Theft incidents on the rise

[Malren]

Hey everyone,

I know this was always an issue, but is it only me feeling that in the past year or two the number of incidents is just climbing?

I’m questioning myself, if the Watch companies (such as AP) are thinking about different ways to fight that (ingesting location sensors, or whatever)? Or not at all?
Any ideas of yours about how to protect yourself?
It’s just crazy, the videos i’m seeing, doesn’t seem you can do much. 2-3 armed people head up to you from all directions l, you got no choice but to just hand them the watch and let them go. Absurd!

[dawalsh]

Insurance. That’s all I do. I still wear mine most of the time. I live in the US and most places I travel to I think are very safe (well, that’s why we travel there right?). I take a trip to Europe annually with my business partner and his family, I started thinking about this more because I don’t want to put them in any dangerous or avoidable difficult situations. I’d still wear a watch but just not Rolex, AP or Patek. I don’t think watch companies think too much about these crimes.

[westoque]

The issue with crime is not related to watch companies at all, so I don’t see the watch companies doing anything different besides making watches.

Theft is a crime of opportunity, and when we give them this opportuniy, they will take it. The way to combat crime at least in places that are unsafe is to not make yourself a target. For example, I wouldn’t wear a shiny AP in the middle of La Rambla in Barcelona.

Just be smart and know when to wear your precious watches. I know in a perfect world we should be able to wear what we want wherever but in reality the world is not safe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[michaelodonnell123]

Originally Posted by westoque

The issue with crime is not related to watch companies at all, so I don’t see the watch companies doing anything different besides making watches.

Theft is a crime of opportunity, and when we give them this opportuniy, they will take it. The way to combat crime at least in places that are unsafe is to not make yourself a target. For example, I wouldn’t wear a shiny AP in the middle of La Rambla in Barcelona.

Just be smart and know when to wear your precious watches. I know in a perfect world we should be able to wear what we want wherever but in reality the world is not safe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Using your analogy of crime, does that also apply to car companies? Cell phones? They are proactive regarding crime by putting in measures to help deter theft. So why can't watch companies do the same? As for being 'smart' regarding when to wear your precious watches...everybody is smart until they have a gun pointing at them.

[Malren]

Originally Posted by michaelodonnell123

Using your analogy of crime, does that also apply to car companies? Cell phones? They are proactive regarding crime by putting in measures to help deter theft. So why can't watch companies do the same? As for being 'smart' regarding when to wear your precious watches...everybody is smart until they have a gun pointing at them.

Can’t agree more.

Also, I can tell you that it definitely demotivates me from purchasing new (expensive) pieces. So at some point it should start being an issue for the watch companies, as I assume i’m not the only one.

[Malren]

BTW, any idea how a boutique would act in case someone walks in with a watch that is indicated as stolen (can you even report a stolen watch to AP?) by looking up the serial number..

[GS93108]

Insurance and not being stupid is essentially it.

I’m not sure comparing to cars is at all relevant. Mechanical watches are anochronistic items of jewellery that really should have long ceased to exist, yet they do because of our fascination with miniature engineering and shiny toys. Not mocking the OP but it’s laughable to think that AP could/would put any sort of tracking into a watch when their movements aren’t exactly svelt and could stand to lose a bit of bulk. That said, AP like challenges and so maybe they have/are working on unique radio active isotopes that are trackable - the technology exists but it’s working life is probably measured in one full wind of a watch.

I for one like the fact that my watches have zero electronics and I’m far from a Luddite and owe my working life to technology.

All that said, I’m in the ‘give it up’ camp - a mugger can have whatever they like with no fight from me and my wife is under that same mandate.

[GS93108]

Originally Posted by michaelodonnell123

Using your analogy of crime, does that also apply to car companies? Cell phones? They are proactive regarding crime by putting in measures to help deter theft. So why can't watch companies do the same? As for being 'smart' regarding when to wear your precious watches...everybody is smart until they have a gun pointing at them.

Actually I think a lot of people are totally dumb and put themselves in harms way and I’d bet they would become pretty smart pretty quickly with a gun in their face…and I have a habit of being truculent, much to my wife’s displeasure.

[Cheutc]

doesn't help when people are flexing their watches and luxury goods on social media and how much those things cost

[dauster]

Originally Posted by michaelodonnell123

Using your analogy of crime, does that also apply to car companies? Cell phones? They are proactive regarding crime by putting in measures to help deter theft. So why can't watch companies do the same? As for being 'smart' regarding when to wear your precious watches...everybody is smart until they have a gun pointing at them.

watch companies barely do anything against flippers and the grey market - do you honestly think they will do anything against crimes with a microchip ?