"The issue of watch crime is a growing public concern which is impacting consumer confidence. A crowded and fragmented market with multiple registration sites is unhelpful. It significantly increases the chances of a stolen watch not being pick up as a trader may search a different database," reports The Watch Register. (Credit: amh1988 via Wikimedia Commons)
The Watch Register was founded in 2014 and has grown to be the largest international database of lost or stolen watches. The company's 10-year annual report found a 236% rise in unique serial number registrations in the last year alone, with the total value of missing timepieces amounting to more than €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion).
The average value of these stolen watches ranges from €10,000 to €20,000, according to the report. Rolex is by far the most commonly stolen watch, with Metropolitan Police reporting 48.9% of stolen watches in London between January and September in 2021 and 2022 were Rolexes.
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