Rolex Boutique Robbed!!!

[regnant]

Sometimes, I regret to say this Hollywood crap happens as epicted in the movies. I think Hollywood directors or producers don't exaggerate the things as this terrible incidents occur

[Dyim]

Another reason to buy from trusted sellers or AD, not any Joe Blow on eBay.

[dysondiver]

maybe time rolex published its stolen list ,,, help kill the resale value ,,, glad no one was hurt.

[Sublover2166]

This is happening all over the country. Here in the D.C. area, many stores have been hit resulting in millions of dollars of Rolex watches stolen. Have not heard of any recovered either or no people caught and arrested. I am sure these stolen watches probably end up on the streets in NYC or some other type of city.

[Keith1]

Originally Posted by dysondiver

maybe time rolex published its stolen list ,,, help kill the resale value ,,, glad no one was hurt.

+1. A list of serial numbers on all stolen Rolex's should be put out for the public to see!

[vitalsignsrn]

What a shame. Unfortunately, these employees aren't going to forget this that easily. Glad no one got hurt. :-(

[rc51matt]

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

This is happening all over the country. Here in the D.C. area, many stores have been hit resulting in millions of dollars of Rolex watches stolen. Have not heard of any recovered either or no people caught and arrested. I am sure these stolen watches probably end up on the streets in NYC or some other type of city.

I was just in my local AD in Columbia, MD yesturday to pick up some links & they had blankets over 2 cases. Asked the sales person what happened & said on 1/5/15 the same as Tom described about the Florida robbery. 3 guys with hoodies & sledge hammer. Seems pretty brazen to go into a crowded mall and do something like that.

[cathy liebchen]

The crew that hit the Mayors at Lenox in ATL was caught in less than a month, then the ring leader killed himself in Fed lockup. Sales staff still nervous as a cat in there a year later

[jonnyz1245]

Originally Posted by flw

BTW ... Do you ever notice that Rolex is the only brand that gets stolen like this? You never hear about big, brazen robberies of Patek Philippe, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, Omega, IWC, or whatever. Thugs are one-trick ponies.

Not true at all. AP, Panerai, and IWC have all been stolen this way all over the Caribbean and Europe for years. Just last year 4+ stores on different islands got robbed in smash and grabs. Not a Rolex dealer among them. In one theft they took 250K in AP alone.

[1995akcoop]

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

This is happening all over the country. Here in the D.C. area, many stores have been hit resulting in millions of dollars of Rolex watches stolen. Have not heard of any recovered either or no people caught and arrested. I am sure these stolen watches probably end up on the streets in NYC or some other type of city.

Im in the DC area too and you are right, this is happening a lot in our area but I never hear a follow up story. Are they catching these guys or what? Lets be real, they are not the smartest. I would assume fox5 or the Post would let us know if any of these rings have been busted by now

[DKRanger22]

Were the Florida suspects ever I.D.'d and found, or still on the loose?

[kneedeep]

I expect ADs may start displaying a smaller number of watches in their stores, especially PM models, and retrieve models from safekeeping for buyers to inspect. Not surprised if insurance companies start requiring this if these type of losses continue. Shame, glad no one was hurt.

[Slider817]

Something I just found out, I'm sure many of you are already aware of this. I went to the FP Journe boutique to try on some watches and I asked to see the Rose Gold Centigraph I'm the window, they told me its a dummy, they have replica versions of their watches to keep in the window and for customers to try on, I always wondered how these super expensive watches were kept in the window over night. Additionally, I also wondered how the boutique had so many watches in stock especially some very hard to get models, now I know.

Anyone know if Rolex uses display dummies?

[flw]

I stand corrected ... I hadn't heard about the thefts in Europe or the Caribbean. Maybe it's just in the US, or maybe similar thefts of IWC, AP, et al just don't get reported in the news as much.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Slider817

Something I just found out, I'm sure many of you are already aware of this. I went to the FP Journe boutique to try on some watches and I asked to see the Rose Gold Centigraph I'm the window, they told me its a dummy, they have replica versions of their watches to keep in the window and for customers to try on, I always wondered how these super expensive watches were kept in the window over night. Additionally, I also wondered how the boutique had so many watches in stock especially some very hard to get models, now I know.

Anyone know if Rolex uses display dummies?

Weird I had not seen this practice before in NYC. Have tried on RM, Lange, Patek, Journe etc and never had someone tell me no that's a dummy.

Typically in Manhattan they have security at the door that will buzz you in and sometimes out.

Just tried on and inspected a chronometer optimum through a loup a month back right out of the case, same with a RM Rafa and Lange double split (in window on Madison ave)

[sak335]

Local AD in King of Prussia, PA mall has been robbed so many times that they now have an armed guard on duty at all hours. Shame really, but hope it's effective.

[dennywags]

I am sure the insurance company is glad it happened before the impending price increase.

All jokes aside, I'm glad no one was hurt.

[Slider817]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Weird I had not seen this practice before in NYC. Have tried on RM, Lange, Patek, Journe etc and never had someone tell me no that's a dummy.

Typically in Manhattan they have security at the door that will buzz you in and sometimes out.

Just tried on and inspected a chronometer optimum through a loup a month back right out of the case, same with a RM Rafa and Lange double split (in window on Madison ave)

I saw and held them at the NYC Journe boutique two weeks ago, they are obviously dummy watches as they just look authentic and if you turn them over there is no movement and it's just gold plated.

They just leave them in the window, and have a few in storage for people to try on a model that they don't have in stock.

[rc51matt]

Most high end AD's of anything around here have armed guards at them but I guess that didn't stop the recent robbery here. I know they had one there when I was in but I'm also pretty sure they also had a guy there in the past. I think the only problem with an armed guard is that most of them are not off duty officers around here. One AD around me has the goofiest looking guy in front of their store who is always chatting cute girls and never paying attention to the people who walk into the store. Every time I go in I just think that dude is clueless and I'd fire him if I owned the place. In MD the laws state you cannot protect property only life. I think some thugs may know that a rent a cop isn't gonna really do anything. Not saying it's not a good deturant but maybe until one of them stops a hold up the bad guys may still believe there push overs?

[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by Georg

It's a smash & grab, and the police answer with a full active shooter response. That's the dangerous part! Good thing no one was hurt.

What happens to the AD? Does insurance cover it, minus a deductible? What are we talking, a $2000 loss?

Insurance will cover it, but inventory replacement is almost always a problem. Watches will be received from other Mayor's Rolex Boutiques and their corporate office in Tamarac. Smash and grabs happen at these stores way more often than reported. The only reason this one made the news is because gunshots were reported and the police responded as if it was an active shooter/hostage situation.

Those guys sure picked a stupid time though. The holiday season just ended a week ago and inventory is depleted. I was just in that store with my girlfriend on 1/2/15. Aside from some temporary glass and a lot of empty Rolex cases, you would never guess anything happened. Not sure what those guys got away with, but that store did have a paved platinum DD as well as the platinum Daytona i posted pictures of last week, so they likely made off with a bunch of stainless steel as their precious metal inventory did not appear depleted at all.

[Rags]

Glad no one was hurt.. The watches are insured.

[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by dysondiver

maybe time rolex published its stolen list ,,, help kill the resale value ,,, glad no one was hurt.

Unfortunately this will never happen as for as long as the watches are missing it is considered to be privileged information that is part of an active criminal investigation.

This is one of those things where common sense and buying the seller prevails. If someone is offering you a brand new platinum DayDate II with no box or other accessories for $10,000 or so, it is likely something you should walk away from. It's unfortunate that innocent people fall victim to buying stolen merchandise as if one of those watches is ever sent to Rolex for any reason, it will ultimately be returned to the owner which at that point would be the insurance company that paid the claim and the buyer is out his money and the watch. Thank goodness for trusted sellers on sites like these where at least the vast majority of that risk is mitigated.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Roger1079

Unfortunately this will never happen as for as long as the watches are missing it is considered to be privileged information that is part of an active criminal investigation.

This is one of those things where common sense and buying the seller prevails. If someone is offering you a brand new platinum DayDate II with no box or other accessories for $10,000 or so, it is likely something you should walk away from. It's unfortunate that innocent people fall victim to buying stolen merchandise as if one of those watches is ever sent to Rolex for any reason, it will ultimately be returned to the owner which at that point would be the insurance company that paid the claim and the buyer is out his money and the watch. Thank goodness for trusted sellers on sites like these where at least the vast majority of that risk is mitigated.

I think this should always ring alarm bells.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Slider817

I saw and held them at the NYC Journe boutique two weeks ago, they are obviously dummy watches as they just look authentic and if you turn them over there is no movement and it's just gold plated.

They just leave them in the window, and have a few in storage for people to try on a model that they don't have in stock.

Interesting, I must have been given a real one then as I was using a loup. This was not in the window but instead in a case inside.

Hell cellini on madison must have a few million in the front window.

[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by AK797

I think this should always ring alarm bells.

That was an extreme example, but it got the point across. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it usually always is. There are exceptions to this but they are usually attached to a believable story instead of the usual "my friend gave me this watch and I want to sell it".

[997.2]

3 black teens in hoodies robbed my local AD with sledgehammers last week... Edward Arthur in MD

[cathy liebchen]

Originally Posted by 1995akcoop

Im in the DC area too and you are right, this is happening a lot in our area but I never hear a follow up story. Are they catching these guys or what? Lets be real, they are not the smartest. I would assume fox5 or the Post would let us know if any of these rings have been busted by now

the Mayor's ATL robber said in his confession he liked to steal Rolex's and Breitlings as well-