So the claims made today reminded me to contact Omega about the "stolen watch list" that some say can be easily checked. I emailed my contact at Swatch/Omega in Canada and asked if they keep a list of stolen watches, and if they do how could someone check a watch against that list.
The reply was that yes, Omega in Canada and the US has a list of stolen and lost watches. I was told that the only way a watch gets on this list is if the owner of the watch files a police report, so the serial number comes from the police, not the owner. This is list only for Canada and the US, so if a watch was reported stolen/lost in another country, they would not have it on the list. This is list is for
internal use only, so is not a part of the Omega Extranet, or open to the public.
There is no "world wide" list, so based on what I was told today it would be handled on a regional basis.
So for someone to use your serial number to somehow "steal" your watch away from you, they would have to first file a police report, that information would have to get onto Omega's list, and then Omega would act only when/if the watch came in for service to them. They would hold it until the police finished their investigation. In other words the chances of this happening in the real world, is very, very slim...
Cheers, Al
