I nearly had my Rolex whipped off my wrists whilst out in Spain which was fortunately solved when my wife whacked the girl who was doing it with her walking stick. I was wearing short sleeves due to the weather and the watch was a GMT11 with a coke bezel and a Jubilee bracelet, so I was hardly being careful. What worries me more than anything else is what could have happened to my wife if the girl or her accomplice fought back. Fortunately they very quietly walked off into the crowds.
I am now back in the UK and I want a decent watch that is less attention grabbing when wearing short sleeves and I have a few options.
1. Wear my 39mm Explorer1 214270 which is more laid back in appearance but still has white gold numerals which is a tad blingy.
2. Wear the Explorer1 with a brown leather strap which is definitely off the radar but I am not to keen on it for reasons I cannot really explain.
3. I have a 1986 SS Omega Constellation that I could get serviced and that is only 34mm in diameter and quite thin. Well below the radar.
4 Buy a Monofaced JLC Reverso and when I am in a risky place, I need only flip the watch over to reveal a plain metallic face.
5. My favourite watch is a 1980 Rolex Explorer11 1655. It looks nothing like a Rolex unless you know the models but the give away is the cyclops on the plastic lens. I favour this option but wonder if the cyclops puts it into the high risk category and that does concern me.
I am basically happy with any option but the days of wearing an obvious Rolex with short sleeves are over for me. 70yrs + wearing a Rolex is very high risk.
Simple question if I may be as bold - What do you think is the best option?
Sounds like you need a BlackBay Pro or the new 36mm Explorer 1. Could even put the BlackBay Pro on rubber.
A leather strap on the 39mm Explorer 1 will look awful imo.
The Explorer is the perfect answer. No cyclops. Could be any simple SS watch from a distance.
The answer is simple Mick. Sell your Rolexes.
Last edited by gcleminson; 30th June 2022 at 12:04.
I had my 114060 nicked off my wrist in Barcelona a few years ago so know what you talk about. Replaced with insurance (in the day when they could be found from stock)
If you are worried I suggest wearing something unusual that does not look like a Rolex - maybe a JLC Reverso, Breitling Navitimer etc.
Alternatively
1. holiday away from Spain which seems to be notorious.
2. wear a Casio or Seiko etc
3. something like a Steinhart but that may attract the wrong crowd as it still looks like a Rolex.
4. no watch and check the time on your phone or get a ´smart watch'.
Just some ideas.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 30th June 2022 at 12:20.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
I would consider a Rubber B strap on your Explorer which will keep it more under the radar.
SwimSkin Alligator maybe?
The question has already lapsed, as we've already had our week of short sleeves for this year in the UK.
For the rest, don't think those who target valuable watches are fools: they will know not only the type of watch (so you can forget about "hiding" your reverso), but how easily they will shift them.
Just because they have chosen to "earn" their living this way doesn't mean they are illiterate idiots.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I wear a Hamilton Khaki Air Race on a rubber strap when on hols.
Also wouldn't wear my Rolex in a tourist centric city like Barcelona.
Alternative answer = wear long sleeves.
Alternative way to look at it is that it happened once in x number of years and is unlikely to happen again.
Fair play to your wife being on the ball, sounds like she might be a keeper Mick
I wear a G Shock in areas that carry risk. I could wear no watch but figure that a G Shock is more likely to send a message that there are unlikely to be further rich pickings of the latest phone and a wallet worth targeting, no watch provides no such clues.
Shame we have to think about this (and I'm a rugby type big old unit, so not the most obvious choice to target) but no point attracting unwelcome interest
The simple solution is not to wear a Rolex in Spain or on holiday in general. Wear a good holiday watch like a Seiko.
I was in Italy a few years ago. Yes, it was Naples. There was a team of scooter riders communicating with each other. One was down at the dock watching guys leaving the cruise ship and noting what watches were being worn. Two of the scooter team were up the hill on the main walking route in to the city. Yes, one guy had his 18ct Day date whipped off his wrist. Another passenger had his 1680 Sub stolen. Both were robbed within minutes of each other.
I was in Corfu last year with my wife. Two English guys stayed near our apartment and we all socialised in the local taverna every late evening. They were pissed every single night. One had a Rolex Sub Date. The other had a Tag Monaco. (Yes we did talk watches some evenings). A blind man could have taken the watches off their wrists fairly easily. The only thing that was stolen was my white stick.
Last edited by j111dja; 30th June 2022 at 14:10.
Is there a Rolex that you wouldn’t recognise if you saw someone wearing it?
If so, buy one of those, otherwise wear a Seiko.
Save the Rolex for when you're in long sleeves.
JLC is recognisable, explorer and exp2 recognisable also.
As someone said earlier watch thieves aren't stupid.
Short sleeves in European big towns or cities = Seiko, Timex, anything not worth nicking.
Of all your options, the constellation would be best as not as recognisable.
This may be true when you are a tourist and it happens on the last day of your holiday.
Absolutely not the case otherwise. If they can they will follow you. If they can’t they pass the word as to what car you drive and your license plate; this way they find out quickly where you live, and what your habits are.
Again, think of the potential reward they get compared to the risk. £5,000* easy money in a few seconds
* probably not far from what they can get without even trying for a sports Rolex
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
[QUOTE=Saint-Just;6018814]The question has already lapsed, as we've already had our week of short sleeves for this year in the UK.
LOL. I almost had to take my jumper off for an hour one day last week.
I think Rod's Casioak on sales corner for £45.00 is the best alternative.
Andy
G-shock is my holiday watch of choice.
This reminds me of a video I was watching a few days, ago.
A lot of people have a holiday watch that they don't need to worry about.
Found it!
Thanks for the replies, I am genuinely surprised at the amount received.
My initial thoughts were to go for the 39mm Explorer1 but I have had two waiters comment on it and the strangest incident was when a security guard in Covera airport told me to put my Rolex in the tray which took your stuff through the Xray machines. He was standing about 3 meters away, so if he could recognise it, then a bunch of professional thieves most certainly can.
Therefore I am currently wearing the Omega Constellation and the early signs are good as I am enjoying wearing it. I think I will get it in for a good service and treat it as the Spanish watch.
Many thanks for all the thoughts.
It's a real shame but yes I agree, when in short sleeves I think about where I am and choose my watch carefully. I think there are still plenty of quality watches to enjoy they don't have the second hand value to warrant the theft. Christopher ward, seiko, Hamilton, Oris, or micro brands like zelos, Heimdallr and so on. There are loads, I'm just naming ones more on my radar currently I guess.
Glad you and your wife got through your ordeal largely unscathed.
Was just going to suggest a Smith's, Everest or Commando etc
Like a Rolex Explorer, but better!
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I think you might be worrying over nothing, have a read of this thread for some genuine down to earth advice that should quell your worries.
Rolex safety.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app
Sadly, now watches are so valuable/expensive and thanks to all the social media exposure of late, most thieves I suspect can spot a Rolex from a distance - I know I can (but I’m a good guy’!). You might be ok with a Tudor on a Nato strap or similar, at least they are more readily replaceable and don’t have the same cachet. I do think it’s a shame that once relatively ordinary, affordable and plentiful watches like the 16610 are now ‘halo pieces’ that you have to be careful with and are now attracting criminal interest as they must be so easy to steal, hide and move on for a decent amount of cash - much easier than stealing and disposing of a car of similar value for instance. When we lived in West London my wife asked me to return a Submariner I’d bought her as a gift as she didn’t want to be the target of a mugger - this would have been around 2000 so even back then, as a small, slight woman she didn’t want to get mugged just for a watch. She still wears the Tag Aquaracer I bought her for £300 and loves it!
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Take your Rolex off the bracelets and put them on straps. Much harder to spot that way.
Firstly Mick, my condolences about what I’m sure was a very frightening experience.
On the subject of the question posed, if you don’t want to be targeted because of your watch, don’t wear a watch that makes you a target. All this chat about sleeves is nonsense. Having to wear a watch which you cover up and are afraid to look at in public is no way to live. Equally, there are no less recognisable rolex, regardless of strap or bracelet.
Sounds like you’ve made the right decision with the omega.
Last edited by Idontgram; 30th June 2022 at 22:03.
I’d be selling some of the collection and holidaying in a more up-market location…
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I was in Greece earlier this year and being conscious of the thread topic, I decided to take my Seiko with me instead of my usual Omega SM300 thinking that it would be less noticeable as a potential theft opportunity.
However, I am sat in a lovely taverna enjoying a drink with the wife when one of the clientele says to me "nice Willard" or words to that effect, which took me a little by surprised as I was expecting my watch to go unnoticed.
We had a quick chat, he was wearing an Oris Diver 65 two tone (bronze & SS) and he went back over to his table, obviously a watch guy but still, its seems even your Seiko gets noticed these days.
I think that’s different. One thing is a watch enthusiast recognising your watch, the other is your watch making you a target for crime. Sure, someone might still mug you for a £750 watch (they might mug you for £100 Nikes) but a £7500 Rolex is more likely to attract attention.