Watches have become one of the most popular collectible categories in the country — and for good reason. A quality watch isn’t just a timepiece anymore; it’s an investment, a family heirloom, and for a lot of collectors, a genuine passion. But here’s what most homeowners don’t realize until it’s too late: that watch is probably far less protected than they think.
This isn’t a niche hobby anymore. Analysts at Bain and Deloitte project the pre-owned segment will soon account for roughly 60% of the entire luxury watch market — a sign that more and more owners are treating watches as long-term assets, not just accessories. When something functions as an investment, it deserves investment-level protection. [Source: The Luxury Playbook]
What Your Standard Homeowners Policy Actually Covers
As the Insurance Information Institute, most homeowners policies include a small amount of built-in coverage for jewelry and watches — often just a few thousand dollars total, combined across every piece you own. Worse, that coverage usually only applies to specific causes of loss, like theft or fire.
That means if your watch is accidentally dropped and damaged, slips off during a swim, or simply goes missing and you can’t say exactly what happened — a standard policy typically won’t pay a dime. “Mysterious disappearance,” which is exactly how a lot of watches are actually lost, isn’t a covered cause of loss on most base policies at all.
For a $200 watch, that’s a minor inconvenience. For a $15,000 or $50,000 watch, that’s a real financial loss with no path to recovery.
The Fix: Scheduling Your Watch
Scheduling a watch means listing it individually on your policy with its own appraised or agreed value, rather than lumping it into that small built-in jewelry limit. Once it’s scheduled, coverage typically upgrades from “named perils only” to all-risk coverage — meaning it’s protected against loss, theft, and damage from virtually any cause, unless specifically excluded.
That’s the difference that matters most for watches specifically: all-risk coverage is what actually protects you against simply losing the watch. A scratch on the crystal, a strap that fails and the watch falls off, a piece that goes missing while traveling — all of it is covered under a scheduled policy, and typically none of it is covered under your base homeowners limit.
Other Advantages of Scheduling
Beyond broader coverage, scheduling a watch usually comes with:
- No deductible — a covered loss pays out in full, without the deductible that applies to the rest of your homeowners claim.
- Agreed value — you and the carrier settle on the watch’s value up front, so there’s no argument or depreciation dispute at claim time.
- Worldwide coverage — protection travels with you, which matters if you wear a piece on vacation or a business trip.
- Coverage that keeps up with the market — many high-value carriers allow simple updates as your collection grows or values shift.
What It Actually Costs
Scheduling a watch is typically inexpensive relative to the value it protects — often a small percentage of the item’s appraised value annually. For most collectors, the real question isn’t whether they can afford to schedule a watch. It’s whether they can afford not to, given how little a standard policy would actually pay if something happened to it.
A Natural Fit With High Value Home Coverage
If you already carry a high value home policy, scheduling watches and other valuables is usually a simple addition rather than a separate process — many of the same carriers that build high value home coverage, like Cincinnati Insurance and National General, also offer strong scheduled valuables programs.
Protect What You’ve Collected
Whether it’s a single watch you’ve had your eye on for years or a growing collection, don’t assume your homeowners policy already has you covered. Give us a call and we’ll walk through what scheduling would actually look like — and what it would cost — for your specific pieces.
Call our Bentonville office at (479) 350-6862 to talk through your collection.
About the Author
Brandon Thompson is the CEO and co-founder of MBG Insurance and leads the agency’s Bentonville, Arkansas office. A Certified Work Comp Advisor (CWCA), Brandon specializes in high value homes, workers’ compensation, lessor’s risk, and tree care risk. Read more about Brandon.