Watches passing airport x-rays

[HL65]

Originally Posted by jb335

You've never taken your watch off at airport security?! How is that possible?

I never have taken mine off either.

[GMT Aviator]

Mine goes through so many X-ray scanners every week, it doesn't need Chromalight to glow in the dark.

[marcopome]

Hi everybody!
I often pass the metal detector at the Airport! very often in reality! I'm an Airline Pilot.
I have noticed that acording to my Rolex collection: 116520, 116710BLNR, 16610LV, 16622,
16600, 16550, and 116400GV, the last one mentioned is the only one that makes the machine sing like in a Concert....😂👍
I always have to put the Milgauss in the plastic box!!!

[watchucallit]

I travel over 100K miles per year throughout the USA and abroad and I have never ever taken my watch off. On occasion they look at it and make sure it is keeping time.. and functional

[popeye710]

Originally Posted by marcopome

Hi everybody!
I often pass the metal detector at the Airport! very often in reality! I'm an Airline Pilot.
I have noticed that acording to my Rolex collection: 116520, 116710BLNR, 16610LV, 16622,
16600, 16550, and 116400GV, the last one mentioned is the only one that makes the machine sing like in a Concert....😂👍
I always have to put the Milgauss in the plastic box!!!

Can confirm, all of my watches breeze right through but the Milgauss makes the metal detector freak out then security wands me down and realizes it's just a watch.

[WatchinMD]

I never take mine off and have never set off the metal detector.

[mschafer]

Well, mostly US travel here and I never take my watch off. Sometimes I pack it before I even get to the airport, but 98% of the time it's on my wrist. I just hike my shirt up so we'll all know what's up. And being TSA Pre helps the process as well. Can't let these idiots win, right...

[jjwalters3]

I have however had a TSA agent mis-handle my watch. I placed my watch in my shoe for the X-ray, stepped away and without asking he took it out of the shoe and basically dropped it on the plastic tray. No damage, not even a scratch but I politely and firmly scolded him.

[Melanotaenia]

There are certain airports that require you to take it off no matter what: Tallinn Estonia and Hanoi Vietnam airports have a zero tolerance policy on this; I have never had to flying throughout the US or out of the US however. Hong Kong and Japan airports also allow you to keep it on.

[Rp930]

I fly about 75 times a year and I’ve never had an issue leaving it on.

[derekstlmo]

I never take my watch off either took 9 vacations this year and left the country 3 times never had a problem

[watchwatcher]

I would never take my watch off for any reason at the airport. I would rather be have a full body search than to put my watch in one of those little trays.

We've had actual news stories on here where people have lost their watches in such situations.

[dr35mm]

I've never had an issue with leaving it on either.

[Nikrnic]

I don't business travel but when I vacation I leave the good stuff in the safe and use an Orient Ray II, no worries. Though never heard X-rays to be an issue.

[Godfather111]

Originally Posted by natosub

Never take your watch off! Quite a few horror stories on here. If you want to take it off, do so before entering the airport and put it safely buried in your luggage.

This is what I do. Depending on the parts of the world where you travel, it is best to pack it away in your carry on before the security check.

[JM0127]

I have TSAPRE/CLEAR/GLOBAL ENTRY. So everything stays in the bag, shoes on, belt, etc. The metal detector goes off occasionally. More so recently with the 26600, 16234. Just depends on the place, time, temp, humidity, settings. BOS is the worst. They'll ask me to take my shoes off and I politely tell them its not the shoes. They want me to then place the watch separately in a white bin and send it through of which I politely decline. It just depends on the person you get when you go through. BOS is terrible.

[joli160]

Only when required to do so. Once I argued resulting almost in not letting me pass if the watch did not go through the machine.
I don't argue anymore

[Old Geezer]

I travel >45 weeks per year. Never have to remove my watch in the USA. Of course I have Global Entry, trusted traveler, blah, blah, blah and always have TSA Pre-check. As recently as 2 weeks ago, watch had to come off in Singapore. Attendant at security was having all passengers remove watches, bracelets, large necklaces. I carry my Oakley watch case for such occasions and bury it in my backpack when forced to remove my watch.

[srf52]

Originally Posted by phez

Well you should try flying from Salzburg in Austria

...or from Manila, Philippines. Even CBP digital watches come off there.

[JM0127]

Originally Posted by srf52

...or from Manila, Philippines. Even CBP digital watches come off there.

+1. If they get the idea you are thinking about a watch, they want it stripped from your mind. They don't play there.

[NeoAnderson]

No issues with xray. I always leave my watch in a oakley case until I pass security.

[wristmatic]

TSA sometimes tell you not to take off your watch and jewelry.

[Hishamsamy]

Never took it off

[Boaters]

Many times never had an issue

[Bruins7]

Originally Posted by jb335

You've never taken your watch off at airport security?! How is that possible?

I've never took my watch off at the airport. I've been all over the world and never asked once to take my watch off and I never will.

[Sprta]

Went through Switzerland, and London, today no problems watch stayed on my wrist.

[d0190535]

Originally Posted by jb335

You've never taken your watch off at airport security?! How is that possible?

I have not taken off my watch as well.

[ScottD]

I appreciate the OP's question. I've always taken my watch too, and I would rush to my bin. haha

[173rdabn]

I've never taken my watch off and I'm a 100k annual frequent flyer.

[hbombkid]

After reading threads like this in the past I started to not take my watch off when I travel and never had an issue.

Now here is something interesting and still not sure what it caused it.

My 116610 was always like +/- 0.5 sec a day maybe less.

Well I had a temp job assignment and was working in one of our data center. We had additional security and had to go through a metal detector every day. One day I noticed my watch was off so i measured it. It was running 5-6 sec fast. I actually let it wind down completely. Once I did that, I fully wound it and set the time. It went back to 0.5 sec per day. It’s been fine ever since. I don’t work in the data center anymore but wondering if that metal detector did anything. Who knows could have been something different.