Awful, very sorry to hear this.
A friend was robbed of his Patek Nautilus today.
Grabbed from behind by one person while another ripped it off his wrist. Thankfully shocked but not hurt.
He was in Selfridges and, unfortunately, is an obvious target. Dresses like a Rock Star, loads of jewellery, designer gear and expensive bags, and I reckon they targeted and followed him.
He’s reported to the Police online but I’m wondering if he should also report to Patek?
Awful, very sorry to hear this.
Selfridges should be also concerned?
Seems to becoming a regular incident
Completely agree - it’s not something they would want to get known for, and would definitely dissuade me from popping in if I was passing.
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Mike Wood from here was tailed inside Selfridges and similar story after that. There was a thread up a few weeks ago.
Sorry to read of this mate, I hope he’s ok, but could you clarify please, was he actually in Selfridges when he was robbed?
I’m in town quite often at weekends, usually doing the ‘touristy’ areas and watch shopping and I’m not ashamed to admit that the only watches I wear when doing so are my PAM390 or my Omega 2255.80.
OP, sorry to hear this - but glad your friend is unharmed. Hopefully they can ID them up from the Selfidges CCTV.
To Spuds - OP says they apparently followed him from Selfidges, so def sounds like he was robbed outside the shop not inside. Selfridges security could surely try to monitor for customers being tailed, somehow...
Hello all, thank you for your kind words. He had been in there and was jumped shortly after. Details sketchy at the mo as I heard it from his wife.
He’s reported to Police and will do the same to Selfridges and Patek.
I will look for Mikes story to see if the MO is similar. Description of them is loose at the moment “middle-eastern looking”, which doesn’t help much.
Always baffles me where the market is for a niche item like a Patek. Robbers want to turn it into cash I imagine and a ref number will make it worthless surely to a honest buyer with sensible diligence ?
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I hope your friend is okay btw.
About time the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, started to get held to account for the disgraceful levels public safety have fallen too within our Capital. He should be doing his job rather than trying to score media points and increase his popularity rating with his Trump attack tweets and speeches.
Once you walk out of any store onto the public streets there is very little or probably nothing that the store can do to protect you.
The Mayor can't do much when the government has taken the police off the streets.
Op, I feel for your mate, I lost a watch in similar circumstances after leaving a Panerai boutique.
I am glad I live in Northern Ireland. If a toe rag steps out of line if the boys in blue don’t get him the boys in woolly faces do. Ha ha
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Sorry to hear this.. but we live in changing times..if you are showing off an expensive watch in public then it’s going to attract the attention of those who are targeting such items.blaming others is not the answer..
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I agree with you Steve. You can’t walk around like a rockafella dripping in jewellery and expect not to be noticed by the wrong clientele. I hope it was included in his insurance
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Sorry to hear this, hope the police can find them and put a stop to this type of thing.
I spend a lot of time in and around Belfast with family and have an admiration of how these issues are seemingly resolved..
despite it well documented history its people are warm friendly hospitable and welcoming..
I have never experienced road rage or been subject too any of the issues that exist in major cities on the mainland..and we don’t avoid anywhere and feel safe when out at night.
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+1
What gives any one the right to just take from others, they are to blame and only them to blame for this criminal act, Fuckers
But I will add I do think we all in this hobby of ours have to think seriousosly regarding safety whilst enjoying our watches, I was shocked to read mikes post from December, just glad both of these incidents haven't had any serious injuries.
Tony
That goes without saying.. some have blamed our Police some have blamed Khan some have blamed our politicians..
Would you walk around any major city where these individuals infest. waving a £20K wad of £50 notes.. of course you wouldn’t..a watch is no different to these individuals...
The rules have changed people need to wake up and take some personal responsibility.. I’m just glad nobody got hurt.
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I am glad they didn’t see my battered seiko titanium it would a been a gonner
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But what you're effectively saying is that we shouldn't own nice things, unless we enjoy them in private. Which is understandable in a Brazilian Favela, but harder to swallow in a society where very few people are really living in abject poverty. People aren't stealing Patek's to provide their next meal. This is organised crime, and we should expect a certain level of protection against it.
That’s 100% what I am Not saying...I own several high value pieces and I take personal responsibility for when and where I wear and enjoy them.
Whatever the social reasons it’s becoming a regular occurrence that these robberies are being reported more frequently and owners need to be aware of being targeted..
I do not expect to be accompanied by a law enforcement officer on my evening out.
It may be hard for some to swallow but I repeat the rules have changed and people need to be aware of the risks.
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Hmmm. Grim news
Surprised Police have not set up a sting operation yet given Mikes experience and that poor lad who got stabbed to death outside Harrods shortly before Christmas.
Would seem quite easy to equip a plain clothes with appropriate watch do the Selfridges walk then wait for attack with other plain clothes officers nearby to apprehend .....or am i being too optimistic ?....just answered myself in head ....
I suppose having nice things in your house is just asking to be burgled as well? Why shouldn't you wear an expensive watch, expensive trainers, whatever? Because we have been too soft on the criminals for too long we now have to pretend to be poor in case we put temptation in peoples way. Blaming victims of robbery is not the answer...
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Its cases like this that have lead to me not wearing my Submariner as much as I used to.
Major consideration is where I am going and with whom.
Agree We are far too soft on crime those who flout our laws have little fear of ever being caught I believe I read 95% of all reported crime remains unsolved..all areas of crime especially violent crime statistics continue to show huge increases but I guess Liberal thinking may have a lot to do with that but that’s a whole different arena of argument..people need to continue to enjoy whatever so called luxury items they have but need to be more aware than ever there is an ever increasing number of those who wish to deprive you of said items..stay well
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May be an idea to register it here also - https://www.thewatchregister.com
Before I got my datejust when the seller emailed me the details I checked here first saved a lot of come back in the long run. Plus if I ever part with it I gave a little more paper work
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It is a shame that people don’t feel safe wearing luxury watches in certain places in the UK.....however, we have a choice....if one carries a clearly expensive bag, and flashes a bit of wealth with clothing,jewellery and watches, then one becomes a target for those who want to take those things away from you. People will just not learn from the mistakes of others. Mostly, one WILL be safe but I personally prefer to minimise any risk....my watches are for me to love and not for someone else to take from me. Just be sensible.
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Be careful out there....
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/110856...-cars-watches/
There was also a vicious attack on the owner of Watches of Distinction Lymington and his wife at weekend ..
https://youtu.be/8uG7dFnzenM
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I don’t understand why she never closed the gates once he drove in Especially when your in for the night. But they are very lucky they didn’t enter and ransack the house as there was enough of them Very sad the country we live in your own home isn’t even safe
Last edited by Sid1ni; 4th March 2020 at 08:14.
Here was the thread:
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...t=watch+london