Situational awareness... the darker side of nice things.

dazed1 · Sep 18, 2020

Happy Friday all!

I have a sad situation to relay and I was curious as to everyone's thoughts on this. A friend of mine was in a layover in Italy and was strong armed by three rather large people. Two held him while the third ripped his Rolex GMT literally off his wrist, breaking the band. He was cut up pretty bad but otherwise survived OK.

My question is rather obvious. I know most of us are of the mind wear the watch and USE it. However I fear in today's world it almost seems like you need to run a little silent and deep. Being aware of where you are and who you are with, time of day etc. This is not exactly fair or right, it just is. Do you dress down or carry a more low profile watch depending on your locale?

Gui13250 · Sep 18, 2020

A subject which is up to everyone’s feeling and location I guess...

I must say that, in summer when I do not have long sleeve which hide my watch when walking in the street, I’m sometime reluctant to wear an expensive watch.
It’s easier to wear them in winter when your coat is hiding it in the street.

Syzygy · Sep 18, 2020

Absolutely! Being street wise is a must, no matter where you find yourself. When traveling, I tend to leave my expensive pieces home and dress down. If I have business meetings, I may switch it up, but only for the time of the meeting, and then I'm back to 'blending in' as much as possible.

dazed1 · Sep 18, 2020

My wife's grandmother used to tell me "folks are gonna knock you in the head for that thing..." - sadly in a lot of places she was probably right.

flw · Sep 18, 2020

An excellent point. In a lot of places, if it can't be under the cuff, perhaps it should stay home. (A good opportunity to expand one's collection with a less expensive piece or two ... Seiko SKX or Hamilton Khaki, for example.)

OP, you used the term "layover", which suggests to me that your friend was between flights in an airport? I guess the idea there is to remain in a crowded area if possible, and not to get isolated ... difficult to do if you need to use the restroom. Sorry to hear about this.

dazed1 · Sep 18, 2020

He is a pilot so his layover was a day or two. This was outside of the airport.

Thommas · Sep 18, 2020

Thanks for bringing this up and very sorry to hear about your friend. What a traumatizing experience of being both molested, hurt and losing an invaluable belonging. I wouldn't feel unsafe in an airport, but out on the town in a foreign city— no matter how civilized the country— I'm hitting the pavement with an inconspicuous piece.

Marsimaxam · Sep 18, 2020

I'm sorry to hear about your friend being mugged, but, at least he walked away. As terrible an experience as it was, it could have been worse. The watch can be replaced.

When I travel abroad I always leave my valuable watches at home and wear a watch that will not attract attention, usually a vintage Seiko diver. At home or traveling domestically as long as I'm in a relatively safe neighborhood or in a group, family or friends, I feel comfortable wearing any of my watches. One benefit of not liking bracelets, I usually wear my watches with a leather NATO or leather strap, is that many people don't recognize the watch. I find many people associate the watch with the bracelets, especially a Rolex President, Jubilee, or Oyster bracelets.

Twocats · Sep 18, 2020

When I travel in Europe I wear a Seiko Turtle for this reason. In Dubai and other places in the ME I wear a nice watch. perhaps this is naive of me but I feel safer in the ME than I do in Europe for things like this. There are stories of Rolex robberies taking place in Paris, Amsterdam, London and other European cities all the time. Saying all that I did wear my new Tudor to the south of France this year but we stayed in our rented accommodation 99% of the time.

Modern Rolex watches for sale with no box and papers always makes me wonder.

gbesq · Sep 18, 2020

Another reason that I prefer Omega over Rolex. Lower risk profile. That being said, I travel with a Swiss Army watch and my Omega collection stays at home.

DaveK · Sep 18, 2020

dazed1
He is a pilot so his layover was a day or two. This was outside of the airport.

I assume that a pilot still needs a tool watch as backup or part of their kit. How to travel with a nice tool watch is a wrinkle

Sorry to hear what happened

Walrus · Sep 18, 2020

Well that is terrible to hear. I imagine your friend will be reliving that situation for a while to come. I have unfortunately fought off a mugging but it was one dude, if it was three I would hope they would give me the option to hand over the goods. It’s a very nasty thought that 3 on one attack is carried out in such a ruthless manner. Like being attacked by hyenas, even the lion gets tired of them and walks away sometimes. I am often in some bad areas. I do try to keep my hand in my pocket in certain situations. There hasn’t been much travel lately but when I do I tend to just wear my vostok. I guess one good side of living the negative life for a period of time is I can usually pick up on things but I don’t kid myself I’m beyond getting held up or jumped, especially when you are in a foreign place. I guess it’s kind of like driving, you don’t assume the cars around you are going to make the right moves and obey all the laws and you are a little bit safer.

lillatroll · Sep 18, 2020

I have travelled quite a lot, I am not a wealthy person so it's not 5 star hotels and 1st class, buisness class or even economy plus. I stayed in Harlem in New York and Compton in LA, and mostly cheap hostels and hotels all over the world. 5 continents, 45 countries and over 300 cities. Never had a problem. I think it is down to luck or more correctly, bad luck.
Most people should be aware of what precautions to take to reduce the risk but even then it can happen. I usually take a cheap watch and one of my omega watches, the one that would be easiest to replace if I were to lose it.

dazed1 · Sep 18, 2020

It was pretty rough by all accounts- three on one and my friend did try to fight them off, but those odds only get beaten in the movies. (sure there are some exceptions, but not everyone is a retired Golden Gloves champion) I think this is for sure something we need to bring up from time to time just to keep it top of mind. I certainly am not advocating living in constant fear and suspicion of my fellow man as this can rob you of any joy you may find in this life but some degree of precaution is never a bad thing. Please do be careful out there folks!

RonJ · Sep 18, 2020

There is always a risk when you wear an expensive watch in a major city.
There have been times I thought I was going to get robbed but my Guardian Angel must have been watching out for me.

One time I'll never forget, is my wife and I went to New York City to attend an expensive charity dinner on Ellis Island.
It was a black tie event so I was in a tuxedo and my wife was in a formal evening gown.
A ferry was arranged to take us to the island from Battery Park and bring us back at the end of the event.
In order to catch a taxi back to the hotel, we had to walk through Battery Park after midnight.
We were with two other couples so it was a group of 3 men and 3 women all wearing expensive watches and jewelry.
The park was closed and it was a long walk through the empty park streets.
Quite a few homeless people were sleeping in the park and fortunately we made it through without any muggings.

I can't imagine ever doing something like that again.
.

gbesq · Sep 18, 2020

dazed1
It was pretty rough by all accounts- three on one and my friend did try to fight them off, but those odds only get beaten in the movies. (sure there are some exceptions, but not everyone is a retired Golden Gloves champion)

Sometimes fighting back gets you more trouble than it’s worth. When I was in college, another drunk student took a swing at me after I asked him repeatedly to stop harassing my then girlfriend. I lost my temper and in the ensuing fight I threw him into a glass mirror with bad results (for him). It took two guys to pull me off him. The police showed up and were it not for the accounts of several bystanders who told the police that I didn’t start it, I’m convinced to this day that I would have been in handcuffs. I’m too old for that stuff now, so I would hope that any would be muggers would graciously allow me the option of surrendering my watch. But I’d still be pissed. 😡

Syrte · Sep 18, 2020

Sorry to hear about the friend but the important thing is, he’s ok and the only thing he lost is some money. Which is nothing compared to life and limb.

there is one cardinal rule: if someone attacks you for property, don’t fight and give it away.

Other than that- I have travelled all over the world, through rural areas of Africa, Asia; the Middle east and Latin America.
I never ever ever wear jewelery in those situations (as I’m a woman). I’ve been to places where even my 5 dollar plastic watch I bought in a drugstore was coveted by some ladies who took my wrist asking me to donate the watch.
There are places where even a Swatch watch or a Casio watch or any plastic quartz watch is seen as a privilege of wealth.
There are countries where everything you carry screams wealth to anyone who looks: your sneakers, your tee shirt, your nylon backpack, your technical fleece— it’s all wealth that locals cannot afford.
Wearing a Rolex watch to anywhere but an affluent neighborhood of an affluent city of an affluent country is a total no no. Indeed, you should be aware of the world you live in.

gbesq · Sep 18, 2020

From Two And A Half Men:

Berta:
Well, looks who's here, the Bride of Drunkenstein.

Mia:
Look. [Mia shows her engagement ring to Berta]

Berta:
Wow, that's quite a rock. You know what we call babes with rings like that in my neighborhood? [shows her missing ring finger] Stumpy.

[Mia looks at Charlie]

Charlie:
What are you looking at me for? Just stay out of her neighborhood!

janice&fred · Sep 18, 2020

gbesq
Sometimes fighting back gets you more trouble than it’s worth.

Oh I'm living proof of that. Back in my college days as I was getting in my car at a Yale parking lot after a night at Toad's Place in New Haven when I was surprised by an average size guy demanding money. He tried to grab me, I fought back and he pulled out a .32 and shot me point blank in my upper chest. Woke up at Yale New Haven hospital very lucky to have survived with merely a broken collar bone and punctured lung from a fragment. Luckily that was the only time I was ever robbed, and since then I've been to many places around the world much worse than New Haven.

gbesq · Sep 18, 2020

janice&fred
Oh I'm living proof of that. Back in my college days as I was getting in my car at a Yale parking lot after a night at Toad's Place in New Haven when I was surprised by an average size guy demanding money. He tried to grab me, I fought back and he pulled out a .32 and shot me point plank in my upper chest. Woke up at Yale New Haven hospital very lucky to have survived with merely a broken collar bone and punctured lung from a fragment. Luckily that was the only time I was ever robbed, and since then I've been to many places around the world much worse than New Haven.

I’ve been to New Haven many times. There are some very dangerous areas. You were fortunate indeed. Bad enough, but could have been much worse.