Rise in cases of muggings of watches after Aled Jones' harrowing ordeal

27 January 2024 , 20:31

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Aled Jones, pictured on This Morning, was mugged in London by a gang demanding his £17,000 Rolex (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Around 10,000 people are mugged for their watches every year.

In the past five years, there were 49,854 victims – equal to some 27 a day. The problem is on the rise, from 9,450 cases in 2019 to 10,300 last year.

The figures were uncovered in a Freedom of Information request to police forces following a spate of high-profile thefts. Singer Aled Jones was mugged in London last year by a machete-wielding thug demanding his £17,000 Rolex.

Formula driver Lando Norris had his £144,000 Richard Mille watch stolen outside Wembley Stadium in 2021. And boxer Amir Khan had a £72,000 Frank Muller timepiece stolen at gunpoint in London in 2022.

Gangs often haunt wealthy London hot-spots, like Chelsea, South Kensington and Mayfair, to clock targets. Some 58% of all muggings for watches are in the capital but the problem is widespread across the UK.

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The most-wanted brands include Patek Philippe and Cartier. Those who wear convincing fakes are also falling victim to the criminals. And figures obtained by stolen watch database The Watch Register revealed that 13% of victims – over 6,000 – were injured in the robberies.

Managing director Katya Hills said: “Trading in stolen luxury watches is lucrative and safer for criminals than drugs. With a soaring demand for second-hand luxury watches, the use of violence by criminals to get their hands on prized timepieces is terrifying. Owners should keep their watches entirely hidden from view when in public spaces by, for example, hiding the watch under their sleeve.

“Our advice for anyone confronted by a thief willing to use violence to steal their watch is to just hand it over and rely on the police and The Watch Register’s expert recovery services to help them get their watch back.”

This month, the Metropolitan Police released details of a new operation to snare watch thieves. Undercover officers wore luxury timepieces and posed as members of the public in robbery hotspots.

The ruse resulted in 31 arrests and 27 successful charges, leading to 21 convictions. So far, 14 offenders have been sentenced to a combined 26 years, with other cases pending.

Stian Alexander