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Are Speedmasters less prone to theft?

Kupepe
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Hello all.

I bought a vintage Omega and now I am looking for a modern one. So logically I concluded going for the most iconic.

How safe is moving around Europe with a Speedy?
 
Canuck
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Kupepe Kupepe
Hello all.

I bought a vintage Omega and now I am looking for a modern one. So logically I concluded going for the most iconic.

How safe is moving around Europe with a Speedy?

I seriously doubt that there is an answer to a question like that! But if there is an answer, I’m all ears!
 
Kupepe
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Lol

ok ok .... I am asking because I hear that there is a lot of theft going on when travelling in general about luxury watches.
 
DoctorEvil
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I'd feel pretty safe travelling through Europe with a Speedy on my wrist as they generally fly under the radar. I wouldn't say the same for a Rolex Sub, GMT or Daytona though. I'm hearing too many stories of thieves targeting wearers of these watches. Kinda makes sense when you think about it. If you're gonna risk jail time, do it for a watch that you can easily sell for the biggest bucks.
 
pdxleaf
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DoctorEvil DoctorEvil
.... If you're gonna risk jail time, do it for a watch that you can easily sell for the biggest bucks.

And if a person tries to sell a Speedmaster the potential buyer will try to talk him out of selling it. "Why are you selling it, it's a great, iconic watch. Everyone should have a Speedy, you should keep it and pass it on to your family!"

Very hard to sell.
 
daderaz
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Watch thefts have increased significantly in Europe over the last 10 years. Especially violent robberies on the street.
However, you still see many valuable watches on people's wrists in historic centers.
Is it safe to wear a Speedmaster while traveling in Europe? I would say yes, although it is necessary to distinguish situation by situation.
Better in winter than in summer (watch covered by jacket), better steel than gold, better in the evening than during the day, better in a group than alone.
From what I read, violent thefts occur more often against lonely people (for example walking the dog), or in seaside places, where there are organized gangs, especially from Eastern Europe, and they are also concentrated towards sports Rolex, Patek and other quickly sellable watches.
I read that on the black market the price of a stolen watch is around 30% of its street value. Maybe stealing a Speed isn't that convenient for a thief.
I use my Speedmasters every day and also other valuable watches when I travel, but I also bring a nice Seiko with me if I have to visit some popular neighborhood or go for a trip to the beach.
 
Kupepe
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Seems a Speedy has some advantages ... under the radar, over to the moon.

Thanx
 
Evitzee
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You can't wear your Speedmaster in Europe, you can't mow your lawn wearing one, you shouldn't get caught in a cloudburst wearing one, we are getting absurdly silly.

And the best place to fence one is still Philadelphia, they are always worth 50 bucks unless you have a receipt.
 
Evitzee
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Kupepe Kupepe
Lol

ok ok .... I am asking because I hear that there is a lot of theft going on when travelling in general about luxury watches.
A stainless steel Omega is not a luxury watch.
 
ErichPryde
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Evitzee Evitzee
A stainless steel Omega is not a luxury watch.

I would say that it literally fits the economical definition of a luxury good: it must be scarce; it must be significantly more expensive than is necessary within its goods category; and an average consumer of the good must recognize it as prestigious or superior.

There are degrees, but there is also no doubt that Omega watches are luxury items despite not being tip top horology.
 
watchthinker
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This Luxury or NOT conversation seems to zombie-rise in too many threads.

Luxury and Expense are not the same. We live in a point in history where TIME is free and functional watches can be purchased for almost nothing. If you spend money on anything to express a value other than function, you've made a luxury purchase whatever the brand or price. For me, luxury is personal, not externally discoverable. I tend to attach value to a watch's mechanical wizardry, history or personal connection it has with me. Those are luxury motivations. Unless you're really going to the bottom of the mariana trench, virtually all Omega's are luxury purchases.

For the OP: I'd worry more - if I worry at all - about wearing a Tudor or other diver, which can be quick-glance confused with a Rolex.
 
Dan S
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Kupepe Kupepe
How safe is moving around Europe with a Speedy?
Maybe you can contact law enforcement agencies and gather some statistics. Keep us updated.

Evitzee Evitzee
A stainless steel Omega is not a luxury watch.
I agree. While watches in general are discretionary goods, in the context of the mechanical watch category, personally I would not put Omega in the luxury or high-end category.

ErichPryde ErichPryde
There are degrees, but there is also no doubt that Omega watches are luxury items despite not being tip top horology.

In my mind, the "luxury" watch category refers to specific high-end brands, and I don't put Omega in that category. You may consider many watches to be luxury items, but that doesn't necessarily put them in the "Luxury Watch" category.

And also, having an opinion doesn't make it a fact. We are all just sharing our opinions. So the "there is no doubt" claim seems a bit over-stated.
Edited:
 
Donn Chambers
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Dan S Dan S
Maybe you can contact law enforcement agencies and gather some statistics. Keep us updated.


I agree. While watches in general are discretionary goods, in the context of the mechanical watch category, personally I would not put Omega in the luxury or high-end category.

I assume the argument here is that there are more expensive and harder to obtain watches (e.g., Patek) that are luxury and anything else are simply watches. By the same argument, a Lexus or BMW or Mercedes is not a luxury vehicle because there are other models that are more expensive and harder to get obtain. But to 99% of the population, they ARE luxury.

I’m of the stance that anything priced 100 times higher than a comparable item that functions the same (e.g, a $6000 Speedmaster compared to a $60 Casio) is a luxury. But that’s just picking nits.

In regards to the original question, I would not worry about wearing a Speedmaster anywhere in Europe. I would be cautious about a Rolex, as those are most often targeted.
 
Wryfox
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Evitzee Evitzee
And the best place to fence one is still Philadelphia, they are always worth 50 bucks unless you have a receipt.

Only if it tells time in Gstaad.....😁
 
foxtrot
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in my country (Argentina), not a problem with Speedies and Omegas, but if you were a SUB, then that is a big RISK.
 
STANDY
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A Speedmaster on a leather or nato strap isn’t that flashy as a Sub on a bracelet.

Europe is a big place, plenty of places it’s not an issue wearing a nice watch.
 
Wryfox
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Must be the resale ease, because I imagine most Rolly Subs are fake, and most Speedys are real. If your gonna step out there to rob someone, better odds at getting a real Speedy....
 
Twocats
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Wryfox Wryfox
Must be the resale ease, because I imagine most Rolly Subs are fake, and most Speedys are real. If your gonna step out there to rob someone, better odds at getting a real Speedy....
You could easily wear a full gold Patek anywhere in Istanbul as everyone is rocking a fake luxury watch so nobody will look at you twice. The place is fully infected with them and at the grand bazaar, every third shop has fake watch's. I saw green and red dialled Speedies, obviously fake but I liked the creativity.
IMG_3074.jpeg
 
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