Appraising Time: Why Your Luxury Watches Should be Appraised and Insured

We all know that generally you need to carry extra insurance to cover your luxury goods, including jewelry. However, we often forget about covering watches. Somehow, because they are utilitarian pieces, they often slip our minds. However, we believe that you should have your luxury watches appraised and insured.

Having a watch appraised is vital, especially if it is a vintage or heirloom piece. Often, the value of these watches fluctuates based on the market and, in just a few years’ time, watches can gain in value. While you may never be able to replace these keepsakes should something happen to them, you at least want to be sure you are properly insured.

For new watches, often your receipt will suffice for insurance purposes. However, a watch that is typically a couple of years old could have appreciated in value based on the market demand. Therefore having a recent appraisal may help in retrieving full value of the watch. This is also true if the timepiece is diamond- or gemstone-adorned.

Reasons to have your watches appraised include not just theft, but also fire or other significant loss. Proper appraisals are helpful for estate planning or when facing life’s eventualities, such as divorce or death. While many suggest that a new appraisal on jewelry be done every three years, watch appraisals have a slightly longer shelf life of about five years or so, depending on the timepiece. While appraisals do cost a little money, the truth of the matter is, if you don’t have your fine watches appraised, and you suffer a loss, you will be in a regretful state. Better to protect your investment. Watches should be appraised by watchmakers and retailers who are authorized to carry the brand. Stop by and discuss watch appraisals with us any time.