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☆☆☆☆ How to package a watch for safe/secure shipping... ☆☆☆☆

In Response To: Re: Watch Overhaul ()

Re: Watch Overhaul Posted By: Stuart Ciske Date: 12/8/07 01:36:57 GMT

In Response To: Re: Watch Overhaul (Stuart Ciske)

Will be sending the Hamilton with cracked crystal to the CS center in LaGrange, IL - anyone with experience using them:

Swiss Service Center

17 1/2 Calendar Court, La Grange, IL 60525

T: 1 708 482 0610

Yes, I had them do some repairs on a Porsche Design Orfina and a Tissot T-12 Chronograph. They seem to be good folks.

Should I send it in the same box it came in?

No, they won't be impressed, and it'd be one more thing they'd have to keep track of.

How does one send it in in terms of packaging?

Either contact them for advice or..
I'd get one of those microfibre Lens Cleaning Cloths you can get for about $1.50 at Wal-Mart. Put the cloth around the watch, and secure the cloth with a couple of rubber bands and place in a Zip-Lock bag. Then visit a Comic Book shop [or "The Container Store if you have one near you] and buy a heavy lucite Golf/Baseball protector [or Card Deck Protector - Like for the game "Magic: The Gathering" cards... Should cost you a couple of bucks - tops!]. Along with some bubblewrap if you'd like, put the watch inside the lucite container. Then wrap the Lucite container with bubblewrap, then put inside a sturdy cardboard box [filled with styrofoam packing peanuts] and tape SECURELY. Don't skimp out on the tape!

And Playing Card Lucite cases [like the one I used for the illustrations above] are typically cheaper... $1 each in my burg.
A matter of fact... It might be handy/useful to take a series of pictures like those above in case anything untoward happens in shipment. Nothing like having your bases covered, eh?
Now don't go nuts and spend a lot of money on components because chances are you'll not see them again. I've probably sent out a dozen watches packed like shown above, I've yet to receive a speck of those original packing materials back when the watches were returned to me. Just the way people are I guess.
The idea is to package the watch so it's protected from being damaged by itself [ie, the bracelet hitting the caseback], water intrusion [zip-lock and you can wrap the lucite with SaranWrap as well] and alternating materials which are firm [to resist sharp pointed intrusive impacts, with matterials with "Give" so the item in the center of your protective material can "roll with the punches" of blunt force impact/trauma.
Then ship insurred for the full value, and if you're very serious about sending the watch via a Secured method select Registered Mail [not Certified which is really only for documents]. Registered Mail is slow because the package is under lock and key with signature tracking of every person who handles it along the way, but it's nearly impossible for a postal worker to pocket a valuable from the mail and not get fired if you use this method of shipping.