Identity
Record the maker, model, reference and a controlled serial token. Keep full serials in a secured master system.
Open toolkit · version 1.0
One private register for every watch.
Build a controlled collection inventory for insurance, valuation, service, succession and sale planning. The tool works in your browser. No account is required.
Direct answer
What belongs in a watch collection inventory?
Maison Montres defines a useful watch collection inventory as one working record that links every watch to its evidence and next decision. It identifies the watch, uses a safe location code, lists purchase, photo, condition, service and authentication records, and states the purpose and date of every value.
For a family office, the register should also show the owner record, authorised contact and approval route for a sale, loan, gift or estate transfer. Keep sensitive master data in the owner’s secured system. Use codes in the working file.
This toolkit organises information. It does not prove authenticity or title, set insurance coverage, determine tax treatment or replace a purpose-specific appraisal.
Interactive register
Build the working record.
Start with controlled identifiers. Add evidence status and review dates. Export the result into the owner’s approved document or collection-management system.
Privacy by default. Entries remain in this browser tab unless you enable local save. Local browser storage is not encrypted by this tool. Do not enter full serial numbers, exact vault addresses, identity documents, policy credentials or private contact details. Full CSV and JSON exports contain every field you enter, so treat downloaded files as sensitive and use the redacted CSV when a recipient does not need the complete record.
0Records
0%Average record completeness
0Reviews due
0Insurance status to confirm
| Record | Brand | Watch | Location | Photos | Authenticity record | Valuation date | Insurance | Complete | Actions |
|---|
The minimum viable record
Six controls before a watch moves.
Ownership trail
Link invoices, receipts, prior sale records and any documents relevant to provenance or title review.
Current evidence
Keep dated photographs and condition notes. Mark facts as known, reported or still requiring specialist review.
Location and custody
Use controlled location codes. State who has physical custody and record each loan, service movement or transit.
Purpose-specific value
Never store a number without its purpose, effective date, currency, author and report location.
Decision rights
State who may approve transport, service, insurance changes, sale, gift, loan or estate transfer.
Insurance handoff
Give the broker facts, not assumptions.
Ask the insurer or broker which watches must be scheduled, which valuation basis and appraisal format it accepts, how new acquisitions are treated, which territories and transit events are covered, and what evidence would be required after a loss.
Chubb’s current consumer guidance recommends a detailed inventory with descriptions, current photographs, purchase records and appraisal certificates, while Jewelers Mutual also advises owners to retain ownership and maintenance records. Requirements differ by policy and jurisdiction, so the recipient must confirm the final schedule.
- Is the value replacement value, agreed value, market value or another defined basis?
- Which appraisal credentials and effective dates are accepted?
- Are watches covered at home, in a vault, in transit, on loan and while travelling?
- How quickly must a new acquisition, sale or material value change be reported?
- Which photos, receipts, service records and police or database checks would support a claim?
Read the watch insurance records guide or compare appraisal purposes.
Succession handoff
Prepare the collection for another decision maker.
A collection register is not an estate plan. It can, however, show an executor, trustee, family office or heir what exists, where the supporting records are held and which questions need qualified advice.
- Separate the working register from the secure key. Keep full serials, exact locations and personal details in controlled systems.
- Name decision roles. Record who may instruct a valuer, move a watch, approve a sale or receive reports.
- Define valuation purpose. Insurance, estate, tax, equitable distribution and sale planning may require different bases and specialists.
- Record open evidence gaps. Do not turn an undocumented family account into a verified provenance statement.
- Set review events. Review after acquisitions, sales, service, a change of location, a policy renewal or a change in succession instructions.
Legal, tax and fiduciary decisions remain with qualified advisers in the relevant jurisdiction. Maison Montres can support the watch-specific record within that wider team.
Portable files
Use the format that fits your controls.
Stewardship toolkit · XLSXRegister, insurance review, succession handoff, redacted view and data dictionary.
Blank register · CSVThirty fields for spreadsheet or collection-system import.
Data dictionary · CSVPurpose, sensitivity and an example for every field.
Field schema · JSONA versioned machine-readable definition for technical teams.
Citation and reuse: the blank template and data dictionary are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Use the attribution “Private Watch Collection Register, Maison Montres,” link to this page and state version 1.0 with the review date. The licence does not turn the files into an appraisal, authentication, insurance opinion or endorsement.
Method and sources
Designed around real handoffs.
The field set is deliberately neutral. It separates identity, documents, physical control, valuation purpose, insurance status and decision rights so that one number or certificate is not asked to serve every purpose.
Sources reviewed for version 1.0:
- Chubb — How to insure high-value jewelry: inventory, photographs, purchase records, appraisals and periodic review.
- Jewelers Mutual — Is a watch considered jewelry?: receipts, ownership records, maintenance records and photographs.
- The Watch Register: independent lost and stolen watch searches and loss registration.
- Maison Montres rare-watch research methodology: source hierarchy, evidence labels, market comparisons and stated limits.
- Maison Montres editorial standards: evidence labels, source review and correction policy.
Correction policy: report an unclear field, broken export or source issue to contact@maisonmontres.com. Material revisions receive a new version number and review date.
Frequently asked questions
Using the register.
What is a watch collection inventory?
A watch collection inventory is a structured record of each watch and the evidence connected to it. It can track the maker, model, reference, controlled serial token, acquisition record, location code, photographs, condition, service, valuation purpose, insurance status and next review date.
Is the Maison Montres collection register private?
The interactive register runs in your browser and does not intentionally send the information you enter to Maison Montres. Data stays in memory unless you enable local save. Browser storage is not encrypted by this tool, so use controlled codes and move the export into an appropriately secured system.
Does this template replace an appraisal, authentication or insurance schedule?
No. The template organises records and open questions. It is not an appraisal, an authentication opinion, proof of title, an insurance schedule or legal or tax advice. Confirm the required evidence and report format with the intended insurer, valuer, lawyer, tax adviser or other recipient.
How should a family office use the watch collection template?
A family office can use controlled owner, location and document codes in the working register, while keeping sensitive master data in its own secure system. It should define who may view records, approve transport, request a valuation and authorise a sale, loan, gift or estate transfer.
Can I download and adapt the template?
Yes. The blank CSV template and data dictionary are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The JSON Schema provides a portable field definition for technical teams. Adapt the fields to the owner's jurisdiction, insurer, reporting policy and security controls.
Related decisions
Move from records to action.
Collection managementBuild a baseline and action plan for the whole collection.
Family office supportDefine reporting, roles, controls and professional handoffs.
Market valuationSet the purpose, market, date, assumptions and limits.
Authentication scopeUnderstand the evidence, inspection and written output.
Succession planningPrepare records, roles and owner instructions before a future handover.