How To Safely Store Your Watches At Home

Your Friends & Neighbors - Lessons In Watch Security From A Suburban Heist Show

I rarely watch TV shows these days. Not because I’m off doing cool covert CIA operations in far-flung countries (anymore), but because I have little kids who generally control the remote. However, when my sister told me that in the new Apple series Your Friends & Neighbors, Andrew “Coop” Cooper, played by Jon Hamm, takes up burglarizing his wealthy neighbors after losing his hedge fund job, I was intrigued. I think every man secretly fantasizes about committing victimless crimes… or maybe that's just me.

As a bonus, some of the items Coop steals in the show are watches, and not just any watches but hype watches like the Patek Philippe Nautilus and a Richard Mille RM011, both with secondary market values in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

How Easy Would It Be? 

A few episodes in, like any self-respecting washed-up CIA Case Officer, my mind started to wander. How easy would it be to steal high-end watches and other valuables from my friends and neighbors?

In the show, Coop easily navigates basic home security and finds expensive loot in open drawers and display cases. While this may seem far-fetched, I have several friends who keep valuable watches in the sock drawer or bedside table. It would be so easy that I am almost tempted to try it out, for science, of course.

W.O.E. 6 Watch Storage Case and W.O.E.’s collection. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)

People Are Naive

I’m continuously amazed by how careless people are with basic home and personal security. I live in a “nice” neighborhood, and many people I know leave their doors unlocked during the day. When a robbery does happen, they are surprised.  

With that, I would like to offer some basic advice on how to safely store your watches at home. Yes, this is about watches (we are Watches of Espionage after all), but it's really about more than that. If you are reading this, chances are you have something of value that you would like to protect and hold onto. If you are interested in some considerations and best practices for traveling with watches and hotel security, which is an entirely different can of worms, check out a past Dispatch HERE.

Even the quiet life in suburbia is not without its risks, especially if you’re careless. 

Basic Home Security - Swiss Cheese

In my opinion, home security is really about adhering to the fundamentals.  If you are looking for “Secret Home Protection Tips From A CIA Spy,” you will be disappointed. My advice is simple: lock your doors, set your alarm, get a dog, lock up your valuables, and have a basic camera set up (i.e., Ring) around the house with decent lighting. That's it.

Of course, any one of these can be defeated or bypassed easily, and there are a thousand additional measures you can take and tools you can buy, but adhering to these basic principles will deter the vast majority of thieves. Security is often about not being an easy target, akin to being just a bit faster than your friend when the bear is chasing you. The unfortunate reality is that if Arsène Lupin or Catwoman wants to take your prized possessions, they probably will. If you don’t believe me, ask Kim Kardashian. 

The "Swiss Cheese" concept for home security is a layered defense approach based on the idea that no single layer of security is foolproof—each has "holes," like a slice of Swiss cheese. But when multiple layers are stacked together, the holes rarely align, making it much harder for an intruder to find their way through all of the metaphorical cheese and escape with your watches.

A simple graphic for those who don’t read good, you know who you are.

Get A Safe - Priority Number 1

If you have a watch “collection” consisting of more than a few watches, you should invest in a high-quality safe to protect the watches from sticky fingers. If any of the fictional neighbors kept their possessions in safes, Coop would have left empty-handed, and it wouldn’t be much of a show. 

My personal favorites are large, heavy gun safes, not only because I own firearms, but also because, due to their size, they cannot be easily removed. Gun safes can offer an excellent solution due to their robust construction, fire resistance, and lock mechanisms. Full-size gun safes provide ample room for watch boxes, roll cases, and even winder setups, making them ideal for collectors with larger inventories while generally also providing some protection from fire and even flooding. Inside the safe, I keep all of my watches in our 6 Watch Storage Case for added protection and organization. If you’re not messing around, put a Ring camera right on top for extra security.

Gun safes are a great option for watches as well.

Handgun safes, especially biometric or keypad models, are a compact option for securing a smaller number of high-value timepieces while allowing quick access. I will often keep at least one watch in an easily accessible Vaultek safe, attached to a sturdy piece of furniture with a cable.

Insider Threat

Hamm wearing a Cartier Drive de Cartier along with Aimee Carrero. (Photo Credit: Your Friends & Neighbors)

In Your Friends & Neighbors, Aimee Carrero portrays a semi-stereotypical, albeit much more attractive (can I say that?), suburban housekeeper. Of course, a few episodes in, she teams up with Hamm’s character to assist with the heist. While this is obviously fiction, the reality is that your greatest threat likely comes from those with a key to the house.

According to US Gov statistics, nearly 30% of home thefts are committed by someone the victim knows, a friend, neighbor, relative, or housekeeper. These types of crimes often go unnoticed or unreported for extended periods, especially when valuable items like watches are taken gradually or selectively. Trusted visitors may have access to bedrooms, closets, or drawers where watches are casually stored, making unsecured timepieces easy targets. The takeaway: familiarity doesn’t equal safety. Babysitters, house cleaners, and repairmen are likely a greater threat than Carmen Sandiego. The solution? Proper storage, like a locked safe, is essential, even when the threat isn’t a stranger.

Display Cases - Use With Caution

Men are simple creatures; we want to collect things and show them off.  And what better way to peacock your watch collection than with a dark wood display case with a glass top? In Your Friends & Neighbors, at least one victim kept his watch in a display case.

In theory, I dig these and would love to be able to view and display my watch collection in my office. That said, unless you have a walk-in safe, I cannot think of a more reckless way to store your prized possessions. If someone does break into your house, this type of case is a neon sign that reads “take me.” I have heard of some people using dummy watches in these display cases… which I could potentially get behind, but this is a hard no for me.

Specialized furniture makers offer pieces with hidden and locked compartments for securing valuables, including watches.

Concealment Device

In the intelligence world, a Concealment Device (CD) is a tool or object designed to secretly hold sensitive information or items, often disguised as something innocuous. We have discussed a KGB Soviet era pocket watch modified to conceal film, microdots, or a folded note, but CDs can be larger and include cavities hidden in furniture or even built into your house. While I am generally not a fan of hiding watches or other valuables in hotel rooms, at your house, you own the turf.  

I have not used any commercially produced furniture with built-in concealment, but it is something I have considered—you can’t steal something you can’t see.  The one downside I see here is that it would not prevent destruction from fire or natural disasters, something that many residents of California have learned is a greater than zero risk.

Rolex watches and a Breitling that were (reportedly) burned up in the California fires. (Photo Credit: Matthew Green Jewelers)

Apple AirTag

Real-time geolocational devices used to be the stuff of futuristic spy movies, but today, they are readily accessible from Apple and other vendors. While most savvy criminals will check the loot for an AirTag, it is a simple measure to throw one in your travel case or safe just in case it is removed from your residence. These can be easily concealed and are well worth what little money they cost.  

An Apple AirTag is an easy and inexpensive additional layer of protection.

What Happens If Something Is Stolen?

Even if you take all of the above-listed precautions, you have to be prepared for the worst. Make sure you have pictures of your watches and document the serial numbers. Depending on your collection, consider getting insurance or confirming that they are covered under your home insurance plan at fair market value. Unless your collection is insane, adding a few watches to your home insurance is typically a few dollars a month, money well spent. 

Safety Deposit Box

Storing watches in a safety deposit box offers high security against theft, fire, and natural disasters, making it ideal for rare or high-value timepieces. I know this is common for many collectors in the UK, given the high threat of crime. Of course, there are downsides, and access is limited to the bank’s hours, which can be inconvenient for frequently worn pieces. If you go this route, insure your collection separately, and make sure your coverage extends to bank boxes as they are not automatically covered by many insurance policies.

Conclusion

You don’t need to live like a paranoid Jason Bourne to protect your watches, but a little forethought goes a long way. Whether it’s a six-figure Richard Mille or a sentimental Seiko, secure storage, layered defenses, and a dose of realism about who might actually walk off with your gear can make all the difference. Your Friends & Neighbors may be fiction, but the risks are real, and often closer than you think. Lock it up, make a plan, and don’t assume your sock drawer is safe.  

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