With so many stories of watch theft – especially when it comes to Rolex models – it is always a pleasure to hear some good news relating to missing timepieces.
Due to the global success of The Art Loss Register (ALR) – the leading due diligence provider for the art market, with the world’s largest private database of stolen art – it was a natural progression to create The Watch Register in 2015, with the aim of replicating ALR’s winning formula in the field of horology.
With watches being traded globally, privately run international databases can often be the only hope of identifying and recovering stolen timepieces. While there are several databases that record stolen property, the biggest external base where you can report a stolen watch and carry out a search on a timepiece is The Watch Register.
Currently, around 150,000 lost and stolen watches are registered each year, with pieces being removed from the list as they are recovered. At any one time, there are upwards of 80,000 watches on the database.
“We think that everyone, from owners to pawnbrokers and auction houses, should be able to trade with confidence in the used watch market,” says a spokesperson.
“The Watch Register database is supported by law enforcement and is unaffiliated with any manufacturers or merchants. It provides an unmatched service by fusing a 30-year history with specialised knowledge and cutting-edge technologies.”
Unsurprisingly, when his £30,000 rose-gold Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126715CHMR went missing, Rico Henry of Brentford FC ended up at The Watch Register.
As with so many other victims of watch theft, the timepiece went missing from Mr Henry’s pocket while he was staying in a central London hotel on March 19, 2023. He wasn’t sure where to go, but while asking around, one friend recommended The Watch Register and 12 days after the theft, at the beginning of April, he registered the missing watch with them.
It turns out that the watch had been ‘discovered’ on the floor of the hotel. Instead of handing it in, the finder had taken it to a pawnbroker who agreed to check it out on The Watch Register’s database.
On April 12, the pawnbroker matched the watch to one reported as stolen. The Watch Register got in touch with the pawnbroker right away and set up the watch’s retrieval and subsequent return to Mr Henry.
Delighted to have his timepiece recovered, Mr Henry collected it in person from The Watch Register in London. He stated at the time: “I am delighted with the service. The speed and efficiency motivated me to travel to The Watch Register’s headquarters and pick up the watch in person. It was quick, there was wonderful communication, and I’m very happy to have my watch back.”
Mr Henry’s watch is one of 64 that have been successfully recovered thus far in 2023. The current charge to register a stolen or lost watch with The Watch Register is £15 plus VAT.
Top tips from The Watch Register:
1. Take pictures of your watch to record all of its unique details.
Photograph the front, both sides and back, showing any unique serial numbers, specific marks or personalisation/engravings.
2. Photograph the box and paperwork that came with your watch.
This will remind you of exact serial numbers and price paid and will greatly assist police, retailers and insurance companies trying to recover your watch if it is stolen.
3. Email the photographs to yourself.
This will ensure that you have a permanent, dated record.
4. Always keep your watch paperwork separate from your watch.
It is harder for criminals to sell watches on without the paperwork and they are less tempting to steal if not readily re-sellable.
