The Met are dedicated to chasing posh watch thieves.

I googled Rolex. The first watch up cost £95k, the second £6k!

If I walked round town waving £6k in notes and got robbed, wouldn't people and police imply I deserved it. What's the difference?

We don't know what the money from these expensive watches is being used for - drugs/ weapons smuggling? I don't agree that sex crimes are 'routinely' committed by policemen. There have been incidences but hardly routine.

An old schoolfriend of dh living in fairly central London actually had a p/t retirement job, delivering such watches from shop to customer. He would drive his oldish, very ordinary car, so not at all an obvious target.

I heard this being discussed on the radio this morning. The watch thieves are not the only ones being targeted by undercover officers as there are also female officers putting themselves in danger,in the line of duty, to catch sex offenders. Organised crime gang activity is not trivial. It is not only watches that they are after.

I found this article www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/luxury-watch-robberies-police-undercover-b1132741.html#:~:text=An%20undercover%20police%20operation%20in,from%20the%20%22sting%22%20operation.

This is just one of the Met’s undercover teams, so they are hardly ‘dedicated’ to, or giving priority to, preventing the theft of expensive watches. Evidently it’s proving successful in preventing violent thefts around nightclubs in the West End. As AGA says, this type of theft is probably tied up with other crimes. These watches can be worth huge amounts.

I too would take issue with the statement that police officers ‘routinely’ commit sex crimes.

Why can’t we have anything nice?

How is an expensive watch any different to the diamonds that a lot of us women wear on our fingers?
My husband doesn’t wear jewellery but has an expensive watch he bought with some of his Mothers legacy.
I don’t see how a watch can be flashed around any more or less than an engagement ring.

As GSM says, it’s about the gangs and their other activities.

Totally agree Sago I feel naked without my watch, when a looky looky man noticed it abroad once, I replied yes it’s a good fake purchased from your friend down the road…

What a strange way of looking at crime Chardy, to blame the victim
Police officers are not ‘routinely sex offender’
OCGs are very dangerous criminals and it’s good to see attempts to disrupt abd even arrest them

Oops, our family watches are not fake by the way.

mae13

Scotland Yard have formed a covert team whose aim is to prevent the growing theft of Rolex, Cartier and other very expensives watches. We have escalating knife crime, highly organised shoplifting gangs, domestic violence and to top it all sex crimes routinely committed against women by police officers themselves.
But, apparently, thieves targetting flashy wrist watches has got priority.....

A very simplistic outlook on what is actually happening.Anyway,hope you realise that some of the people that are robbed by these thugs are also injured.

I always remember a very well known radio presenter (Derek?) saying he always wore a fake Rolex because everyone would assume it was real. I like his thinking!

He might impress people with the fake Rolex but the muggers will target him nevertheless.

It should be possible to go out to dinner, theatre or wherever wearing what you want without having to worry about being mugged by a minion of an OCG.

I agree. I have a lovely Omega which was a 50th birthday present from my husband and he has had a solid gold one for many years. We both wear our nice watches when we go out and I wear mine every day. Why should we not do so just because these people (see photos in article I posted and make your minds up) would like to rob us, maybe with violence, to make money for drugs?

An expensive watch is not necessarily flashy, in fact, quite the opposite, people only 'flash' watches when they want to impress, and that often means they are fake.

Theft is theft, whether the victim is homeless or lives in a mansion, and the people who steal their goods are thieves and should be arrested and imprisoned.

Totally agree with Germanshepherdsmum and M0nica

Catching the posh watch thieves is good. I hope the Met will be as assiduous in catching those who knowingly falsely prosecuted the subpostmasters. They are talking about a two year investigation after the public inquiry reports. The media circus will have moved on by then.

Cartier are £2,500-£250,000! Of course a watch is far more important than animal abuse, child abuse, rape etc. Couldn't expect anything less from the police!

This is not the only undercover team they are operating. Are you not concerned about what the criminal fraternity are doing with the proceeds of selling these watches on?

GrannyGravy13

It should be possible to go out to dinner, theatre or wherever wearing what you want without having to worry about being mugged by a minion of an OCG.

I agree, violent street crime is frightening and the value of the item stolen is irrelevant. We should all be able to wear what jewellery we like, use our phone or whatever without risk of attack, and I don't agree with the implication that 'posh watch wearers' somehow are less of a victim. I too have a valuable watch, bought for me as combined gift from DH, DS, DD and my late DM, and I should be able to wear it when and where I wish.

GrannyGravy13

Oops, our family watches are not fake by the way.

You didn't buy them from that nice man who strolls along the beach then?
I did, thought it was a genuine Cartier 😲

Callistemon21

GrannyGravy13

Oops, our family watches are not fake by the way.

You didn't buy them from that nice man who strolls along the beach then?
I did, thought it was a genuine Cartier 😲

🤣🤣🤣

That made me laugh, my sister had a glass or two of sangria last year and ended up buying a mulberry purse and handbag, her husband and I found it hilarious as she had genuine ones at home…

You should watch the video of the violent gang of thieves that have been arrested. The photo shows who they are.

Would it have been ok if the watches were less valuable?

Theexwife

You should watch the video of the violent gang of thieves that have been arrested. The photo shows who they are.

Would it have been ok if the watches were less valuable?

No robbing people and threatening/using violence is never acceptable.

The thugs should get a proper job and if they desire nice things save up and buy them legitimately