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You check your wrist after a quick drink at the pool bar. Your luxury timepiece—gone. There's no sign of it in the hotel room, and you have no clue where it disappeared. And no clear idea of what happens next.
Maybe it was unbuckled during that swim. Perhaps it slipped off at the spa. Or maybe, like thousands of other travellers each year, you've become the target of a very discreet kind of theft that happens in seconds and leaves nothing behind but questions.
Luxury watches travel with us through time zones, weather, and changing routines. They're worn in airport lounges and beach resorts, at Michelin-starred dinners, and destination weddings. Depending on the policy, cover for loss or theft overseas may be limited or subject to sub-limits and exclusions. Cover that applies in Australia can differ once you travel, so check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for location-based limits.
Together, we'll uncover how wrist watch insurance works overseas, what to do if something goes wrong, and how to make sure your policy actually covers the way you wear your watch, not just where it's stored.
Ready? Let's start by understanding why travelling with luxury timepieces involves more risk than most people realise.
Luxury watches are made to be seen. Their design, brand recognition, and craftsmanship draw attention—sometimes the wrong kind.
Those subtle details that signify quality can become flashing beacons to opportunistic thieves when you're in transit or on holiday. Airports, hotel lobbies, outdoor cafés, and designer shopping precincts are among the most common settings for luxury watch theft. It's not always a planned heist—often, it's as simple as someone noticing your wrist and then waiting for the moment you're distracted.
Tourists and business travellers tend to stand out, whether it's through language, dress, or simply unfamiliarity with their surroundings. Add a recognisable timepiece like a Rolex or Audemars Piguet, and you've unknowingly raised your profile.
Recent figures highlight the scale of the issue. According to Maxim Magazine, over USD $1.3 billion worth of luxury watches have been reported missing or stolen globally. Rolex tops the list as the most frequently targeted brand.
This raises a critical question for seasoned travellers and casual explorers alike: how would your insurance respond if your watch vanished overseas?
Let's explore what usually happens when a timepiece is lost or stolen abroad—and how different types of watch insurance may compare.
The moment you notice your watch is missing, every minute counts. Whether it was a calculated theft or an unfortunate misplacement, your next steps can shape how smoothly a claim proceeds and whether your insurance will respond.
File a police report at the local station. Most insurers require this to verify your claim. Make sure to get an official copy or reference number.
Contact your watch insurance provider immediately. Even if you're still travelling, starting the claims process early helps clarify what's needed and what's covered.
Gather supporting evidence. This may include:
Photos of your watch (especially if worn on the trip)
Purchase receipts or valuation certificates
Travel documents (boarding passes, accommodation bookings)
Any witness statements or hotel security reports
A Statutory Declaration
Tip: Take photos of your watch before a trip, including the serial number and how you typically wear it. These could prove useful if you ever need to validate a claim.
To ensure a streamlined claims experience, some watch insurance providers like Q Report will ask for the following documentation either upon taking out a policy, some will ask for it in the event of a claim:
Valuation certificate or original purchase receipt showing price and place of sale
Warranty card or certificate of authenticity (if applicable)
Clear photographs of the watch, ideally with the serial number visible
Details of the police report, including when and where it was filed
These documents help the insurer confirm ownership, value, and loss circumstances. The more detail you can provide, the more efficiently your claim can generally be processed, especially when you're still abroad or have just returned home.
Next, we'll unpack how wrist watch insurance works internationally and why not all policies provide equal cover once you step outside your home country.
Your luxury watch doesn't stay locked in a drawer—it travels with you, often to unfamiliar environments. That's why understanding what your insurance includes while abroad is essential.
Some specialist wrist watch insurance policies include:
Theft, whether from your hotel room, a bag, or straight off your wrist.
Accidental damage, such as drops, knocks, or cracked glass.
Loss or mysterious disappearance, including situations where the watch goes missing without a known cause.
Wear-anywhere cover, meaning you're covered while actively wearing the watch, not just when it's in a safe or box.
Access to brand-certified repair or replacement, preserving both value and authenticity.
Unlike some general home or travel insurance, some specialist watch insurance is designed to cover how your watch is used, including while travelling, swimming, or dining out overseas.
Not all policies are created with collectors or luxury wearers in mind. Some home-and-contents or travel policies include jewellery benefits, but they could apply lower claim limits to high-value watches or restrict cover while items are worn.
Here are a few common gaps:
Home contents insurance may not cover high-value items worn outside the home or even taken abroad.
Travel insurance sometimes sets low limits on jewellery claims (sometimes as little as $750–$1,000) and may exclude luxury watches entirely.
Non-itemised or market-value policies might not reflect appreciation, meaning you could receive a lower payout than your watch is worth, especially for limited editions or discontinued models.
If you're unsure how your watch would be covered in an overseas emergency, it might be time to revisit your policy details.
Want to understand how watch insurance may work before your next trip? Start here: How to Protect Your Luxury Watch Collection During Travel
Next, we'll look at the cost of specialist watch insurance and what factors may affect your premium while travelling.
Yes. You can usually insure a luxury watch either through a specialist wrist watch insurance provider or, in some cases, by listing it individually under your home contents policy. However, general insurance sometimes comes with sub-limits, exclusions for overseas wear, and slower claims handling, especially for high-value or rare timepieces.
On the other hand, specialist policies like those offered by Q Report are built for real-life use, including travel, subject to terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy outlined in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). They could offer cover for loss, theft and damage as well as worldwide cover, and authorised repair or replacement options tailored to collectors.
How to insure a watch before you go overseas:
Step 1: Get a professional valuation. Use a certified jeweller or watch boutique who can assess the current market value and provide a written report. This will support your cover amount and any future claims.
Step 2: Gather your documentation. Keep a secure file with the original receipt, valuation certificate, photos of the watch, and serial number.
Step 3: Choose a provider with global cover best suited to your travel plans. Compare policies that include loss, theft and damage cover, wear-anywhere terms, and no excess or depreciation at claim time, if these benefits are important to you. You may want to make sure international claims and cover while overseas are clearly outlined.
Once insured, double-check your policy to ensure it's active from the day of travel and includes coverage during flights, transit, and stays.
When it comes to insurance, classification isn't just a technicality—it shapes how your item is valued, covered, and replaced.
Some home and contents policies group luxury watches under the broader jewellery category. While this might sound straightforward, it often means your watch is subject to the same sub-limits and exclusions as rings, necklaces, or earrings. Unless your watch is individually listed, its cover may be capped at a generic jewellery limit which could be as low as $1,000 to $5,000.
Some specialist insurers treat watches differently, acknowledging their mechanical complexity, resale value, and collector appeal. This distinction can affect how claims are handled, especially for rare or appreciating models.
FAQ: Is a watch considered jewellery for insurance?
Yes. In some contents policies, watches fall under the jewellery category. To avoid coverage limits, it may be best to itemise or insure them separately, especially if they exceed standard sub-limits.
Next, we'll explore what this means for your wallet and how much wrist watch insurance typically costs.
Specialist wrist watch insurance in Australia is typically calculated as a percentage of your watch's insured value. This makes it more accessible than many expect, especially compared to the potential out-of-pocket cost of replacing a lost or stolen timepiece.
Let's break that down using example premiums for a Q Report policy aligned with typical high-end models:
$25,000 watch → Approx. $687.50 per year (or around $57.29 per month)
$40,000 watch → Approx. $1,100 per year (or around $91.66 per month)
$60,000 watch → Approx. $1,650 per year (or around $137.50 per month)
Monthly amounts are shown for illustration; instalment plans are optional and may incur an administrative charge.
Important: These prices are indicative only. Your actual premium may depend on factors such as how often you wear the watch, where it's kept, security arrangements, your claims history and your location. Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and obtain a personalised quote to confirm cover, limits and costs.
Ready to dive into whether wrist watch insurance is actually worth it for your lifestyle? Let's look at that next.
Wearing a luxury watch while travelling means more than keeping time—it often means carrying a significant asset on your wrist. And while most trips go smoothly, it could take just one moment of distraction for that asset to disappear.
Replacement costs can quickly climb into five or six figures, especially for limited editions or discontinued models.
International resale markets make high-end watches a preferred target for thieves, particularly in tourist-heavy destinations.
Specialist wrist watch insurance may ensure you're not left relying on guesswork or generic valuations if something goes wrong. You may get replacement value based on an insured amount, plus access to brand-authorised repairs, depending on your chosen insurance provider.
Yes, particularly for people who travel or wear their watches frequently. If your timepiece is lost or stolen abroad, insurance may help recover its financial value and could ensure the replacement matches the original.
Luxury watches often accompany their owners across borders, into unfamiliar environments, and through ever-changing routines. But when a watch is lost or stolen abroad, the reality of what your insurance does—or doesn't—cover quickly comes into focus.
Q Report’s specialist wrist watch insurance aims to bridge the gap between ownership and real-world usage. It offers cover for loss, theft, damage and mysterious disappearance while wearing the watch, not just when it's stored at home. It also helps ensure access to authorised repairs and as a replacement policy, covers your wrist watch for like-for-like replacement or repair in the event of a claim.
Before your next trip, you may want to take a moment to check that your cover matches how and where you wear your timepiece.
Looking for specialist watch insurance that keeps up with you? Start your quote with Q Report today.
To get an accurate insurance quote, please provide the amount from your purchase receipt.
Don't have the receipt?
If you don't have the receipt, you can provide the most recent valuation amount instead.
