Luxury Watch Thefts Escalate on the Côte d’Azur
In 2024, the Alpes-Maritimes region experienced a surge in luxury watch thefts, with criminals stealing over €8 million worth of timepieces. The pattern is alarmingly consistent: thieves conduct detailed surveillance, execute rapid and sometimes violent robberies, and escape on scooters into the hills.
Targets and Tactics
- Victims include both pedestrians and specialized watch shops.
- Monaco, previously protected by extensive CCTV coverage, faced significant thefts in 2024.
Major Incidents in Monaco
- On 29 May, Monaco Watch Company was robbed in a six-minute armed attack, losing watches worth more than €4 million.
- On 12 November, The Watch Project suffered a quick raid with four watches stolen within minutes.
Thefts Beyond Shops
- In April 2024, American tennis player Sebastian Korda was assaulted and had his €300,000 Richard Mille watch stolen in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
- In late August, a student in Nice was arrested for attempting to exchange a fake Rolex for a genuine one valued at €48,000 near Hôtel de Paris; he received a four-month prison sentence.
"On 29 May, Monaco Watch Company was the victim of a spectacular six-minute armed robbery in which more than €4 million worth of watches were stolen."
These repeated thefts underline the growing audacity and organization of criminals targeting luxury watches in the region.
Author's summary: The Côte d’Azur has seen a sharp rise in organised luxury watch thefts in 2024, affecting shops, individuals, and even high-profile victims.