Everything is YMMV of course. In the SF Bay Area within 5 miles of my house there were two famous Rolex robberies in the last 10 years. One was in Burlingame, CA where the mark was followed back to his house and then shot and killed for a YG DD. Another one even closer to my house where a guy in Redwood Shores was followed home for a SS sports model, parked his BMW on his driveway, and as he got out he was robbed by two guys with ARs.

I was driving home from work yesterday and there was a lot of street traffic. I was wearing my DD in short sleeves because it was hot. I ended up sticking it under my leg a couple of times at stop lights.

For the insurance crew they’ll just shoot you in the face sometimes without even asking. So hope the life insurance is also good!

I really enjoyed Greenwich. As a mariner I always relate to GMT. To stand on the zero meridian was special to me.
There is also a nice museum in the Observatory with some beautiful clocks.
Of course we brought our favorite watches. :cheers:

My view is any city can be dangerous when unfamiliar. If you are staying in a nice hotel and taking a car service to destinations then I’m fine with wearing a nice piece. If I’m walking around and exploring, then I’m comfortable with a beater… more from a general safety perspective for my family, than value of watch.

Agreed.

Good post.


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My God ! :thumbsdow I wouldn't give such unconscious advice to my children, for example.

Travel everywhere?
So there are frankly places not to wear a luxury watch...especially certain big cities, other dangerous places or really poor countries.

On the contrary, it is very intelligent to ask other travelers about the state of affairs and security of X or Y places.

For my part, it is excluded in Paris, London, Mexico; Barcelona and Madrid (my recent trips).
While I plan to wear whatever I want in Switzerland or New York City.

As for watches, thieves and attackers can easily notice them from a distance, even if it seems undetectable to you! Don't worry about this, it's their hobby as much as you are specialized in your field. :read:

I’m visiting US 2-3 times per year and always take at least one watch. In NY I prefer to keep it under the sleeve. When in Florida, Orlando parks zone particularly, always wear openly with no issues or danger situation whatsoever. Some scratches from the rollercoasters do not count.

I’m guessing those saying that they don’t worry because they’re insured have never been the victim of a violent robbery? Fortunately I haven’t either but these types of people don’t always ask you to hand over your valuables nicely. I think some underestimate the impact of being seriously beaten/stabbed/shot.

Personally i tend to wear my panerai or grand seiko when I go away not because I’m overly concerned about being robbed (if I was i probably wouldn’t be there in the first place) I’m just less bothered about anything happening to them due to my own stupidity.

I’ve worn an AP on the NYC subways. Literally no one cares what you wear there. Certain parts of Philadelphia I would be cautious but you should be fine in either city. Just make sure you have insurance for international travel.

Definitely fine to wear in those cities with the appropriate common sense and discretion.. Also, if it's cooler weather like you're saying you can always cover up with your sleeves if ever in doubt... Safe travels!

I don't know when you're coming but there is a Watchtime fair in NY in October.
I've lived in NYC twice and a close friend (and huge watch collector) there advised not wearing a nice watch for this coming trip.
We shall see...

If you're concerned, don't wear anything nice. However, chances are nothing will happen, especially if you're not hanging out in bars at 2am.

Philadelphia is amazing, you'll really enjoy it. NYC too, nothing like it.

The other day, I took my son and his friend to the park, and unbeknownst to us, we noticed a baseball game was underway. It was a very competitive, yet under-attended U12 game. The kids were incredibly impressive.

We sat on a bench maybe 20 yards (18 meters) due east from 3rd base. I explained to my son’s friend the rules of baseball and what was happening right before our eyes. After about the third batter he heard the first “thunk” of an aluminum bat-meeting-ball, and immediately jumped up and yelled “well what if they hit us? We don’t have a glove to protect us!” Well… I guess he’s right? What if they did hit it perfectly at us?

This situation isn’t all that different from your comment. Having been to more than enough baseball games in my life, and more than enough “certain big cities, other dangerous places or really poor countries,” the chance of something happening to you or your precious watch is incredibly close to 0. In fact, I’ve lived in places most on TRF wouldn’t go to in their worst nightmares, and yet here I am, with my understanding of risk still intact, as well as my wrist. In fact, I broke my Explorer’s crystal 4x4ing in Kenya just a mere 18 months ago…

We left that baseball game unscathed, with fond memories, and if we did it another 100 times the results would be the same. The chances you run into the thieves you cite is like catching a foul ball off the noggin. One shouldn’t stop going to baseball games out of fear. But if you’re considering it, just bring a glove (insurance).

Travelling to the US later this year...
 

I like your metaphorical narrative, but statistically speaking - being hit by a foul ball or a home run is less common than experiencing a theft, especially in areas where thieves target those wearing valuables.

So the OP was asking for some advice out of concern.


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It’s statistically easy to support an argument where even being 20x more likely to get robbed of a luxury watch than hit with a foul ball is still an incredibly close to 0 probability proposition. That was the point of the metaphor.

Clearly I struck a cord with quite a few here, so just don’t wear your watch. I’ve always found that my watch is safest on my wrist, but that’s just me.

I will also image your position. You are sitting on your 1200cc racing motorcycle, wearing no protection, because you are convinced that if you fall on the tarmac or hit a barrier, a tree or a wall, you are made of reinforced concrete and nothing will happen to you. You've done it 50 times, from time to time you come across flowers attached to a post here and there, and you tell yourself that it's to feed the birds and bees. You have a good laugh as you pass the other bikers equipped with helmets and full suits. Why protect yourself and prevent? You are the one in 100, for the other 99 you are oblivious and laughable.

For years, a police brigade has been formed in Paris to combat watch theft, because it happens every day to many tourists, in the middle of the day. Do some Google searches, I'm not making this up. Barcelona, London and so on, it is becoming catastrophic on many security issues. If you go crazy like you cross the French "cités", the Brazilian favelas, the Adjamé market and other dangerous cities around the world with your luxury watch with zero risk, great good to you, you are a superhuman, but I'm sure you've never done it.
Keep enjoying your baseball games and safari in Kenya, don't tell people you survived 3 wars...that's not true.

In the end, travelling in New York city with a watch is fine, not a place to worry. That was the subject ! :bye:

Jeez-o-Pete, I don’t even know where to start with your comment, so I won’t. Who are you to say what a person has done? You have no clue, yet make many blind assumptions. I’ll repeat; you state you know someone’s experiences without having a clue. Oh the anonymity of the internet…

Won’t derail and entertain TopTroll any longer.

OP, wear the watch if you’re comfortable. Rolex watches are nearly as common as iPhones in NYC.

Thanks for the heads-up about Watch time, unfortunately we arrive 2 days late! :(

Missed a trick not wearing a GMT here.

You should go to a game of cricket, the fielders dont even wear gloves!

Good call, have always wanted to see a live cricket match.

Would likely be similar to my first time seeing rugby. I grew up watching American football, so to watch equivalent hitting without pads and better form tackling, that was great to see.

Reading some of the hysteria is comical.
People outside of TRF just wear them. Only in this small part of the word is there fear mongering.

Cricket is my favourite sport, when it comes down to a close match with few balls to go, in my opinion it’s the best sport in the world for tension and drama, but those instances are too infrequent unfortunately. I am off to The Oval in the summer with my eldest, it's been a tradition of ours for a few years now, it's in London and YES, I'll be wearing a Rolex!

I have a special appreciation for Rugby, but not really a regular watcher, it's a hard but very fair sport. The force and nature of the collisions are extreme, especially as you've pointed out the only protection they have is a gumshield. From what I understand, the 'hits' are more severe in American football, but I guess that is compensated by the protection being worn.

Philly is safe to wear your watches

I went to medical school in Philadelphia and live a very short drive from NYC. You're going to be fine either city. There are parts of Philadelphia I would not advertise that you are wearing a Rolex, but if you are in Center City, Old City, Rittenhouse (which are the main areas) you will be perfectly fine. Manhattan even moreso.

This is true in all major tourist vies in the world. Just wear it, but be alert.

Kat


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