USPS - what method and can you insure, what do you ask for?

UPS - and just buy the insurance up to what your watch is worth or more than it's worth?

Which method do you feel is safer for your watches when shipping them for service?
I have only shipped watches UPS with insurance up to the watches replacement value.
If your package is stolen, which service is better for getting your money back?

I need to ship off 2 watches and they are of my top prized watches, and just don't feel comfortable shipping them without
some input from the hive here.

Thanks

I'm a watchmaker with a good percentage of trade work coming from jewelers outside my city. ALL of the watches are shipped UPS and insured for replacement value. USPS is a non-player as far as I'm concerned.

Pack and box them properly, insure them, make them 'signature required' and everything should be fine. UPS is very good at the customer service game. In the years that I've used them I've never had anything lost or damaged.
OTOH a watchmaker sent me a watch USPS insured, and the package I received was empty. (The watch was a Royal Oak...oUcH!!)

Is there no watchmaker local to you? I'd encourage everyone to find a local guy/gal and support them first.

Cheers

I have used USPS with insurance and tracking.  The insurance is self-explanatory, the tracking allows you to check on the package online through each stage of it's delivery.  If insured a signature is required at destination.  The USPS priority boxes come in a handy size and usually make it x-country in 2-3 days.  Have used this method maybe 6 times in the last year.   I've never had an issue so I can't speak to putting in a loss claim.  It usually ends up costing me about 10-15 bucks to ship this way, depending on amount of insurance.  Good Luck!  TJW

I've pretty much always used USPS priority with INS and tracking both to and from here. Mostly because UPS and FedEx consider where I live(PR) to be international ($35), even though were not. Not to mention that USPS is the only carrier that will actually deliver to my home address.  The other two make me drive 20 miles to pick up my stuff at their distribution center because they swear I have a PO Box - which I do not. That said, I've never had any trouble with USPS priority trk/ins, they're reasonably fast and reasonably priced. I trust em.

I use to work for UPS as a driver, and often I would pick up a package I'm about to deliver and it's contents are no longer inside. When this happened there's nothing I could do but deliver an empty box. Therefore if you plan on shipping a nice watch, you need to make sure to get insurance on it. It will be well worth it, and give you piece of mind. Accidents do happen. Just be sure you're prepared for the worst, and hope for the best.

i have always used usps priority insured without a hitch. i always try to put a not to obivious name of who i am sending it to-- no use advertising" there is a watch inside". i have never made a claim BUT if you read the fine print they want proof of the value which could become very sticky to come up with. shipping anything is ALWAYS a crap shoot, i really have been lucky sending my watches cross country for restoration. try not to do  anymore than i have to !     JON P

USPS will insure priority mail up to $1000, and you can you buy it online which makes it very simple. 
International is a little trickier - each country has to be evaluated independently. 
Shipping across the Pacific, I've found Express mail to be the best value for insured items (sometimes actually less expensive than priority) and it arrives in 4 days. 
DHL is the only reasonable way to get to South Africa or Australia, etc. 
But I buy online with USPS whenever it makes sense.