And THIS is why you service your Rolex on regular occasions

[Alcan]

0n July 1996, Albert Johnson Walker took his business partner Ronald Joseph Platt on a fishing trip. Whilst out at sea, Walker murdered Platt, weighed him down with an anchor, and dumped his body in the sea.

Two weeks later the body was discovered in the English Channel by a fisherman with a Rolex wristwatch being the only identifiable object on the body.

Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex. Ronald Joseph Platt was identified as the owner of the watch and the victim of the murder.

British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar and since the Rolex movement had a reserve of two to three days of operation when inactive and it was fully waterproof, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error. Walker was apprehended shortly thereafter.

Walker was found guilty in 1998 and received an automatic life sentence for murder

[brandrea]

What a story Al, thanks for sharing

[Dan Pierce]

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

[garyk]

Originally Posted by Alcan

n July 1996, Albert Johnson Walker took his business partner Ronald Joseph Platt on a fishing trip. Whilst out at sea, Walker murdered Platt, weighed him down with an anchor, and dumped his body in the sea.

Two weeks later the body was discovered in the English Channel by a fisherman with a Rolex wristwatch being the only identifiable object on the body.

Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex. Ronald Joseph Platt was identified as the owner of the watch and the victim of the murder.

British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar and since the Rolex movement had a reserve of two to three days of operation when inactive and it was fully waterproof, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error. Walker was apprehended shortly thereafter.

Walker was found guilty in 1998 and received an automatic life sentence for murder

Cool!!

[~JJ]

Interesting story and thanks for sharing.

[joa]

lol this is NOT why i bring my watches to service, hehe

but i am also not a fisherman

[bluestreak]

It’s quite the story. Apparently this guy is known as the Rolex Killer. He was also paroled last year. Apparently he was a con man, lived under an assumed name, made his teenaged daughter pose as his wife and potentially fathered children with her.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/8852628...daughter-wife/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Johnson_Walker

[njlam]

Was it a sub?

[kilyung]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

Too funny!

[bluestreak]

Originally Posted by njlam

Was it a sub?

The article said it was similar to this one

[BraveBold]

The murderer was recently released on parole. Life sentence … in words only.

[frank gama]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

[996marty]

I obviously need to get mine in for a service

[omar-rye]

This case was featured on an episode of Forensic Files. In fact, I had planned to create a thread about it one day but never got around to it. There's another case I recently saw on The FBI Files that also involved the victim's watch in determining the time of death. The victim, one of two bank armored truck guards, was kidnapped, killed, and thrown into the river. Establishing the time of death was crucial to progressing the suspects' case, as they were reported to have been near the river at a specific time. The FBI traveled to Switzerland with the watch, sat with the watchmaker, and learned how the watch works—how long it would take that specific movement to stop after resting, whether it stopped due to water incursion or the victim's lack of movement, etc. The FBI built a case around the watch, and the two suspects were found guilty. I attempted to find out the Swiss brand of the watch, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any mention of it.

[Nodzex]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

LOL

[jb335]

So you’re saying it’s safe to wear a Rolex while getting murdered?


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[Patekfinder]

Wow, they got the day and the date.


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[Guppydriver]

Originally Posted by Patekfinder

Wow, they got the day and the date.


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Yep,

No need to spend the extra coin. A Datejust will do it all.

[thatswhatshesaid]

I'm confused at how the motion of the ocean for 2 weeks or, at the very least the recovery of the body didn't wind the watch?

[painexpert]

Originally Posted by Alcan

n July 1996, Albert Johnson Walker took his business partner Ronald Joseph Platt on a fishing trip. Whilst out at sea, Walker murdered Platt, weighed him down with an anchor, and dumped his body in the sea.

Two weeks later the body was discovered in the English Channel by a fisherman with a Rolex wristwatch being the only identifiable object on the body.

Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex. Ronald Joseph Platt was identified as the owner of the watch and the victim of the murder.

British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar and since the Rolex movement had a reserve of two to three days of operation when inactive and it was fully waterproof, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error. Walker was apprehended shortly thereafter.

Walker was found guilty in 1998 and received an automatic life sentence for murder

Yes, I read about this some time ago...true story.

[Rolex1982]

Thanks for sharing!

[Rori]

Originally Posted by Alcan

n July 1996, Albert Johnson Walker took his business partner Ronald Joseph Platt on a fishing trip. Whilst out at sea, Walker murdered Platt, weighed him down with an anchor, and dumped his body in the sea.

Two weeks later the body was discovered in the English Channel by a fisherman with a Rolex wristwatch being the only identifiable object on the body.

Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex. Ronald Joseph Platt was identified as the owner of the watch and the victim of the murder.

British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar and since the Rolex movement had a reserve of two to three days of operation when inactive and it was fully waterproof, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error. Walker was apprehended shortly thereafter.

Walker was found guilty in 1998 and received an automatic life sentence for murder

Wow, that is a story to make it into a movie.


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[Rori]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

Seems the killer is not a watch aficionado


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[RiRi]

... perhaps the only argument to get a Sub Date instead of a Sub ... haha

[travisb]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

Perfect!

[Otrori]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And the lesson here? When you murder someone take their Rolex, leave the cannoli.
dP

In all seriousness, what would be worse? Being identified through Rolex services or found wearing the dead guys watch?

"Oh uh, he gave it to me"

[Explorer2polar]

Oh no ! Rolex have declined to service my watch, if I'm murdered no one will know who I am because they cannot identify my watch serial number ..............

I feel excluded and marginalised ! Its Rolex's fault.

[yankeeromeo]

Great story thank you

[zengineer]

I think the Canadians decided to parole him late last year.