OF-
I’m researching stolen watches for an upcoming post with the goal of helping people keep their timepieces (and collectors) as safe as possible. After I gather information from this and a few other posts, along with findings from the Alpha Hands stolen watch registry, I’ll summarize in OF post for everyone.

So...if you have had a watch/watches stolen, or know someone who has that wouldn’t be replying, say if they aren't on OF or forums, etc., some questions:

1. if stolen while being worn, was it
-- a violent theft (or threat of violence)
-- non-violent theft (grab-and-run or the like)
-- did you not know it was stolen until later (pickpocketed or otherwise)

2. if stolen not while worn, was it taken:
-- in transit (you were receiving or sending)

-- from a residence, and if so was it taken
--- while you were not at home, and it was in a safe (and if so, what type...UL, TL-15, etc.)
--- while you were not at home, and it was not in a safe
--- while you were at home, was there an altercation, threat of injury, did you have to remove from a safe, etc.

-- from a hotel, and if so was it
--- in the hotel room and in a safe
--- in the hotel room and not in a safe
--- in the hotel safe (these are the non-room safes that some hotels have to hold items of value for guests, and are accessible by hotel employees only)

3. did you make a police report

4. city/country of theft

I realize many people will not be comfortable sharing answers on the forum, or prefer to share only some of the above. If you prefer, feel free to DM me separately. In the upcoming OF post I compile on stolen pieces, I will only be including information in aggregate, nothing personally identifiable (even by username or channel where the information was submitted).
If you prefer to stay "more" anonymous, feel free to contact me using the form on alphahands and just use a fake name and email (ideal if an email is included in case I have follow-up questions…could even be through those anonymous email accounts, but no issue if not).

Thanks everyone in advance
Norm

 

FIFY.

 

LOL! Dropped the “f”, but it should hold those types of guests!! let me correct that

 

Stole a few a couple of years back off @JimInOz whilst he was napping.

I bet he still curses this one

https://omegaforums.net/threads/wal...aph-good-conditions-and-never-polished.41782/

 

Brutal!!!

 

This Glycine was stolen Jan 12 from a USPS mail truck that had its windows broken and packages removed. Happened in Portland, Oregon. Police report was filed where it will collect dust.

Ironies abound:

Watch had been gone half a year for repair. After getting it back, it had to be returned because the date change was at noon instead of midnight on this 24 hour watch. Understandable mistake as this unusual dial is flipped. Because the watch required a signature and no one was home, the carrier took it back to the truck. If he hadn't, it would not have been in the truck when it was robbed.

Also, i sold a rare 1962 Bulova Astronaut to pay for this watch and repair (it was an expensive service.) So in effect I am out two rare watches.

A sad tale of two watches.

Stolen:


Sold:

 

I stole this watch from @JwRosenthal

 

We really need a “not like” button

 

I need to stop looking at watches I sold to other members- it hurts a little.

 

Your watchmaker didn't insure the package for the full value?

 

Forty years ago, I was managing a jewellery store in a national chain of jewellers. We carried Rolex watches (amongst other brands). We lost five Rolex watches to one thief, in less than a minute!

 

I know of someone who had their watch ripped off their wrists while traveling in a non-third world foreign country

 

My watchmaker is a fine man who followed my lead. I was cheap and only insured it for 1k. He insured it for the same amount. He also paid for the shipping both ways (although I didn't accept). He filed the postal report and contacted the several Glycine forums about the loss and to watch for it.

This was only my fault for underinsuring. The watchmaker has been very supportive and is a great guy.

 

Does having your wife take it and refuse to give it back count?

 

Paradise Valley AZ
Company owner.

The criminal got in the house at night while the owner and wife slept. Went through the entire house while they were asleep stealing shit. Lost a Rolex and Tag.

Also had a diamond Rolex Daytona from Donnie Osmond. Got that swiped by a .................

 

NA

Watch was stolen while at work.

Wife is a Dr. and surgeon, and while scrubbed in for a surgery her Rolex lady datejust was stolen from the scrub room. Thief must have been one of a dozen nurses or MAs with access to that room over that period.

Yes, and as the watch had a value over the requisite threshold for a felony theft, interviews were conducted, etc.

Perhaps important for your work/analysis to consider that local law enforcement will treat such thefts differently for reasons including the value of the watch stolen, depending on local jurisdictional rules around how value relates to the class of theft.

Note also we reported this theft to Rolex’s purported central databank for thefts; it requires an attendant police report. That said, I’ve since been unable to have anyone at Rolex confirm whether our watch is *actually* on any database at all, or if the notion of this database is just a notion.

Austin, Texas, USA.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

I believe I had a King Seiko stolen by an expert Russian thief while I was on holiday in Tallinn, Estonia...

I was living in Helsinki, Finland at the time and was on a short holiday to Tallinn with a friend (it's a quick trip across the water and a popular destination for weekends away - the beer is cheaper apart from anything else!). My friend had booked the cheapest AirB&B he could find and the slightly-dodgy-seeming Russian owner picked us up from near the port area and dropped us off at the accommodation. About 10 minutes after unpacking I realised that my watch was missing. I knew it had still been on my wrist when we arrived in Tallinn as I remembered checking the time on a couple of occasions after we arrived.

My friend and I sat down and thought things over, and came to the conclusion that the only likely explanation was that the watch had been literally lifted off my wrist by the owner of our AirB&B at some point during the journey to the accommodation. There had been lots of chatting and distractions, heping with luggage, handshakes etc.. And in retrospect (knowing now that the watch was missing), I had this weird, half-conscious memory of a slightly unusual wrist fumble..

We had a couple of beers and then I phoned the guy up and said that I'd lost my watch, and wondered if he'd found it in his car. I think he knew that I suspected that he'd taken it (that was the idea..), although I was careful not to accuse him. I said it was just a Seiko but it had sentimental value. He said he'd have a look.

Next day he phones back and says that he's found it in the car. He meets us in town and gives me it back. "Sentimental value, eh..?" he says.. He knows that we know, and that we know he knows we know..

If it had been an Omega I suspect my chances of seeing it again would have been considerably less! ;-)

No police involved, we wanted a hassle-free holiday.

 

Worth the hassle just for the story.