Crossing the busy plaza, watch stolen of wrist...

[locutus49]

Jeez, I've been all over the world wearing Rolex and never had the slightest fear of theft. Maybe thieves can tell if you are scared and a good target or something.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by dmash

'europe is doomed' because there's theft in 3 of the most well visited/known cities in Europe (not to mention 2 of them have 2million+ actual inhabitants on top of everything? can't tell if you're actually serious that's the equivalent of saying the US is 'doomed' because you know of an occurrence of somebody getting carjacked in Los Angeles

Do you want me to tell you the list of people I know seriously attacked in Paris?
Won't say all, basically everyone I know, but the biggest ones:
A girlfriend got forced off the street by 2 guys, and raped for hours, they caught them.
2 friends got stabbed, on different occasions, perps didn't get caught, one almost died from loss of blood, the other one got liver and intestines touched, he had to undergo many operations, a friend of my parents got killed in a car jacking, I was mugged 2 times, once for a jacket, one for a pack of cigarettes, the guy asks me one, I take one out, he starts to pull on the pack, I pull back until I feel something on my stomach, was a 10 inch blade, I gave him the smokes.
A friend of mine was killed shot in the head with a shotgun in his home by burglars.
Oh and a lady in our street, 10 minutes walk from Arch of Triumph, so not shitty neighborhood, got her face cut up by a guy trying to steal her bag, except for her, knew the others personally, but her it was in my street, had to include her... And left many out, like all the muggings without violence, just put serious ones...

And that's only the most serious ones, and ones involving me, might forget 1 or 2, still think I am joking or not serious?

[lapince]

Oh and by the way, all of this happening in very respectable neighborhoods of Paris, not bad ones...

[dmash]

I can understand occurrences happening (it's inevitable with any large city) but that seems utterly ridiculous in my opinion. That's awful if true, but it's INSANELY out of the ordinary for that many occurrences to happen to yourself and close others. Throughout my life I've lived around some areas of Tampa/St. Pete and Miami (consistently both make the top 10 most dangerous cities in the US) that make Paris look like a cakewalk, and I've RARELY had problems. and unlike Paris, everybody has a gun in Florida. Not trying to turn this into a contest with you, but your personal history with theft is an extreme, extreme, extreme outlier. The majority of individuals in the modern western world never have any of those happen, not even one time. Not travelling alone at night and especially not being under the influence at 12-3am greatly helps in preventing most theft. Honestly that's when almost everybody I've ever known has gotten mugged.

FWIW I do think Paris isn't the safest of cities, I just think it's a little farfetched to claim all of Europe is doomed based on that. Just my opinion, we can always agree to disagree. Here's to hoping your luck changes though

[lapince]

Originally Posted by dmash

I can understand occurrences happening (it's inevitable with any large city) but that seems utterly ridiculous in my opinion. That's awful if true, but it's INSANELY out of the ordinary for that many occurrences to happen to yourself and close others. Throughout my life I've lived around some areas of Tampa/St. Pete and Miami that make Paris look like a cakewalk, and I've RARELY had problems. and unlike Paris, everybody has a gun in Florida. Not trying to turn this into a contest with you, but your personal history with theft is an extreme, extreme, extreme outlier. The majority of people never in the modern western world never have any of those happen even one time.

Here's to hoping your luck changes

Believe me 100% is true, I am not a liar. Anyways I can't really discuss the reasons of these vicious attacks as it would go against forum principles I think, about me I have been violently mugged 2 other times, but not in Paris, not even in France, last time was this January 7th, at 4 in the morning, had been to a club with friends, took a taxi home, after that don't remember anything, woke up 3 hours later in front of my building door, in a pool of blood, broken nose, concussion, these idiots stealed my Vuitton card holder with 100 bucks in it, my iphone, but not my 5167R, they didn't even check. Anyways pretty bad beating since I have no recollection of what happened, my head was like a pumpkin for a few days, but it wasn't painful at all, really zero pain, just head was turning like crazy when I was getting up and staying up for 1 month, since then I am fine, the other time was 15 years ago in Riga, got mugged for a mobile phone, sale thing, had a 2000$ Cartier ring, they didn't take it...

[dmash]

*added some to my previous response shortly after posting.




That's seriously horrible Arnaud, I was being sincere with hoping your luck improves. Happy to hear it never resulted in serious violence to yourself. Have to say, I hope you got a laugh out of the fact that they were so stupid they didn't take a Patek

[tng11]

To add an anecdote:

I travel a lot and I've been violently mugged exactly twice, once in Brussels and once in Copenhagen. Both happened in broad daylight, both after withdrawing money from a cash machine. In the Copenhagen mugging, I had my Apple Watch and laptop in my backpack taken as well, and was sent to the hospital with a massive gash on my face.

Just personally, I wouldn't feel safe wearing a Rolex (or any fine watch) in Europe for that matter. I've just heard too many anecdotes of people being violently robbed for their watches (a well known member on another forum was recently violently mugged for his AP in Barcelona recently.) However, I felt totally safe wearing my Rolex Submariner when I was in Bali and Bangkok last month. I also feel safe wearing anything in downtown Toronto and Hong Kong (both of my home bases.)

[lapince]

Originally Posted by dmash

*added some to my previous response shortly after posting.




That's seriously horrible Arnaud, I was being sincere with hoping your luck improves. Happy to hear it never resulted in serious violence to yourself. Have to say, I hope you got a laugh out of the fact that they were so stupid they didn't take a Patek

yeah but at the beginning I flipped, because I went up to my door, my wife opens, saw my face and was horrified, to be honest until I saw myself in the mirror, didn't even know I had been attacked, saw the pool of blood going to the hospital. So I go to bed, my aunt insisted I get an x ray, so we go, I sleep once home, and when I wake up I don't see the watch on my wrost or on the table near the bed, and thought "crap they took it" was pissed, but after got to know my wife had taken it off my wrost and stowed it away. Of course these idiots stealing all except a 30k PP, was quite funny.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by tng11

To add an anecdote:

I travel a lot and I've been violently mugged exactly twice, once in Brussels and once in Copenhagen. Both happened in broad daylight, both after withdrawing money from a cash machine. In the Copenhagen mugging, I had my Apple Watch and laptop in my backpack taken as well, and was sent to the hospital with a massive gash on my face.

Just personally, I wouldn't feel safe wearing a Rolex (or any fine watch) in Europe for that matter. I've just heard too many anecdotes of people being violently robbed for their watches (a well known member on another forum was recently violently mugged for his AP in Barcelona recently.) However, I felt totally safe wearing my Rolex Submariner when I was in Bali and Bangkok last month. I also feel safe wearing anything in downtown Toronto and Hong Kong (both of my home bases.)

Yep, exactly my point, Brussels and Copenhagen, 2 other european capitals, Europe is far, far from being safe, maybe not South Africa, but still...

[texex91]

Originally Posted by tng11

To add an anecdote:

I travel a lot and I've been violently mugged exactly twice, once in Brussels and once in Copenhagen. Both happened in broad daylight, both after withdrawing money from a cash machine. In the Copenhagen mugging, I had my Apple Watch and laptop in my backpack taken as well, and was sent to the hospital with a massive gash on my face.

Just personally, I wouldn't feel safe wearing a Rolex (or any fine watch in Europe for that matter.) However, I felt totally safe wearing my Rolex Submariner when I was in Bali last month.

Traveling around the world it's all about common sense and being aware of your surroundings (staying at the right places/resorts with their own cars, traveling private transport, not being so intoxicated, etc, etc). Never had any issues anywhere.

Agree with Bali. No issues with RM even...

[lapince]

Originally Posted by texex91

Traveling around the world it's all about common sense and being aware of your surroundings (staying at the right places/resorts with their own cars, traveling private transport, not being so intoxicated, etc, etc). Never had any issues anywhere.

Agree with Bali. No issues with RM even...

Sure I agree, but not everyone can do like you say, many need to take buses and metro, and the violent attacks I talked about were in good Paris neighborhoods, most in day time, a few at night, and no intoxication whatsoever, neither for me nor for the people I know who were attacked. Ok when I got my nose broken January 7th 2017, I was intoxicated, had I not been I might have noticed guys waiting in the street when the taxi arrived in front of my home, or maybe they were inside the parking entrance as the gate had a problem at that moment and they could have gotten in, in that case I couldn't have done anything, intoxicated or not...

[lapince]

So apart from having 1-2 bodyguards, no way these could have been prevented

[texex91]

Originally Posted by lapince

Sure I agree, but not everyone can do like you say, many need to take buses and metro, and the violent attacks I talked about were in good Paris neighborhoods, most in day time, a few at night, and no intoxication whatsoever, neither for me nor for the people I know who were attacked. Ok when I got my nose broken January 7th 2017, I was intoxicated, had I not been I might have noticed guys waiting in the street when the taxi arrived in front of my home, or maybe they were inside the parking entrance as the gate had a problem at that moment and they could have gotten in, in that case I couldn't have done anything, intoxicated or not...

Well you live in the super safe city of Odessa now, so no worries I'm sure.

I've visited Paris probably 20 times--no issues.

Now, do I feel more comfortable anywhere anytime in Singapore--yep. In Paris, no.

[tng11]

Originally Posted by texex91

Traveling around the world it's all about common sense and being aware of your surroundings (staying at the right places/resorts with their own cars, traveling private transport, not being so intoxicated, etc, etc). Never had any issues anywhere.

Agree with Bali. No issues with RM even...

I agree in part. In the Brussels incident I should not have taken the Metro after arriving on the Eurostar from London - Gare du Midi is simply not safe once you exit the Eurostar areas.

However, I was living in Copenhagen at the time, and the mugging occurred right in the city centre, next to the National Museum at 10am on a Saturday morning. Lots of witnesses around, but no one did anything and just watched as I was being attacked (my boxing skills were no match vs a knife and 3 guys).

In Toronto there are certain areas where I wouldn't wear an expensive watch, but that's because it's just common sense. In Hong Kong, I pretty much feel safe wearing a watch of any value, at almost any time of day.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by tng11

I agree in part. In the Brussels incident I should not have taken the Metro after arriving on the Eurostar from London - Gare du Midi is simply not safe once you exit the Eurostar areas.

However, I was living in Copenhagen at the time, and the mugging occurred right in the city centre, next to the National Museum at 10am on a Saturday morning. Lots of witnesses around, but no one did anything and just watched as I was being attacked (my boxing skills were no match vs a knife and 3 guys).

I'm, sorry but this just makes me have to ask.......why would 3 guys, single you out mid morning with an abundance (and other potential targets) all around? Are you flaunting a ton of jewellery? Just makes no sense unless they were CERTAIN of a good score. Practically no thief is going to attack u at knifepoint with witnesses all around in the middle of the day, to potentially take a 50€ Seiko and 20€.....

[tng11]

Originally Posted by dmash

I'm, sorry but this just makes me have to ask.......why would 3 guys, single you out mid morning with an abundance (and other potential targets) all around?

I really have no idea. It wasn't like I was withdrawing a huge amount of cash either (only about $300 USD). I have a feeling ethnicity might have had something to do with it - I looked like an Asian tourist who would have other valuables with them (in my case, it was a rather new Macbook).

[AK797]

Just heard a hip hop track and Patek Philippe mentioned in it. Giggs with Sexy.
Maybe these are going to get more well known.

I just brought a 9 to protect me (my safety)
I got a Rollie, need a Patek Philippe
And I use my wrist more than she could text me
Big gun extended clip, Glock, Glock, Glock thirty

[dmash]

To me, this is all quite nutty to be honest.

I'm in my late 20's and have done some pretty extensive travelling in the past 10 years, including a ton of late night intoxicated days. and this was when I didn't have money for private transfers, the best hotels, etc. So one can say I've been around some seedy areas. Not one time, in my entire travel history, encountered a single serious problem. Sure, I've had to pay off crooked cops in Jamaica, deal with junkies around the metro at 4a in Berlin or have the bus break down in Mexico.....but nothing serious ever comes of it.

Knock on wood I guess.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by texex91

Well you live in the super safe city of Odessa now, so no worries I'm sure.

I've visited Paris probably 20 times--no issues.

Now, do I feel more comfortable anywhere anytime in Singapore--yep. In Paris, no.

Lol, no place in the world is super safe.

Well I shouldn't say it here, but in Paris we have certain elements of certain populations, won't say which, some came 40-50 years ago, others just a few years, easy to figure out, some are specialized in mugging/moped crimes, others are in pick pocketing, our judicial system is so lax, that even foreigners come, from ex Yougoslavia for high profile jewelry/watch robberies. Our jails are like 2 star hotels and anyways they don't get long sentences, because we have a majority current in judicial, which considers the criminals as "victims of society", not joking, if you speak and read french google it you will find tons on that.

Of course I was attacked in Odessa 1 time in 14 years, at 4am, intoxicated, doesn't really count IMO, other than that no problem and don't know anyone who ever had, here if you don't F... with the wrong people, you are much safer than Paris.

In Paris often you have guys stabbed to death because they refused to give 1 cigarette...

And yes I agree that any asian city is much safer than any european capital.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by texex91

Well you live in the super safe city of Odessa now, so no worries I'm sure.

I've visited Paris probably 20 times--no issues.

Now, do I feel more comfortable anywhere anytime in Singapore--yep. In Paris, no.

Originally Posted by dmash

To me, this is all quite nutty to be honest.

I'm in my late 20's and have done some pretty extensive travelling in the past 10 years, including a ton of late night intoxicated days. and this was when I didn't have money for private transfers, the best hotels, etc. So one can say I've been around some seedy areas. Not one time, in my entire travel history, encountered a single serious problem. Sure, I've had to pay off crooked cops in Jamaica, deal with junkies around the metro at 4a in Berlin or have the bus break down in Mexico.....but nothing serious ever comes of it.

Knock on wood I guess.

Yeah knock on wood. Will tell you that from 20 to 30 I also traveled the world and every time I went to the ghettos at least 1-2 times for a few hours, wanted tonsee how it was, lived in DC for 9 years, never would have done it there, Mauritius, Carabian islands, North Africa, etc, but never the crazy ones like favelas in South America, South Africa, etc, never a single problem, only the ones I cited, attacked 4 times, 2 in Paris, 1 Riga, 1 Odessa. Just be careful, and luck plays a good part as well...

[tamiya]

Originally Posted by dmash

I'm in my late 20's and have done some pretty extensive travelling in the past 10 years, including a ton of late night intoxicated days. and this was when I didn't have money for private transfers, the best hotels, etc. So one can say I've been around some seedy areas. Not one time, in my entire travel history, encountered a single serious problem. Sure, I've had to pay off crooked cops in Jamaica, deal with junkies around the metro at 4a in Berlin or have the bus break down in Mexico.....but nothing serious ever comes of it.

Were you travelling wearing a flashy recognisable wristwatch all those 10yrs though?

Trust me, when you're a stranger people/locals notice what you're wearing.

Especially if they make it their BUSINESS to notice what you're wearing.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by tamiya

Were you travelling wearing a flashy recognisable wristwatch all those 10yrs though?

Trust me, when you're a stranger people/locals notice what you're wearing.

Especially if they make it their BUSINESS to notice what you're wearing.

Yep, when i was going in pretty bad places on my trips, had nothing fancy, no clothes and zero watch, started getting into luxury items around 30, 100% sure would have had serious problems with luxury items on me...

[dmash]

Originally Posted by tamiya

Were you travelling wearing a flashy recognisable wristwatch all those 10yrs though?

Trust me, when you're a stranger people/locals notice what you're wearing.

Especially if they make it their BUSINESS to notice what you're wearing.

Fair point.

Still kind of think it's not the wristwatch that makes one an easy target but moreso the actual person. I'm constantly aware of my surroundings and even while sightseeing don't get 100% consumed. Plus, with my travel buddies or wife, we always sort of look out for each other. Some people will say they got their wallet picked in a city, but then had a camera around their neck, walking around lackidazical and wallet was in their back pocket. Sorry, but in a case like that you are exploiting yourself as an easy target.

[KarlS]

Originally Posted by lapince

Yep, when i was going in pretty bad places on my trips, had nothing fancy, no clothes and zero watch, started getting into luxury items around 30, 100% sure would have had serious problems with luxury items on me...

I think its the no clothes that scared them off

[lapince]

Originally Posted by dmash

Fair point.

Still kind of think it's not the wristwatch that makes one an easy target but moreso the actual person. I'm constantly aware of my surroundings and even while sightseeing don't get 100% consumed. Plus, with my travel buddies or wife, we always sort of look out for each other. Some people will say they got their wallet picked in a city, but then had a camera around their neck, walking around lackidazical and wallet was in their back pocket. Sorry, but in a case like that you are exploiting yourself as an easy target.

Oh so you traveled in company? I used to travel alone, much better to meet people, ok chicks, so if you are in company it's a little different, but never had a problem on my trips...

Originally Posted by KarlS

I think its the no clothes that scared them off

meant no luxury clothes of course, though did spend 15 days in Cap D'agde, nudist camp, biggest in the world I think, in France for sure, funny in day time was mostly middle aged or old people, at night in bars and clubs, full of hot chicks, was insane... of course all this was way before I married, was 16 years ago

[dmash]

Originally Posted by lapince

Oh so you traveled in company? I used to travel alone, much better to meet people, ok chicks, so if you are in company it's a little different, but never had a problem on my trips...

Yeah, I never travelled that well alone. Did it a few times but it was always way more fun with at least a good friend tagging along. Maybe I'm not extroverted enough to spark a ton of random conversations.


And no more meeting girls for me, I got married

[Soly20]

Originally Posted by AK797

Sorry to hear that, mate. How did it happen? I presume they knew what is was?

The problem is that i didn't realize it was stolen until I left the hotel. I thnk it was stolen from my hotel. i returned to the hotel around 6 weeks later but they toldme the security cam HD autodeletes every 30 days. There was no way to find out who took it.

I was in paris!!! In a 5 star hotel! WTF!

An no It was not insured

I am sure they knew what it was.

I filed a police report and informed Patek.

Patek contacted me 2 days ago and told me they got a request for an extract for my watch! They said they will be contacting the French police.

Once my watch got stolen, I got turned off watches altogether. I wanted to sell everything but I got over it now.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Soly20

Patek contacted me 2 days ago and told me they got a request for an extract for my watch! They said they will be contacting the French police.

Thats great news. Hopefully you can get it back

[kultschar]

Interesting thread.

Any stories about PP withholding / discovering stolen watches like the countless Rolex ones when someone puts one in for a service???

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by BNALION

Not going to speculate on Hypothetical questions like this.

Wear my watches Any of them, All of the time, Everywhere! I don't think I'm going to get jumped for my watch as I live my life. I'm aware of my surroundings but not about worrying.

Same here, Larry. I've worn my GMT-II all over Europe without any problems. Nevertheless, I voted for Rolex, as PP goes virtually unnoticed outside of the WIS world.