What’s the biggest nightmare of any serious watch collector? I wake up every night having dreamt of being Mufasa-ed by a Snoopy MoonSwatch stampede. But less specifically watch lovers all have much the same greatest fear: theft. Not to worry anyone, but if you add up the value of all your watches, it makes an incredibly tempting target for any opportunistic break-ins.
At best, it’s an incredibly frustrating situation that costs more time and effort to recoup than anyone would want to expend. Just look at what Orlando Bloom went through to get his collection back from the notorious Bling Ring. And as most of us aren’t Hollywood actors, it’s more likely that you’ve just lost some truly irreplaceable timepieces that you will in fact never see again.
Obviously, you don’t need to sit there and accept the risk – and you don’t need some elaborate Indiana Jones-esque trap system either. You need a safe. You probably don’t need us to tell you that you need a safe, you know it already. You might even have one already, in which case well done, you’re a responsible watch owner.
But having a tiny lockbox stashed in a cupboard does not a proper safe make. If you’re looking for something seriously heavyweight – both figuratively and literally – then you could do a lot worse than Johnson’s of Lichfield.
Nestled in scenic Staffordshire in the centre of England, family-run Johnson’s of Lichfield have been keeping their customers’ valuables safe (ba-dum-TSH) and sound for nearly 35 years. That’s long enough to not only know what they’re talking about, but to have become the UK’s leading experts in the field.
That expertise is vital. Finding the right safe for you isn’t just a case of picking one out online and shoving it in a corner. First, there are all the boring technicalities you need to think about. Does it adhere to my insurance policy? Can the floor you’re planning to put it on actually support it? Does it even fit properly when fully installed? Given that every safe is different, getting those answers can be easier said than done.
Then of course, there’s the aesthetics of the thing. Just because a safe is a practical necessity for a treasure trove of timepieces doesn’t mean you have to make do with a nondescript industrial block. In fact, the best of them can be genuinely lovely pieces of interior design – if you know where to look.
To address the former point, Johnson’s of Lichfield is a lot more than just a retailer, working more like a home security concierge. Like building a bespoke watch, the process is more discussion than transaction, where the experts at Johnson’s of Lichfield will discuss your exact needs in detail. It goes beyond safes too; vaults, gun safes, even panic rooms, whatever kind of security you need and to whatever scale.
That versatility is paired with an approach to luxury design that epitomises the statuesque nature of most of these security solutions. We’re not talking some tinny block with a cheap keypad. Sleek, glossy black finishing, chrome hardware, the kind of tactile, mechanical satisfaction that’s as solid as you’d expect from a luxury safe, there’s a lot to love. All custom, of course.
There’s even more to love specifically for your watch collection as, along with more basic watch holders, there’s the option to install watch winders, too. The best specialist watch winders allow custom winding settings to suit every watch. You can select your preferred holding position, rotations a day and the turning direction, all simply and succinctly through the exterior touchpad. Yes, there’s still some debate among collectors as to whether a winder is actually good for your watch or not, but having the option to never have to set a perpetual calendar again is a tempting prospect.
The necessity for some hefty watch security is a little worrying and safes as a subject aren’t exactly Philippe Dufour levels of sexy (the watches rather than the maker). But Johnson’s of Lichfield’s bespoke approach to the subject might just get you more excited about safes than you ever thought possible.
More details at Johnson’s of Lichfield.
