6 watches stolen at Schiphol Airport - 33.3, SM300, Zenith Cairelli, JLC 4ATM, ...

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Does he have the serials to post here just so they’re indexed and people can find them if they’re offered these watches at some point in the future.

Thanks Ash. He's providing them to me slowly and I've just added the SM300's to the original post.
 
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Chrono24 should do the community a solid and take serials of known stolen / missing watches.

Gutted for the owner.
 
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Now call me suspect but why would someone post a watch that was stolen on the 24th of April


On his Instagram on the 27th of April
(Without mentioning it had been Lost/Stolen 3 days prior)




Also on the 26th of April
 
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While not wanting at all to pick the scab, it would be rather helpful to know how exactly this occurred such that it might allow the rest of us to learn something from it.

If indeed a bag was simply forgotten at security check, perhaps the only lesson is of confirmation that there’s not some more complicated/nefarious grift to be aware of.
 
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Reading between the lines, it almost seems as though these were forgotten or misplaced...then went missing? Just the way it reads to me...

While not wanting at all to pick the scab, it would be rather helpful to know how exactly this occurred such that it might allow the rest of us to learn something from it.

If indeed a bag was simply forgotten at security check, perhaps the only lesson is of confirmation that there’s not some more complicated/nefarious grift to be aware of.

Fair enough - here you go 😀 :

Matt was late to catch his flight and it was that hellish day at Schiphol airport, with the strikes and all, so the airport was a zoo that very day. At the bag scan/xray line, the security guy unpacked his backpack including the roll, examined all items all one by one sandwich and all, put stuff back in the tray, handed the tray over to Matt. Then Matt threw everything he was handed back in a rush in his backpack, closed it, started running to his gate, and got his flight... and at landing time a red lightbulb when on in his head, he checked the content of the backpack, and you now know what was the outcome.

Now call me suspect but why would someone post a watch that was stolen on the 24th of April
On his Instagram on the 27th of April
(Without mentioning it had been Lost/Stolen 3 days prior)

The process the police recommended to Matt was to file a Lost&Found at Schiphol, and when the final outcome would be known, to then file a claim with the police. The watches disappeared on the 24th, the lost&found was filed on the 25th, and during the week after Matt was still hopeful some miracle would happen and kept posting IG pics of these watches even though not wearing them on the posting date. Then, and unfortunately as expected, the lost and found got nowhere and Matt subsequently filed the claim with the police 🙁

Putting your PI skills to good use and keeping eyes open for the watches themselves is the right thing to do now 😉
Edited:
 
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Terrible, hope he gets his watches back.

The security check protocol seems odd - I used to travel 20+ days / month pre-pandemic and don't recall anytime when all my stuff had to be taken out, only computer and liquids.
 
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Putting your PI skills to good use and keeping eyes open for the watches themselves is the right thing to do now 😉

appreciate the download and resulting lessons
 
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Whatever happened, we should all try as best we can to help a fellow collector. I know the odds of finding these are slim, but fortunately each of these watches has characteristic unique markings easy to identify even without serial info.
 
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Whatever happened, we should all try as best we can to help a fellow collector. I know the odds of finding these are slim, but fortunately each of these watches has characteristic unique markings easy to identify even without serial info.

I don't think anyone has suggested that we shouldn't. I just found the story rather strangely worded, and to me it matters not if they were lost or stolen, or lost then stolen.
 
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Terrible, hope he gets his watches back.

The security check protocol seems odd - I used to travel 20+ days / month pre-pandemic and don't recall anytime when all my stuff had to be taken out, only computer and liquids.
I concur with this train of thought, yesterday my bag was pulled to one side because the screener spotted a 100g gold bar in my bag and I was asked to show it. In the same bag was a ring, bracelet and necklace for the wife, all gold and of a higher value. Two watches, medication, three phones and none of it was pulled. They just wanted to see the gold.
 
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I am also struggling to understand why the investigation came up blank. I honestly Think security decided to do nothing. How could you not see someone walking away with the watch roll when the cameras cover that place in 360 degrees and probably facial recognition too….
 
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If that story is correct, the security guy stole them ? He was the only one, who handled them ? Not handing back the watch roll? If I travel with that kind of a beloved collectors items, all my attention is on them. All the time . Many of us travelled with plenty of vintage watches to Watchfairs and GTG all over the Planet. I can not imagine, me not noticing my watch roll beeing put back in my luggage by myself. That security guard , who handled the watches, will be known and on camera. Strange.
 
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In the US they have broken up a few rings of either TSA or baggage handlers running some organized theft rings. The FBI also runs those “tests and get rocket launchers and other weapons through those checkpoints.
I never really feel that much safer going through those things. Hopefully it’s not the same elsewhere I’m pretty convinced the US is reaching like sodom and Gomorrah levels these days except me, I’m still ok.

government awards contracts to the "lowest bidder" and then wonders why they have so many issues later on....
 
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government awards contracts to the "lowest bidder" and then wonders why they have so many issues later on....

That’s what the cut, cut, cut mentality gets you...
 
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government awards contracts to the "lowest bidder" and then wonders why they have so many issues later on....
Not true at all. In many instances they have '2 envelope' systems where a qualification package is reviewed for the low bidder and if there are any issues they move the next low bidder, and so on. And on some solicitations there are combined scores that weigh qualifications and pricing. There are also term contracts that are awarded based on qualifications, and then several of the term contractors then compete for a task order based on price (but that have already been determined to be qualified).

There are plenty of reasons why there are issues later, including the gov't's own poorly-performing personnel, and when some qualified Contractors then bring in subs who are not qualified.
 
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Not true at all. In many instances they have '2 envelope' systems where a qualification package is reviewed for the low bidder and if there are any issues they move the next low bidder, and so on. And on some solicitations there are combined scores that weigh qualifications and pricing. There are also term contracts that are awarded based on qualifications, and then several of the term contractors then compete for a task order based on price (but that have already been determined to be qualified).

There are plenty of reasons why there are issues later, including the gov't's own poorly-performing personnel, and when some qualified Contractors then bring in subs who are not qualified.
^^ yup

But in the instance of airport security we are talking about a personnel and services issue rather than a contract with direct deliverables.
 
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Last year I went through an airport, I think it had to be in the US, where I was directed to a security line and an attendant authoritatively grabed my hand bag from a luggage belt with all of its contents to put it through another luggage scanner several lines down, and by the time I could turn around to figure out where she put it I had completely lost sight of it.
It was quite unsettling, and it took a long time before I could get hold of the woman to get my bag returned. Thankfully I never travel with valuables but I freaked at the prospect of my passport or my cell phone being misplaced.
It only takes a second of distraction and trust in a public agent, and it was a good lesson but again it only takes one time for stuff to happen.
 
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This is a Newspaper story. I would be talking to the Newspaper.

“100k of watches removed from Bag at airport Security”

would make a good article. And put some pressure on Airport to do some investigation.
 
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Last year I went through an airport, I think it had to be in the US, where I was directed to a security line and an attendant authoritatively grabed my hand bag from a luggage belt with all of its contents to put it through another luggage scanner several lines down, and by the time I could turn around to figure out where she put it I had completely lost sight of it.
It was quite unsettling, and it took a long time before I could get hold of the woman to get my bag returned. Thankfully I never travel with valuables but I freaked at the prospect of my passport or my cell phone being misplaced.
It only takes a second of distraction and trust in a public agent, and it was a good lesson but again it only takes one time for stuff to happen.
This has become very common and troubling. I have had this happen a few times where I am ushered into a different queue after my bag is already in the belt. Then I’m sent through the body scanner where I have no eyes on my stuff, and by the time I get back to the scanner, my bag has been sitting there for at least a minute or two.
They have always warned about never letting your bags out of your sight- but at this critical and chaotic bottle-neck, we are forced to separate from our luggage and then scurry to move along.
I thought that after 9/11, most airports would have streamlined their security screening areas within a couple years- but we are now 20 years on and they are more cobbled and chaotic than I have ever seen.
 
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You can request a private screening when traveling with high-value items. It protects you from crimes of opportunity from other passengers. The downside is that it puts you even more at the mercy of Airport security. Not sure what the best approach is when traveling with $100k worth of watches, not that I would ever find myself in this situation.
Might be useful to create a "Airport security do's and don'ts" thread and pin it at the top.
#1-do wear a Vostok
#2-leave the rest at home