WE’RE CALLING TIME ON WATCH CRIME
Watchfinder & Co. commits to breaking the cycle between watch theft and resale
Luxury watch theft continues to surge. According to the New York Times, watch robberies in Los Angeles more than doubled in 2022. And this isn’t just a US problem … more than 81,000 luxury watches having been stolen in the UK since 2018 and the UK police have just reported a 41% increase in watch crime over the last 12 months. It’s a similar story in Paris—their police force reported a 31% rise in watch theft last year.
With this in mind Watchfinder & Co. has launched a campaign to help tackle watch crime—for good. Consisting of two simple steps, the campaign looks to make it much harder for thieves to sell on stolen watches, breaking the cycle between watch theft and re-sale, and ultimately making it a far less profitable and appealing crime to commit.
What you can do:
STEP ONE: Register your watch(es) immediately. There is a new, free of charge, digital platform called Enquirus which was designed in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, jewellery manufacturers and the pre-owned watch market where you can register, declare and search for lost and stolen watches and jewellery securely. For more information visit www.enquirus.com.
STEP TWO: Only buy from a trusted retailer or seller who checks and authenticates all their stock as standard.
“It is disturbing to see the rate at which watch thefts have been rising globally. At Watchfinder & Co., we’re hoping to break the cycle between theft and re-sale by encouraging all customers to register their timepieces, as well as inspire all other pre-owned retailers to implement thorough checking processes for their stock. With these steps in place, we can help ensure the pre-owned sector is a safe and trustworthy place to shop. At Watchfinder & Co., we believe in the value of purchasing pre-owned, and pride ourselves on the procedures we’ve developed to provide customers with authentic timepieces they can treasure. With crime on the rise, it’s more important now than ever to purchase from trusted retailers. If considering a pre-owned purchase, do your research and check the retailer has thorough processes in place to trace and authenticate stock to give you peace of mind”. - Arjen van de Vall, CEO at Watchfinder & Co.
The fight against watch crime begins here.
