So, I finally got that watch I’d been wanting. Felt pretty good strapping it on, you know? But then, almost immediately, that little voice starts nagging – what if I lose it? What if it gets nicked? Stuff happens. Decided right then I needed to get this thing insured, proper like.
First hurdle – figuring out how this even works. I vaguely remembered something about homeowners insurance maybe covering valuables, so I dug out my policy documents. Spent a good hour squinting at the small print. Turns out, yeah, there’s some coverage, but the limit for jewelry and watches was way too low. Like, laughably low compared to what the watch cost. So, that was a dead end, mostly.
Finding the Right Path
Okay, so standalone insurance it is. Where do you even get that? Started asking around, talked to my regular insurance guy who does my car and house. He mentioned something called a ‘personal articles floater’ or ‘rider’ that could be added to my homeowners. Sounded promising.
He told me the first thing they’d need is proof of value. Makes sense. So, next step: getting an appraisal. Had to find a reputable jeweler who does that sort of thing. Made an appointment, took the watch in, along with the box and papers I got when I bought it. They did their thing, took some photos, noted down the serial numbers, all that jazz. Cost a bit of money, but hey, necessary evil. Got the official appraisal document a few days later.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks
Armed with the appraisal, I went back to my insurance guy. Gave him the document. He punched some numbers into his computer, asked a few questions about how I store it, if I travel with it much. Standard stuff, I guess.
Then he came back with a quote for adding it to my existing policy. It wasn’t too bad, actually. Cheaper than I thought it might be.
I also looked into companies that only do jewelry and watch insurance. Found a couple online, filled out their forms, uploaded the appraisal. Their quotes came back a bit higher, but they seemed to offer slightly broader coverage, like ‘mysterious disappearance’, which sounded useful. Always losing things, me.
Making the Call
So, I had a choice: add it to my homeowners policy or go with a specialist company.
- Adding to homeowners was cheaper and simpler, dealing with one company.
- The specialist offered potentially better coverage but cost more and meant another bill to track.
In the end, I went with adding the rider to my homeowners policy. Felt easier to manage, and the coverage seemed good enough for my peace of mind. My guy explained what was covered – theft, damage, loss – and what wasn’t. Read through the details myself, just to be sure.
Signed the paperwork, paid the extra premium. And that was that. Took a bit of running around, getting the appraisal and talking to the insurance folks, but now it’s done. Feels much better wearing the watch knowing it’s properly covered if the worst happens. Worth the effort, definitely.
