Overview

• The Mayfair jeweller said flaunting items like a gold Rolex in the capital makes wearers a target and urged people to be “smart” about what they show in public.
• Metropolitan Police figures cited in coverage report about 4,300 watches worth more than £3,000 stolen between January 2022 and March 2024, with only 57 recovered.
• A separate dataset reported by the Evening Standard says 29,000 watches were recorded stolen between 2019 and 2024, with roughly one in five thefts involving violence.
• Westminster was the most targeted borough for jewellery theft in 2023/24 with 1,596 reports, nearly double Kensington and Chelsea’s 810.
• Recent cases include a July killing in Knightsbridge during a reported attempted watch robbery, while public figures say they now avoid wearing conspicuous jewellery in the UK.