There is nothing more pleasant for collectors than showcasing the precious items they have amassed over the years. But, depending on the collection’s value, the owner may be forced to lock the goods in a bank or a safe box, condemning them to ostracism. Nowadays security companies can design beautiful vaults that will allow collectors to share their cherished pieces with family and friends.
Döttling is one of the companies that strive to offer collectors a way to enjoy their most precious belongings—from jewelry and artwork to prized heirlooms—keeping them at hand and in sight. This German firm manufactures entire rooms to protect collections, using various security systems. They supervise and take care of every detail from space planning to design and implementation.Their most recent creation is the size of a small room, barely 100 square feet, which could be the world’s smallest collector’s gallery. It is a fortress, designed with a high-security door made from aramid (a robust and heat resistant synthetic fiber), steel core, and multiple locks.
The walls and ceiling are equipped with contact microphones that record—with reliable precision—even the slightest vibration. Also, the room is not recognizable to the naked eye because the security door is camouflaged with a panel that is an exact reproduction of the existing wall. The vault is accessed through a fingerprint reader that is also hidden.
When the door opens, the indirect lighting—integrated with the ceiling— slowly fades and is replaced by a light that is better suited to the room. The interior design is very sophisticated: you can install, for example, a section for women’s items, so that jewelry is stored and displayed in a delicate and striking manner.
You can also have a corner for men’s watches, with 24 winders for automatic models. Integrated drawers and secret compartments offer additional space for more than 500 timepieces and other valuables. ■
