Fear of theft makes some watch fans leave their best at home

Police in London and LA report increasing number of thefts involving expensive watches.

For the past six months, Troy Barmore has left behind a treasured keepsake at his home in Brooklyn when he takes the subway to Manhattan: a stainless steel Rolex Submariner watch that belonged to his father and gave him passed on as a college graduation gift.

"I totally stopped wearing it on the subway," he said, "not at because of a specific incident in itself, just because of a general feeling of, 'I don't want to draw attention to myself in this way.'"

Now Mr. Barmore, the communications manager for the RedBar Group, an organization of watch collectors, usually wears one of his cheaper watches, like a stainless steel chronograph ydable Brew Watch Co. which sells for $375. It exemplifies what he called "a sweet spot" that he says many collectors are looking for right now: a well-designed timepiece, but, as he put it, "less noticeable, less risky in some environments, less ostentatious.”

For years, stories of street robberies in affluent neighborhoods of cities like London and New York — as well as luxury vacation destinations , such as Ibiza and the south of France — have circulated among watch collectors. Thieves, often armed, frequently flee on mopeds or scooters with the stolen goods.

"Anyone paying attention has some degree of concern about it," Mr. Barmore said.

Many owners of watches insure their precious timepieces, but there is also the anxiety, in addition to the loss, of potentially becoming a victim of theft with rape nce.

But recently, as pandemic-related restrictions have eased in many parts of the world and travel has resumed, police departments are reporting a increase in this type of crime.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, there have been 112 thefts involving at least one watch worth $5 $000 or more in the first six months of 2022, an increase of almost 50% from the 75 flights recorded. at the same time in 2021.

And in London, the Metropolitan Police have been appealing to the public for t months to help catch watch thieves. Police reported there were 67 watch thefts in central London between May 31 and June 27, an increase of around 60% on the total for the previous four weeks – and described incidents like a mid-morning robbery in the Chelsea area in which a machete-wielding man on a moped forced a couple to surrender their watches, an Audemars Piguet and a Patek Philippe.

A few years ago, Ashkan Baghestani, an art dealer, was chased by a man with a knife in Chelsea, and it was only about a week, did he -he says, after a friend's Rolex was also stolen in the area.

He decided to buy a dark green Cartier Tank watch at the end of last year, around the time he moved to New York. "It's the only watch I'm comfortable wearing," he said. "I don't wear a watch that's worth more than $5,000."

And Timm Golueke, Munich-based dermatologist and founder of Royal Fern Skincare, told stories The theft of watches had made him decide that he would never bring any of the valuable watches from his collection, such as a Rolex Explorer, on his frequent trips. Recently, he said, he wore an Apple Watch because it “feels better and more relaxed.”

This time of year — the season for clothes with short sleeves sleeveless shirts and dresses (at least in the northern hemisphere) - watches are essential...