare and coveted automatic, manual, or quartz models, these timepieces often hold immense sentimental value, making them irreplaceable.
Risks to Your Luxury Watches
Owning high-end and collectible watches comes with several risks, including:
- Environmental Risks: Humidity, dust, and exposure to light or heat can damage dials, leather or fabric straps, and internal mechanisms.
- Theft and Vandalism: In Ireland, burglaries and thefts remain a significant concern for homeowners, both in urban and rural areas. Watches are particularly attractive to thieves due to their portability and high resale value.
Given these risks, it is essential to secure your watches in a robust, high-quality safe that protects against tampering, accidents, and temptation. A fireproof safe is a wise choice, offering dual protection for your watches and any important documents or digital media, like serial number registers and photographs, which verify your ownership and preserve their value.
Criteria for Choosing the Right Safe
Choosing the right safe is crucial to protecting your valuable timepieces and ensuring peace of mind. Here's what to consider:
- Strength and Security: A safe should be difficult to break into and challenging to move. It should be constructed from high-strength materials, feature a secure locking mechanism, and include a robust fastening system.
- Budget Considerations: The cost of a safe can vary based on its resistance level, protection (against theft and fire), capacity, the value of the items being protected, and your personal risk assessment.
- Environmental Factors: Conduct a risk analysis with your insurer by considering your living environment. Are you in a townhouse, an apartment, or a rural area? Do you have other security systems, such as alarms or reinforced doors, in place?
- Value of Your Collection: Accurately assess the value of your luxury watches to determine the safe's required security level. The European standard for burglary resistance, EN 1143-1 Label A2P, is the most rigorous standard for safes. It includes seven classes (0 to VI), with higher classes offering greater resistance and higher insurable values. Additionally, EN 1047-1 ensures fire resistance.
- Purpose of the Safe: Select the type of lock—key, combination, or electronic—based on how you intend to use the safe. The sophistication of the lock can deter burglars, while EN 1300-certified locks ensure compliance with security standards. Remember to safeguard keys and codes to prevent lockouts or unauthorised access.
- Size and Customisation: Consider what you'll store in the safe (e.g., documents, jewellry, electronics) and allow for future expansion by choosing a safe with at least 30% more space than your current needs. Custom options like watch boxes, jewellry drawers, or electrical connections for watch winders are available.
- Installation Location: Select an installation location based on usage frequency (daily or occasional), accessibility, and security. A safe can be wall-mounted or anchored into concrete for added security. Avoid obvious locations like the master bedroom or office, which are often targeted by intruders.
Also Read:
Where to Install Your Home Safe
The Cost of a Safe
While it might be tempting to opt for a less expensive, uncertified safe, these options often provide inadequate security. Many products labeled as "safes" are not rigorously tested by independent laboratories, making them easy targets for burglars.
Investing in a certified safe is essential. Here are some options:
- Complice Wall-Mounted Safe: Starting at €1,400 with an insurable value up to €8,000.
- InviKtus High-Security Safe: Prices can exceed €40,000, with an insurable value surpassing €300,000.
All Fichet Bauche safes are crafted with precision and quality in the Bazancourt, France factory, ensuring you receive the highest protection for your valuable collection.
Our expert team is here to assist you in finding the perfect safe to meet your unique needs. Send an email to sales@fbh-fichet.ie and one of our team will set up a call with you.
These tips will help you better secure your luxury and collectible watches. Remember, good security starts with a good safe!