Your watch at airport security

[Muzz]

I do around 55-60 international flights per year and have been asked to remove my watch 30% of the time lately. PM or SS there is no difference. This is also requested before I even set off the detector.

[Racerdj]

I have never been asked to remove mine.

[Jack T]

Along with my cell phone, I just put it in to my briefcase or carry on bag, automatically.

[dabbotjordan]

I was made to take mine off in Barcelona last month.

[g-rex]

Mine goes into a small individual watch case I purchased for exactly that purpose that is inside the backpack I carry 95% of the time when I travel. Watch goes in there for security, and once I'm in the terminal, I'll put it on.

Only thing I will not take off going through the machine is my wedding ring, and I have not been asked to remove it yet.

[Snow-Dweller]

My BLRO set off the detectors in Poland last week, and I was made to remove it.

[Jack T]

Originally Posted by g-rex

Only thing I will not take off going through the machine is my wedding ring, and I not been asked to remove it yet.

Same here. If I take mine off, it sets off the detectors...at home!

[Abdullasaif]

I leave it on unless they ask me to remove it its 50/50 depends about the airport

[Gaijin]

Originally Posted by Anthon

I'm sure they were just doing their job. It really makes no sense telling the workers that their job is idiotic. They do as they are told by guys earning ten or twenty times their salary (and wearing Rolexes for that matter). And for what? What did you gain by venting your anger?

Yes. This. I know a few really solid police officers that as a result of a divorce (or two) got on with the TSA after retirement. Really solid guys.


but its good that we as a forum are all finally discussing this.

[Rolex Essex]

I've been through airport 8 times in April and never been asked to remove my Rolex.

[Cbir]

Remove mine, never had an issue.

[ming the merciless]

I fly from Manchester, England pretty often and they always want your watch in the tray. My Rolex's go in my carry on and I wear my old " Heuer " 2000 professional to go through. I feel naked without a watch.

[jtb5003]

Agreed with quite a few posters above, I've done around 26 transatlantic flights in the last 12 months and not taken my watch off once, I've actually been complemented on whatever watch I'm wearing a couple of times!

[eco8gator]

Never take it off.

I tell them that I have it on an they always say its ok.

[benzng]

to be safe, pack a pouch to safeguard your watch. otherwise put it in the tray. sometimes TSA would request everything to be removed :o

[Wooddog44]

Originally Posted by Hodog16

Before I get to the bins I put my wallet, watch, phone, and anything in my pockets into my carry on backpack. The only things I keep on me are my ID and boarding pass.

This is my "routine" as well but my wife never takes her watch or rings off and has never had an issue...

My follow up question is which is worse for the watch in terms of magnetisation potential, in my carry on going through the x-ray machine or on my wrist going through the magnetic body scanner?

[MVP]

Never been asked to remove a watch, sometimes they check it out after I go through the scanner, but nothing more than that.

Anyone bring a watch on a winder through security before though?

Once I brought my 116619LB on my Kubik Rolex winder and confused the hell out of a few TSA agents. None of them even knew what a winder was. After I explained to them what it was and after multiple x-ray scans of the winder (which eventually they let me see and that was pretty cool) they concluded by saying "well, we're guessing this isn't a Fossil"

[rmlovett1]

Originally Posted by Racerdj

I have never been asked to remove mine.

X2

[Ruud Van Driver]

I was asked to remove mine at Bangkok for a flight to London in April. I politely refused and had a body (but not full cavity!) search when I set the detector off.

[speedolex]

Never been asked to remove mine, always keep my boarding pass in my shirt pocket and hold it with two hands as I walk through the detector. This keeps the watch away from the side walls of the x-ray and let's the guard focus on the cardboard, not the stainless steel.

For the times I go through the full-body scanner, it's never an issue of course.

[hijueputa]

Mine goes in the bag before security. I travel to a lot of undesirable places so this is the safest best and there is no chance of it getting swiped while sitting in the x-ray tray. This way gives me piece of mind.

[Wine4Golf]

I travel frequently and always always refuse to remove it if asked. They just say ok.

[KarlS]

Just taken it off!!

[Mfrankel2]

Originally Posted by mjclark32

I've never been asked to take it off and never had a problem going through

This

[WatchinMD]

Originally Posted by Ruud Van Driver

body (but not full cavity!) ....

Now there is a location for an "is it safe" thread that I have not yet seen on TRF!

[RollingRollie]

Asked to remove my watch in Burma and Malaysia.

In Hong Kong, they tell you to keep the watch on.

No problems in the US on international terminals.

[vletnguyen]

I have never been asked to remove watch or set off the detector. With precheck, I usually stick my arms through the detector as I'm walking through as to not walk it . With the body scanner, I just show them it's an actual watch and I'm off to the gates.

[m j b]

Originally Posted by michael067

Luckily I can fly armed, so I don't have to go thru security.

Wow, that sounds even better than PreCheck!

[KarlS]

Originally Posted by KarlS

Just taken it off!!

And at the next airport told to take it off again....so that's 2 countries today

[Anthon]

With the body scanners my Explorer gets picked up about 50% of time. And when it gets picked up by the scanner, half the personnel wave me away, the other half follow protocol and search my upper body.

So keeping my watch on gets me body searched about 25% of the time. That's annoying but not as enjoying as having to take my watch off :)