Rolex Tops List of World's $1.3bn Stolen Watches
August 30, 23
(IDEX Online) - More than $1.3bn of luxury watches were reported as stolen or lost in 2022, according to The Watch Register, as thefts surge by 60 per cent.
The London-based company holds a database of almost 80,000 missing timepieces. It says almost half (44 per cent) are Rolex.
Daytona, GMT and Oyster Perpetual models are the most-stolen because demand exceeds supply and secondary market prices are high.
Omega is the second most-stolen brand at seven per cent, followed by Breitling, TAG Heuer and Cartier.
The Watch Register, which helps owners, auction houses and dealers identify stolen timepieces for a fee, registered an additional 6,815 watches, last year, an increase of 60 per cent on the previous year.
"The considerable value and prestige of these high-end timepieces continues to attract the attention of sophisticated and international criminal networks, making them a prime target for theft," said managing director Katya Hills in a statement.
Daytona pic, courtesy Rolex