Inside London’s Watch Theft Problem

With watch thefts on the rise, Amy Wakeham speaks to experts about how to keep your timepiece secure

How To Keep Your Luxury Watch Safe

Is it safe to wear a watch out and about in London? A fun, retro Casio – of course. But what about the Rolex Submariner inherited from grandpa? The Patek Philippe you invested in after a lucky windfall? Recent headlines suggest that, actually, you’d be pretty foolish to flaunt your prized timepiece on the streets of the UK capital.

There was the woman robbed of her £185,000 Richard Mille at King’s Cross, in front of her children. The man who had his Rolex taken from his wrist as he dined on the outside terrace of an upscale Chelsea restaurant. And, saddest of all, another that was stabbed to death for his watch on the street after his birthday dinner in St Paul’s.

Celebrities, too, have been attacked, with boxer Amir Khan held at gunpoint over his £70,000 Franck Muller, and Mark Cavendish relieved of £700,000 worth of watches and jewellery during a break-in to his home by knifepoint. A thief reportedly threatened to cut off the arm of Aled Jones as he relieved him of his £17,000 Rolex.

The Watch Registry, a global watch theft database, reported in March that the number of watches recorded as lost or stolen has more than tripled over the last year, making a total of £1.5bn. Three-hundred were reported as lifted in central London alone. Our capital has a serious problem with watch thefts – so much so that many of India’s business elite have said that they consider it safer to walk around New Delhi than London.

‘The international nature of the market for luxury watches means that stolen items can quickly be moved across borders, distancing the thieves from the goods,’ says Katya Hills, managing director at The Watch Register. ‘Law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to counter these crimes, but the combination of high rewards and relatively low risks for thieves means that luxury watch thefts remain a persistent issue in global cities.’ 

So what’s being done about it? And how do you keep your watch collection safe from the hands of muggers?

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What’s Being Done About Watch Theft?

Back in January 2024, it was reported that a covert police operation in London had reduced watch thefts by 50 percent. However, in the months since then, we’ve seen some of the worst reports of watch thefts.

‘Our officers are working with local businesses and partners to prevent and raise awareness of watch robberies within central London,’ says the Met Police in a statement to C&TH. ‘Uniform and plain clothes officers proactively patrol robbery hotspots in order to identify offences taking place, but more importantly they help prevent and deter offenders from committing robberies in the first place.’

It continues: ‘The Met is keen to educate the public to minimise their chance of becoming a victim of robbery. When carrying valuables, or wearing a high-value watch, it is important that people remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings.’

Recently, the Met reported the arrest of ‘prolific thief’ Mohamed Amoyos, who stole £65,000 worth of watches around central London over two months in 2023. He would target lone men at night, talking to them about football before grabbing the victim’s watch once their guard was down. He has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years for his crimes. Other tactics used by watch thieves include drive-by muggings on mopeds, and ‘honey traps’, where young women act as spotters in bars and nightclubs, with victims targeted on the street once they leave. High-end restaurants in central London are also common targets.

Although some thieves are simply opportunists, others are well educated on the watches with the highest value, and target discontinued models and ones with long waiting lists – often these have exceptional values in the second-hand watch market. 

Watch brands themselves are also taking matters into their own hands. Audemars Piguet is now guaranteeing, through its coverage service, to replace, refund or repair any stolen or damaged watch bought since 2022 for two years after the purchase.

Meanwhile, Richemont, which owns luxury watch brands such as IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, and Vacheron Constantin, has started its own database, Enquirus, of stolen watches and jewellery so that they can be identified if they appear for sale.

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‘By providing free access for customers and industry partners, the opportunity to sell stolen watches becomes more prohibitive, with the ultimate objective of reducing the incentive to steal watches in the first place,’ says Jérôme Lambert, CEO of Richemont.

But how to make sure your watch never has to end up on the ‘stolen’ list? The Met Police advises that robberies usually occur in upscale neighbourhoods between 11pm and 4am on Fridays and Saturdays, and that thieves typically target wealthy individuals wearing timepieces by Swiss watchmakers.

The first hour after a robbery is critical to identify suspects and where possible, reuniting victims with their belongings,’ says Ben Russell, head of intelligence at the Met. ‘Reporting a robbery in this time helps to secure evidence within “the golden hour”.’

Katya adds her own advice to owners of valuable timepieces: ‘We advise owners to make sure that they have adequate insurance for their watch, to keep photographs of their watch and to make a note of their watch’s unique serial number, which will aid its recovery in the event of it being lost or stolen.’

So be prepared, do the paperwork, and stay vigilant while out in public – especially while letting your hair down. Maybe even consider leaving your treasured timepiece in its safe on a big night out, and swap it for a less valuable – and desirable – option.

Top Tips

• Don’t have it on display at night – most robberies usually occur between 11pm-4am on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Beware honey traps. 
• Register your watch with an established database.
• Never post your watch on social media.
• Don’t post your live location on social media – wait until you’re home.
• Stay alert while out and about. 

Advice from streetwisedefence.com