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For decades, the concept of a safe deposit box has remained largely unchanged. Whether located inside a bank or specialist storage facility, access has traditionally required the customer to travel to the vault, arrange an appointment and retrieve their valuables in person. UltraVault believes that model no longer reflects how many clients live today.
As luxury watch collections grow, jewellery portfolios become increasingly valuable and security concerns continue to rise, the company has developed a service that takes a different approach. Instead of requiring clients to travel to the vault, UltraVault can bring the vault directly to them.
Speaking to The Jewels Club, Will Brown, who heads UltraVault, explained how the company’s portable vault service is helping collectors, investors and high-net-worth individuals rethink the way they protect their most valuable possessions.
For many collectors, security is only one part of the equation.
Convenience is becoming equally important.
Brown recalls conversations with clients who already use traditional safe deposit facilities but rarely access them because travelling into central London can be an inconvenience in itself.
“We’re seeing clients who simply don’t want to travel into a city vault every time they need access to their watches or jewellery,” he explains.
For some, particularly high-profile individuals with demanding schedules, the challenge is not finding secure storage. It is finding secure storage that fits around their lifestyle.
UltraVault’s solution is a portable vault service that allows a client to request access to their safe deposit box and have it delivered directly to a home, office or hotel.
The client retains their own key, while UltraVault holds the master key, creating a dual-access system designed to ensure that neither party can access the contents independently.
UltraVault’s portable vault service uses dual-key access, ensuring security remains in the hands of both the client and UltraVault
The portable vault service has been developed specifically for clients storing significant assets.
These may include luxury watches, fine jewellery, family heirlooms, investment-grade precious metals and other high-value collectibles.
According to Brown, many clients are increasingly questioning whether storing such items at home remains the best option.
“You can spend thousands on safes, CCTV systems and security upgrades, but ultimately those valuables are still inside the property.”
For UltraVault, moving assets completely off-site removes a significant part of that risk.
The company also offers liability cover options for clients storing valuable collections, helping provide additional peace of mind while items remain in UltraVault’s custody.
One of the most interesting aspects of the portable vault service is the audience it attracts.
Sports stars, entrepreneurs, celebrities and other high-profile individuals often face security challenges that differ from those of the average collector.
Fixtures, public appearances, social media activity and frequent travel can make routines easier to predict.
“For example, footballers are high profile and people often know when they’re going to be away,” says Brown.
As a result, many are looking for ways to reduce the amount of value held within their homes.
The service has been designed around exactly that requirement.
Instead of maintaining a large collection in a residential safe, clients can store items off-site and arrange delivery when required. Whether they need access to a watch collection before an event, jewellery for a special occasion or personal items while travelling, the box can be delivered directly to them.
In many cases, the service is as much about convenience as it is about security.
UltraVault’s portable vault service allows high-value assets to be securely transported between its vault facilities and clients across the UK
While financial protection remains important, Brown believes many clients are motivated by something deeper.
Insurance may replace the monetary value of a stolen watch or piece of jewellery, but it cannot replace sentimental significance.
“If it’s your grandfather’s watch or a sentimental piece of jewellery, insurance can replace the money, but it can’t replace the item.”
That distinction resonates strongly with collectors.
Many of the most treasured possessions stored in vaults are not necessarily the most expensive. They are often the pieces that carry family history, personal milestones or emotional significance.
For those clients, secure storage is not simply about protecting value. It is about preserving something irreplaceable.
Discretion is another key component of the service.
When a portable vault is requested, the box is collected from UltraVault’s secure storage facility and transported in an unmarked vehicle.
Unlike traditional security vehicles that clearly identify their purpose, UltraVault’s premium delivery vehicles are designed to blend into everyday surroundings.
“You wouldn’t have a clue what the vehicle is carrying,” says Brown.
The boxes remain under secure custody throughout the process and are transported directly between the vault and the client’s chosen location.
The objective is straightforward: provide high levels of security without attracting unnecessary attention.
The portable vault service operates alongside UltraVault’s fixed safe deposit box offering.
The company currently operates facilities in Hatton Garden and Heathrow, while recently expanding into Cheshire with a new location in Altrincham.
The move reflects growing demand from affluent clients outside London, particularly within Cheshire’s so-called Golden Triangle, which has become one of the UK’s most significant concentrations of wealth.
UltraVault has also launched a facility in Dublin and is exploring further opportunities for expansion in the midlands for the portable service and Scotland for the fixed services.
For Brown, the demand demonstrates that secure storage is no longer a niche service.
As collections become more valuable and lifestyles become more mobile, clients increasingly expect storage solutions to evolve alongside them.
UltraVault’s white-glove service securely transports portable vault boxes between its storage facilities and clients across the UK
The service is also creating opportunities for jewellery retailers.
When a customer purchases a significant piece of jewellery, storage is not always the first consideration. However, it is often one of the first questions that arises afterwards.
Brown believes jewellers are ideally positioned to introduce clients to specialist storage solutions as part of the ownership journey.
“We work with jewellers who want to offer additional value to their customers.”
By helping customers think about security from the moment of purchase, retailers can strengthen relationships while helping protect the items they have sold.
It also opens the door to a broader conversation around ownership, care and long-term protection.
The most interesting aspect of UltraVault’s portable vault service is not the technology or even the security credentials.
It is what the service says about changing consumer behaviour.
Luxury ownership has become increasingly centred around convenience. People expect services to fit around their schedules rather than the other way around.
For collectors, investors and high-profile individuals, the expectation is becoming the same when it comes to protecting valuable assets.
UltraVault’s portable vault service reflects that shift. Rather than asking clients to visit the vault, the company is bringing the vault directly to them.
In a world where convenience and security are often viewed as opposing forces, that may prove to be its greatest innovation.
The Jewels Club founder Andrew Martyniuk at UltraVault in Hatton Garden
To learn more about UltraVault’s portable vault service and secure storage solutions for jewellery, watches and other valuables, visit UltraVault. ultra-vault.com/
Get in touch with UltraVault at info.uk@ultra-vault.com (UK) and info.DUB@ultra-vault.com (Ireland)
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