Protecting watch inventory from theft

A dealer's stock has every quality a thief looks for: high value, small size, and a ready resale market. That doesn't call for paranoia, but it does call for routine. Most losses come from predictable moments: stock left out, watches carried to meetings, routines that are easy to read, and posts that say too much. Tighten those, and you've dealt with most of the risk.

Storage

• Use a proper safe, secured so it can't be removed whole. Keep stock in it whenever you aren't actively handling a watch.
• Limit what's out. Take out only the watches you're photographing, preparing, or showing.
• Keep keys and codes private. Fewer people with access means fewer ways in.
• Check your insurance conditions. Policies written for jewelry and watch businesses, such as jewelers block cover, are designed to protect stock on premises, in transit, and at events.^[1] Read what your own policy asks of you on storage and security. The insurance article covers what to look for.

Carrying watches

Watches are most exposed when they're on the move.

• Carry only what the meeting needs. One watch for one buyer is the rule for most in-person sales. The in-person sale article covers choosing a safe place to meet.
• Be discreet. Plain bags rather than branded watch boxes, and no wearing stock on the way to a meeting.
• Vary your routine when you carry stock regularly, such as to a watchmaker or a regular show.
• Never leave watches in a vehicle, even briefly.
• At shows, keep stock secured and in view, and have someone with you when you need to step away from your table. The shows article has more on setting up.

Your online footprint

Dealers need to be visible online to sell, and visibility can tell the wrong people too much.

• Keep your location vague. Avoid photos that show your street, the outside of your building, or recognizable landmarks near where you store stock.
• Don't announce travel in advance. Post about a show once you're back, not the week before.
• Don't show your whole inventory together. A photo of every watch you hold is an invitation.
• Check photo metadata. Some images carry location information. Strip it before posting.
• Separate business and personal accounts, so your home life isn't one click from your stock.

Know who you're dealing with

Some thefts start as a sale or a purchase: a buyer who wants to see several watches at your home, or a seller who uses a meeting to learn what you carry. Vet people before you meet, meet on your terms, and don't reveal more of your stock or routines than the deal requires.

Records that help if something is taken

If a watch is stolen, the speed of your response depends on your records. For every watch, keep:

• The serial and reference, recorded at intake.
• Clear photos, including the serial and any distinguishing marks.
• Purchase documents showing what you paid and when.

With those, you can report the theft to the police accurately, make an insurance claim promptly, and register the watch with a stolen-watch database so it's flagged if someone tries to sell it. The Watch Register, for instance, keeps a database of lost and stolen watches that dealers and pawnbrokers search before buying.^[2] Your inventory tracking is what makes all of this possible.

Make it routine

Security measures only work when they're habits. Decide how stock is stored, carried, and shown, write it down, and follow it every time. The watch that gets stolen is usually the one that was an exception to the routine.

Running a watch business from home covers storage, insurance, and keeping your address out of circulation.