Sending Watches Between Cities: What Your Jeweller's Block Policy Doesn't Cover

Your Jeweller's Block policy covers your stock in the showroom, your safes, your consignment inventory, and goods in your custody. You've reviewed the schedule, confirmed the sums insured, and feel protected. Then you send a Rolex GMT-Master II to a client in Penang via courier. The watch never arrives. You file a claim and discover your JB policy excludes sendings, or limits transit cover to S$5,000 per shipment. Your S$22,000 watch is gone, and you're absorbing most of the loss.

This article explains why many JB policies exclude or restrict transit cover, what "sendings" actually means in policy language, and how marine cargo insurance under ICC(A) fills the gap.

This guide covers:

• What "sendings" means in a Jeweller's Block context
• Why underwriters exclude or limit transit cover in JB policies
• The difference between JB transit extensions and standalone marine cargo cover
• How ICC(A) works as a complement to your existing JB policy
• What to check in your current policy wording right now

What "Sendings" Means in Your JB Policy

In Jeweller's Block insurance, "sendings" refers to the movement of insured stock from one location to another. This includes watches shipped to clients, inventory transferred between branches, pieces sent to another dealer on consignment, or stock sent to and from exhibitions.

Sendings cover, when included, typically protects the insured goods while they are in transit, from the moment they leave the insured premises until they arrive at the destination. But here's the problem: many JB underwriters either exclude sendings entirely or impose conditions that make the cover inadequate for dealers who ship regularly.

Sendings Scenario	Typical JB Treatment	Dealer Reality
Sending a watch to a client via courier	Excluded or sub-limited	Happens multiple times per month
Transferring inventory to a second branch	May require prior notification	Routine operational need
Shipping consignment stock to a partner dealer	Often excluded or restricted to specific routes	Core business model for many dealers
Sending pieces to an exhibition or trade show	May have separate exhibition extension	High-value, time-sensitive movements
Receiving watches from a supplier overseas	Usually covered under inward consignment, not sendings	May require separate inward cargo cover

Why Underwriters Exclude Sendings

This isn't arbitrary. Transit risk is fundamentally different from premises risk, and underwriters price them differently.

Stock sitting in a rated safe inside alarmed premises with CCTV has a very different risk profile from the same stock moving through a courier network across international borders. The underwriter can assess and control premises risk through security requirements. They cannot control what happens once a watch enters a third-party logistics chain.

Transit risk is also harder to rate because it depends on variables the JB underwriter may not specialise in: courier selection, packing standards, route risk, customs handling, and the regulatory environment of each country the goods pass through. Specie underwriters (who specialise in high-value goods) often won't write standalone sendings without also writing the full JB policy. This creates a structural gap: your JB underwriter may not want the transit risk, and specialist transit underwriters may not want just the sendings without the full account.

The result? Dealers fall through the crack. They have excellent premises cover and no transit cover. For a broader look at coverage blind spots, see our guide on stock protection gaps for dealers.

JB Transit Extensions vs Standalone Marine Cargo

Some JB policies do include sendings cover, either as standard or as an optional extension at additional premium. But even when included, the terms are often more restrictive than a dedicated marine cargo policy.

Feature	JB Sendings Extension (Typical)	Marine Cargo Open Cover (ICC(A))
Per-shipment limit	Often sub-limited (e.g. S$10,000-50,000)	Agreed per-conveyance limit, often higher
Coverage basis	Subject to JB policy terms	Institute Cargo Clauses (A), internationally standardised
Geographic scope	May be limited to domestic or specific routes	Worldwide, subject to schedule
Conveyance types	May restrict to specific couriers or methods	Sea, air, road, and rail
War and strikes	Typically excluded	Excluded by default, can be added via Institute War/Strikes Clauses
Claims framework	Handled under JB policy	Dedicated marine cargo claims process with survey agent framework

Neither approach is inherently better. The right choice depends on your shipping volume, shipment values, routes, and how your JB policy is structured. But if your JB policy excludes sendings entirely, the comparison is straightforward: you have no transit cover at all, and marine cargo insurance fills that gap.

What to Check in Your Current JB Policy

Pull out your JB policy wording and look for these specific items. If you can't find clear answers, ask your broker.

Question	Why It Matters
Does the policy include "sendings" or "transit" cover?	If excluded, you have zero transit protection
What is the per-shipment or per-conveyance limit?	If your shipment values exceed the limit, the excess is uninsured
Are there geographic restrictions on sendings?	Domestic-only cover won't help with cross-border shipments
Are there approved courier or shipping method requirements?	Using an unapproved method could void the cover
Is prior notification required before each shipment?	Forgetting to notify could mean no cover for that shipment
Does the sendings extension cover consignment stock in transit?	Consignment creates complex insurable interest questions

If the answers reveal gaps, you don't necessarily need to change your JB policy. You may simply need to add a separate marine cargo facility alongside it. For more on what JB typically includes and how it compares to other options, see our Jeweller's Block vs standard business insurance comparison.

How Marine Cargo Insurance Complements JB

Think of your insurance programme in layers. JB covers the static and semi-static risks: stock on premises, goods in safe, consignment stock at partner locations, customer goods in custody, employee dishonesty. Marine cargo covers the dynamic risk: goods in movement.

The two policies don't overlap or conflict. They address different phases of your stock's lifecycle.

Stock Phase	Covered By
In your showroom or safe	Jeweller's Block
On display at exhibitions	Jeweller's Block (exhibition extension)
At a partner dealer on consignment	Jeweller's Block (consignment cover)
In a customer's hands for appraisal or approval	Jeweller's Block (goods in custody)
Being shipped from your premises to the client	Marine Cargo (ICC(A))
In courier transit between cities or countries	Marine Cargo (ICC(A))
Being flown from a supplier overseas to your shop	Marine Cargo (ICC(A))

The open cover structure works well here because dealers don't ship on a predictable schedule. You might send three watches in one week and nothing for a month. The open cover sits there, ready, with pre-agreed rates and conditions. You declare each shipment, pay premium on what you actually send, and know that every movement is covered.

FAQ

Can I just ask my JB underwriter to add sendings back?

You can ask. Some underwriters will offer a sendings extension at additional premium. But the terms, limits, and pricing may not be competitive with a standalone marine cargo facility, especially if you ship high-value items or across borders frequently. It's worth comparing both options.

What if my JB policy already includes sendings, is marine cargo redundant?

Not necessarily. Check the per-shipment limit and geographic scope. If your JB sendings extension caps at S$20,000 per shipment but you regularly ship watches worth S$50,000 or more, the excess is uninsured. A standalone marine cargo policy can provide higher limits and broader coverage.

Does marine cargo insurance cover hand deliveries?

This depends on the policy terms. Some marine cargo policies cover goods carried by the assured's own employees. Others only cover goods in the hands of a third-party carrier. Check the specific wording. For more on hand delivery risks, see our guide on protecting high-value hand deliveries.

What happens at the boundary between JB and cargo cover?

The key is the transit trigger. Marine cargo cover attaches when goods leave the premises for the commencement of transit. JB cover typically applies while goods are at insured premises or specified locations. Your broker should ensure there's no gap or overlap at the handover point.

Do I need to tell my JB underwriter that I've bought separate cargo cover?

Yes. Both your JB and cargo underwriters should be aware of the full insurance programme. This avoids disputes about which policy responds in borderline scenarios and ensures no double-insurance complications arise.

Is marine cargo insurance expensive for watch dealers?

Rates vary based on commodity type, shipment values, routes, conveyance methods, packing standards, and claims history. For high-value, low-volume goods like watches, rates tend to be higher per unit of value than bulk commodities, but the absolute premiums are often very manageable relative to the values at risk. Your broker can obtain indicative terms based on your shipping profile.

MINT Conclusion

The sendings gap is one of the most common and least discussed risks in the watch trade. Dealers invest in strong JB coverage for their premises and stock, then ship five-figure watches across borders with nothing more than a courier's standard liability behind them.

Fixing it doesn't require replacing your JB policy. It requires adding a marine cargo layer that covers the movement. The two work together, protecting your stock wherever it is: on your premises, at a partner's location, or somewhere between the two.

MINT provides specialist insurance for Singapore's luxury watch ecosystem, from Jeweller's Block coverage that protects dealer inventory to collector policies designed for how watches are actually owned and moved.

Find out how MINT protects watch businesses (SG) · Find out how MINT protects watch businesses (MY)

Disclaimer: This article provides general guidance on insurance coverage available in the Singapore and Malaysian markets as of March 2026. Policy terms, conditions, and availability vary by insurer. Always review your specific policy wording or consult a licensed broker before making coverage decisions.