We all know that luxury watches are expensive, but a lot of people are put off from buying them as they feel it is not worth the risk. Having this money much just sitting on your wrist can make people worried. There is the fear of damaging it, but the biggest fear is having it stolen.
Does this actually happen, or is it just paranoia? The truth is that does happen. The reality is that it is quite rare, but it can still happen. Like anything in life you can try and limit the chances, but sometimes you just can’t control what happens.
Watch Crime Is A Problem
Watch crime is a real problem all over the world and especially in larger cities. Watches are small and easy to take compared to a lot of other items, but more importantly they are very high value. The problem is also made worse by the very strong second hand market.
Watch Thefts
These are common in places such as gyms and sport clubs. Think about places where you might take your watch off and put it somewhere for safe keeping.
Thieves will target these establishments in affluent areas and break into lockers in the changing rooms. This is more of a lucky dip for the thief. They don’t really know what is inside or who owns the stuff in the locker, but the chances of finding wallets full of cash and bank cards as well as smart phones are usually guaranteed.
High value jewellery and watches is just an added bonus to them.
How To Avoid Watch Theft?
This is a hard one; I feel if you are victim to this you are just really unlucky.
Having your belongings in a locker should be more than safe enough, but of course you can never trust it fully. Ideally you would want to hide your most valuable items, such as your luxury watch, within your other belongings. Maybe hide it inside a sock or in your coat pocket. Most thieves are not going to do a detailed search, they will quickly grab what they can see and go.
However, just be careful when you are hiding your watch, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself and make any one in the room think your locker might be worth breaking in to. You might end up causing the problem you are trying to prevent.
The only other way around this is to not leave your watch unattended, even if it’s in a locker. If you know you are going to the gym, just leave the watch at home and use a less valuable one that day.
Pickpockets Steal Watches
These are very common in big cities for other items like wallets and phones, mainly as they are left on the table at a restaurant, or are hanging out of back pockets. The pickpockets can easily swipe these away while you are distracted.
Watches are a little safer as they are attached to us. However, some very good pickpockets can take watches right off your arm without you noticing. I think this is very rare these days. Although most people who fall victim to this probably think the watch strap somehow broke and just fell off, rather than believing it could have been removed.
How To Avoid A Pickpocket From Stealing A Watch
Make sure all your items are secure and out of view. Don’t make this easy for them. If they have to put any effort in, they will just ignore you and move on to the next person who has left everything on display.
Also be aware of any one trying to distract you, usually by trying to shove something into your face asking you to buy it. Just be aware of your surroundings and keep your distance. You should be fine if you are switched on, you shouldn’t have any trouble.
As for preventing your watch being taken, just keep your distance. They need to touch you in some way so you won’t feel the watch being taken, so don’t get close to anyone trying to talk to you.
Watch Robberies
This is when it gets a bit more horrible. A robbery is when someone forcibly removes the watch from you. This is when start hearing the horror stories of people being beaten up, knifes being pulled and even guns being pointed.
This is the real worst of the worst.
If this happen, you have most likely have been spotted wearing the watch and an organised gang wants what you have.
It is best to just give it over as it’s not worth being injured over. I know that doesn’t sound like the best advice, but watches can be replaced, you can’t.
Do People Really Get Robbed For A Watch?
These are horror stories, but they happen. However, just stop and think how rare they actually are.
Take London for example. There will no doubt be a handful of these incidents a day. Then take into account that the population of London is around 8 million, probably more like 10 million when you consider people who are in the city, but don’t live there.
So really your chances of being a victim are like 1 in a million, probably even less. When you think of it like this it can help calm the nerves.
I know the reply to this is “but not all 10 million people wear a luxury watch” which is of course true, but these robbers have to look at a lot of wrists before they find a good one, so the chances are still pretty low. Not zero, but certainly low.
How To Avoid Having Your Watch Robbed?
These attacks are not random. These gangs will have spotted you with the watch and picked you out as the target.
These gangs are also usually going to operate in the more affluent areas. This is simply because there will be a high percentage of people with luxury watches in these areas. Although they may spot you somewhere else, it is mostly likely going to be in an affluent area. They also tend to operate in the late evening when of course it is dark and you might have had a few drinks so are not as sharp. However, you can still be attacked during the day.
The best thing to do is be aware of your surroundings and be careful where you are flashing your watch. I know you have paid good money for it and want to have it on display, but just be careful. You have no idea who is looking. Just keep your eye out for any one taking a little too much interest in you and who might be watching you.
This is even more important during the summer when you might only be wearing a t-shirt.
This is obviously hard to avoid at times, but if you have a very recognisable watch, or something that really stands out, it might be best to not wear it when out and about in certain areas or at certain times. This sort of defeats the idea of owning a nice a watch, but I would rather you and your watch got home safely. If at any point you are worried, just discreetly take the watch off and put it in your pocket then get out of the area and get to somewhere safe.
If possible, try not to dress over the top and wear long sleeves where possible. These criminals are more likely to look at the wrist of someone smartly dressed compared to someone in a hoodie.
(Read more info about Buying A Luxury Watch Safely to help you avoid robberies)
Watch Burglary
These are also quite rare, but when they happen they are devastating. This is when someone targets your house and breaks in and steals your watch. Hopefully you are not there at the time or the ordeal can be even worse.
These are like the robberies and are very targeted attacks. While random burglaries can always happen, if it is known you have a number of luxury watches in your house, you can become a target.
Again these gangs will spot you and maybe follow you home. However, I feel you can make their life easy by using social media. If you are sharing a little too much about what your watch collection online you need to rethink what you are doing. You are just showing these gangs what you have on offer and potentially where you are.
How To Avoid Being Burgled for Your Watch?
Again be aware of your surrounding and see if anyone is physically following you home. I know this is a very paranoid behaviour to be asking from you, but just a quick look around every now and again will do you no harm. We do spend too much of our time being totally unaware of what is going on around us, so take a look from time to time.
As for social media, always be careful with what you share and who with. Just because you have your account set to private, doesn’t mean you are safe. It only takes a jealous old school friend or a co-worker to pass the word on to someone more sinister that you have a lot of watches in your house.
I know it sounds all very dramatic and unlikely, which it kind of is, but it’s not impossible so just be careful.
If you have a collection of watches I would consider not keeping them all together in the same location. Then even is someone manages to break in, they will not get the whole collection.
This is why safety deposit boxes are often used. It just adds an extra layer of security that can help reduce the chances of an attack.
Overall General Advice To Keep You and Your Watch Safe
Being a victim of crime is certainly something you want to avoid and having a luxury watch can increase your chances of being targeted.
Situational Awareness
Just being aware of your surrounding will help a lot. Knowing where you are and what the area is like is a great start.
Also keeping your eye out for people who might be a little too interested in you, too close or following you. (If it’s a watch nerd you will know. They will probably be smiling and looking at you in awe).
Say Your Watch Fake
You will probably not get many comments about your watch, as most people don’t care. However, if you ever do find someone asking, especially a stranger and you just get a weird vibe from them, say it’s fake. Say it’s an Aliexpress special and keep moving.
You should be buying the watches for yourself and yourself alone. If you are wanting to tell people what you have and how much you spent, you are probably buying the watch for the wrong reason.
You know it’s real and that is all that matters, everyone else can think it’s fake. Trust me it is better that way.
Don’t Wear The Watch
If there is any doubt in your mind, just leave the watch at home. My guess is you have more than one watch. Wear one of the lower value or less recognisable ones if you feel you may be going somewhere that might not be safe enough.
If you are already out and about with the watch and feel worried about something, take it off and try and get somewhere safe at the very least try and hide it up your sleeve.
Have Insurance For Your Watch
You should really have your watches insured, and then if the worst does happen you will not be financially ruined from it. You can usually add your watches on to your home insurance but you should speak to your individual provider to see what they can do.
Conclusion
I know this article is full of doom and gloom. I think it is very important to be aware of these issues, but really do not let them consume you.
Most people walk around totally problem free their whole life, but you need to know this can always happen to you and just be mindful and keep your wits about you. It will help you a lot. Just being aware can usually be enough to keep you safe.
(You can read more about – Are Expensive Watches Always Better and Are They Worth It?)
Ian is the main writer at Horology Dream and is a lover all things watch related.
He has been a watch collector for over a decade and brings his knowledge and experience to this site to help you on your own watch collecting journey.
You can connect with him on Social media and talk anything watches or read more about him on his Author Page.
