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How do you handle expensive watches (and jewelry) through airport security?

How do you handle expensive watches (and jewelry) through airport security?

Old Jun 3, 2014, 10:48 am
  #46  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
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Originally Posted by viennoisonline
Could be wrong................but:

My watch is over $10K. I still don't take it off.
My watch is barely over $10 and couldn't lose it if I tried. Heck, I've spent more on batteries for the thing than I paid for it. I take it off as iron and pot metal tend to set off the WTMD.
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Old Jun 3, 2014, 10:51 am
  #47  
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
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I was once told that watches are unlikely to set off metal detectors. Mine has a leather band but plenty of metal on it (it's a Tissot.) I take it off if I'm not in PreCheck line. The PreCheck machines are calibrated at a reasonable setting.

My ring is too hard to take on and off, but I don't think that a gold band is as likely to set anything off. It's not a terribly glamorous ring.

The worst was being told that I had to take my eyeglasses off. They're onobtrusive, mostly plastic. That was in Cincinnati when the TSA first started.
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Old Jun 3, 2014, 9:28 pm
  #48  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
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Originally Posted by Paul56

The most valuable asset I travel with is myself... and I chose
to not make myself a target by looking rich with a watch or
jewelry.
+1.. The same goes for a purse. I Always travel with plain black, no label so it doesn't invite others to think there might be something valuable inside. We once traveled with a friend who carried her Prada backpack over her c hest, in front which drew much more attention to herself as she walked down the streets of Paris than I was comfortable with
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Old Jun 3, 2014, 9:44 pm
  #49  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: AA LT PLT (3.6+ MM), UA 1K LT Gold, Hilton LT Diamond, Bonvoy Gold.
Posts: 1,655
I own expensive watches (Breitling, Rolex and Omega) but I don't travel with them. I don't want to be mugged and loose $8k or more... My everyday watch is a $40 Timex expedition. I do have a passion for titanium watches and own a Seiko and Casio titanium watch in addition to the Breitling Aerospace titanium.

I look after it but I wouldn't really be worried if it was lost. I am shifting my thinking towards the expensive watches being heirlooms for my kids kids.
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Old Jun 4, 2014, 5:56 am
  #50  
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Originally Posted by Paul56
We must remember that the smart thieves pay attention
to these forums and what folks post about how they keep
their valuables secure... not that I am paranoid or anything.

The most valuable asset I travel with is myself... and I chose
to not make myself a target by looking rich with a watch or
jewelry.
If one takes the simple measures described above, a TSA thief will look for a softer target. There are plenty of them at the checkpoint and even more out of sight in the checked baggage rooms.
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Old Jun 4, 2014, 7:08 am
  #51  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
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As for watches I kind of travel with my middle of the road models, not the most expensive and not the cheapest. Most of the time I take my watch off and put in my carry on, deep in a pocket where it's not subject to a "grab and run". One of my favorite travel watches is a dual zone titanium model and it used to set off the detector so I just got in the habit of taking it off. Typically we do that prep away from the security point, not so much that we don't want agents to see where we put stuff as it is to make getting through the checkpoint as painless and as quickly as possible. My wife's jewelry is about the same though typically she doesn't have to take any off to get through security. We travel quite a bit and watch our carry on very closely. I don't recall TSA or any other agent trying to access our carry on while it was on the belt or after it had come through the machine without us being right there. We've never had any security agent take our carry on away from the check point into a closed area out of our view.
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Old Jun 4, 2014, 3:45 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 506
Originally Posted by Randyk47
I don't recall TSA or any other agent trying to access our carry on while it was on the belt or after it had come through the machine without us being right there. We've never had any security agent take our carry on away from the check point into a closed area out of our view.
I had that exact event happen to me in SAT last July.

Went through my carry-on in an area where I did not
have a clear view of what was happening.

If it happens again I will be immediately asking for a
supervisor.
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Old Jun 6, 2014, 5:09 am
  #53  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
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Originally Posted by Paul56
I had that exact event happen to me in SAT last July.

Went through my carry-on in an area where I did not
have a clear view of what was happening.

If it happens again I will be immediately asking for a
supervisor.
I agree and I would not be a happy flyer if they took one of our bags away and out of our sight at a security checkpoint. I definitely would call for a supervisor if it happened to us. Terminal B in SAT is pretty open and I'm no too sure where or if they could take a bag easily out if sight. Terminal A security is a whole different situation and usually a bit of a zoo. Luckily we typically flight AA out of SAT so rarely go through Terminal A.
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Old Jun 6, 2014, 8:02 am
  #54  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
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Originally Posted by N965VJ
Seriously though, it bugs me to see people with elite tags futz around with keys, coins, phones, etc. right before putting their stuff through the x-ray. I have that all stowed before I get to the Trained Document Checker.
Same for the flight crews which is actually even more galling considering they cut in front of pax, generally w/o so much as an excuse me, but then we have to stand there & wait while they divest themselves of everything including the kitchen sink
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