Opinion: Is the rise in watch theft a real phenomenon or a media panic?

(watchpro.com) - Just because one doesn’t know personally any actual victims, is the wristwatch crime wave exaggerated? Is it merely fodder for the tabloids? Naturally, we hear about celebrities who were targeted, as they are inherently newsworthy. In the past year, boxer Amir Khan was robbed at gunpoint for his £72,000 pavé Franck Muller. More recently, F1 driver Charles Leclerc and Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish both had their Richard Mille watches stolen – and not one but two for Cavendish. These carry six-figure price tags, an indication that the thieves, organised or not, are no longer satisfied with more plentiful, less costly Rolexes, Pateks or Cartiers. Whether or not one has personal experience, directly or by acquaintance, of watch thefts, the problem has gone beyond only the police handling the monitoring. Aware of the impact these robberies have on their clients, elements in the industry are addressing the situation.