How concerned are you about your watches and airport security?

Keeping it on wrist on carry won't make a difference as when you go through security you have to take off the watch and place it on the tray and any bags or suitcases you have go through similar machines before they are placed on board the aircraft .plus I have never thought much about it always take a watch roll with a few watches and never had any issues so far

I was thinking about this the other day. I wonder if you could get an anti-magnetic watch pouch or similar for it to pass through the scanner.

My SMP 300 is anti magnetic anyway but Id be on the fence taking it overseas incase I lost it!

I don't fly...

As an airline employee, and pass through the airport security search several times a day, I can confirm that none of my watches when worn actually set off the alarm on the scanner machine.

Although, whenever I wear a new watch I am a little anxious about this when approaching the security search area 😂😂.

I actually had the same concerns! Would love to hear opinions as well 👌🏻

The magnetism isn't a concern, but theft is. I will have to remove my watch for some of the scanners, so I really am not wearing an expensive watch while flying.

No worries, X-Rays wont magnetize or harm your watch.

I just wear it on the wrist. Never been asked to take it off while going through security

Omega 😜 no need to worry 👍🏻

Where is this? I have never had to remove a watch when going through airport security.

I am not concerned only because my every day wear is an Omega Aqua Terra which is fully anti-magnetic.

Pretty much any airport that still uses metal detectors. Depending on their setting a watch will trigger them. Some airports don't use them normally, but do so at peak times.

I have seen them in widespread use in transfer scenarios at larger airports.

Ever had any issues with your watches becoming magnetized?

I’m confused by the theft angle. In the airports I pass through, I put items in a tray, they pass through the scanner, and I pick up moments later on the other side. What is the security fail? There are no random people inside the machine, and I’m last and first to see it inside and out.

Are people concerned TSA is stealing? I’m not being critical here, just curious. I’ve Never felt concerned about theft at an airport.

I mostly am flying in Canada and Japan, so that is maybe why I don’t get it.

At airports I typically wear 1 on my wrist and have a few watches in my carry on. No magnetic issues for me after traveling. 😌

My Ti Seiko on rubber set off the metal detector at security just yesterday, so it seems that most watches will set it off.

I take mine off and put it in my carryon and never in a tray. There are so many videos on YouTube of people walking away with watches that pass though the scanner on a tray.

https://youtu.be/l9eNbPO1gl4

Never even gave it a thought. I voted B, but not because I have any knowledge about the those xrays and magnetism. Nothing has even happened to any of my watches, so I guess magnetism is a non issue.

I´ve always put my watch in a bag in the tray to go through security.

Last year I decided to keep it on my wrist from now on and see what what happens.

Airports passed through security last year : Luxembourg (twice), Zürich (twice), San Fransisco and Lisbon.

Only 1 time in Luxembourg they asked me to take it off the wrist and put it in the tray, what I refused, they just pulled up their shoulders and then let me through.

In the other airports they didn´t ask me to take it of the wrist.

Let´s see what happens this year...Airport departures planned for this year, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Atlanta and Split (Croatia).

I reserve an outside zippered pocket of my carry-on for my watch, my keys and other EDC stuff. I put it in that pocket long before I get to the scanning machine and try to keep a close eye on it. Of course, there are times when the scanning machines get backed up and the trays are out and exposed for quite a long time so I keep my eye on them even more during that time.

If asked to take a watch off during a security check, you have the right to say that it’s an expensive piece and you would prefer to be scanned by hand. Security will honor this request. You do not have to take your watch off.

I never thought about magnetism when traveling (but am now worried about theft). However, the other day, I went to pick up my Speedy in the morning and it was stuck (overnight) to my magnetic phone wallet case. How magnetic are these cases? It holds my jumbo phone in my wallet really well. I was worried I magnetized my Speedy but I checked throughout the day and it's fine. Glad I got the NASA qualified hesalite version.

My travel watch is my Omega Railmaster. It is rated more than highly enough not to worry about anything up to, and possibly including, an MRI scan. So no, I have no concerns.

I’ve taken a few flights in the last month or so and I had to take my watch off every time (Submariner). I hid it in my hand luggage bag rather than loose in a tray and had no issues.

I fly regularly from England to the Philippines via Qatar and I am made to remove my watch (even my belt) in every airport.

The worry with theft is a big concern of mine too - your tray, with your beloved watch, expensive phone, bag, and so on, is quite often ahead of you while you go through the system and especially if you're held up by security or by someone infront (this happens a lot!)... meanwhile there are a crowds of folks ahead of you waiting for their bags, sliding trays out of the way to find theirs and all your goodies are on display to them. It would be so incredibly easy to swipe a phone, a watch, anything and walk away.

I guess the big question is would anyone get away with it for long given they are on CCTV and confined to the airport until their flight, etc.. unlikely, but it would be stressful tracking down your stollen item with the airport security folks. I just put my watch into my bag for it to go through the machine rather than leave it on display in the tray - which I will often be asked to do because they like to see you place your hand-held items in a separate tray to the bag.

When I fly, I wear my Omega...and I don't take it off...never a worry.

Thanks @watchdawg @hbein2022 and @Jason558 !

It seems like at some big airports, security check chaos reigns and you don’t stay with your stuff.

Super trusting me wouldn’t even think that sort of theft would happen.

at YVR it’s a pretty chill security situation and we are typically beside our tray entering the scanner and the first person beside it when it comes out. Same in Japan.

But I will be more careful at the big crazy security lines now. I fly through SFO in a few weeks and that may call for a careful approach

On my flight 2 days ago, when I walked through the scanner it buzzed for my watch. The security lady asked to hold it while it while I went through a second time. Made sure she held carefully and all good without watch. Seems the scanner is quite sensitive since it wasn’t even on a bracelet

Multiple trays can mean you get separated from a tray, one going through and one getting selected for a deep search. Going through T5 at Heathrow is chaos and you could defo have a watch taken if your not on it

Mine stays on my wrist. I think awhile ago they wanted it off and in the bin, but more recently I've always been told by the agents to keep it on. 👍

I fly a lot less since the accidents

Theft happens quite frequently at airport security! Just saw a news report on this. This may of course depend on your local airport and country, but it's not uncommon for you to be separated from your belongings while you wait in line to pass through a scanner . . . a few moments to a couple of minutes and in a worse case scenario you might be detained for even longer. I always try to have my eyes on my stuff as it comes out of the x-ray but this isn't always possible. It just takes a second for someone to pick up your watch if they saw where you stashed it. As much as possible unless I'm dealing with a real asshole security agent I try to keep it on my wrists these days.

Great advice. I typically fly out of Vancouver Bc and a couple airports in Japan, and I’m always basically beside my stuff as it moves through. And the Japanese will run after you to bring you anything possibly forgotten.

But today I transit through a new airport- San Fran, and will follow your advice