Overview
- Freedom of Information data show 5,180 watches worth at least £3,000 were reported stolen in London from January 2022 to July 2025, with just 59 returned to owners.
- Kensington and Chelsea recorded 493 thefts over the period, followed by Westminster at 480 and Camden at 272, with increases reported in several outer boroughs.
- Metropolitan Police figures indicate just over 1% of offenders in these cases were charged or convicted, compared with 11% for robberies overall.
- Rolex is the top target with more than 1,700 pieces reported stolen since 2022, ahead of Cartier, Omega, Breitling, and Hublot.
- Police highlight international trafficking uncovered by Operation Echosteep, which disrupted a network moving up to 40,000 stolen phones overseas and yielded some watches, while industry sources cite a global market where pieces are resold or dismantled and losses topped £1.6bn in 2024.