The Burrow
Jun 10, 2025
When it comes to valuables, luxury watches have become an increasingly high target for organised criminals – and this is a worldwide issue.
A recent report by The Watch Register reveals that a staggering 100,000 timepieces are stolen worldwide each year.1 In the last year alone, the combined value of lost and stolen watches equated to more than £150 million ($313.7 million AUD). However, the prevalence of organised watch crime, and therefore the risk of theft, can vary depending on where you are.
To help raise awareness of watch crime and global theft trends, Compare the Market conducted a study to help provide a transparent view into the real-world risks for luxury watch owners. We analysed global crime data by combining stolen watch reports with open data on population, wealth, and crime perception to map out international hotspots for luxury watch theft.
So, read on as we reveal the top global destinations for watch crime and identify which watch brands are most frequently targeted by criminals worldwide. We’ll then explore watch theft prevention tips to help you mitigate risk while on the go and travelling.
Let’s take a closer look at the top hotspots for global watch crime. According to our data, the top five luxury watch theft capitals are as follows:
Among our top five luxury watch crime destinations, three European countries climb the ranks as primary regions of concern. Meanwhile, Italy and Spain also sit among the top 15 countries.
With more than 33,362 estimated cases of watch theft each year, the United States ranks as the capital of luxury watch crime. Watch theft in the United States is more than 13 times higher than theft in Canada, which reports an estimated 2,395 cases. Meanwhile, criminal activity is 16 times higher in the US than in Australia, which ranks 12th on our list with 1,999 estimated cases of luxury watch theft per year.
In second place, China reports an estimated 10,444 cases of watch theft annually, which is more than four times higher than the estimated watch crime in Japan (2,355). Though figures fall from this point onwards, in a staggering reveal, China reports more watch theft than Germany and France combined.
Rounding out the top three most notorious countries for luxury watch crime, Germany is the highest-ranking European destination on our list. Though reporting only half of China’s total watch crime figures, Germany records approximately 4,362 thefts per year.
Highlighting another red-flag area for watch crime in Europe, France reports 4,136 estimated cases of luxury watch theft annually – attracting almost three times more organised watch crime than Spain (1,450).
In fifth place, the United Kingdom completes our list of the world’s top hotspots for organised watch crime. Following closely behind Germany and France, the UK reports an estimated 3,995 incidents each year. Our data shows that luxury watch crime is almost twice as high in the United Kingdom as it is in Australia. Still, estimated watch theft figures in the UK are 88% lower than those in America.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. While highlighting some of the key crime zones for organised watch theft, we also uncovered destinations where reported crime is far less frequent.
Here are some of the top countries identified for low watch crime:
| Rank | Country | Estimated Watch Theft Cases Annually |
| 1 | Nicaragua | 22 |
| 2 | Slovenia | 40 |
| 3 | Croatia | 53 |
| 4 | Qatar | 82 |
| 5 | Panama | 87 |
Think you know your Cartier from your Patek Philippe? Criminals certainly do. We also uncovered global theft trends revealing the most targeted watch brands in the world, showing that there are high stakes for high-end watches.
Let’s take a closer look at luxury watch theft insights as we dive into the top reported crime rates for designer brands:
It comes as no surprise that Rolex ranks as the topmost targeted watch brand for theft. Even pre-owned, purchasing a Rolex can run you a bill for thousands of dollars. Rolexes make up more than four in 10 watch thefts worldwide, contributing to 44,000 of the 100,000 estimated global thefts every year.
The remaining 56,000 global thefts are spread across other luxury watch brands. However, the reported figures for Rolex theft are more than 13 times higher than that of Omega watches, and up to 32% higher than Patek Philippe and Cartier watch theft combined.
In second place, the Swiss luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe reports an estimated 17,587 stolen watches per year. As one of the world’s finest watch brands, it’s easy to see why it’s a high target.
Known for its elegant designs made from luxurious materials and high-value gems, Cartier is the third-most targeted watch brand for global theft. The French jewellery and watch manufacturer reports an estimated 15,736 stolen timepieces annually.
Following behind Cartier, luxury Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet ranks fourth. Our study reveals that approximately 11,570 Audemars Piguet watches are stolen internationally each year – more than three times higher than Omega watches.
Finally, luxury watchmaking giant Omega rounds out the top five most targeted brands for watch theft with an estimated 3,240 thefts per year. The high market value and international notoriety of these luxury watch brands present a tempting opportunity for organised watch crime groups, who aim to sell pre-owned watches for thousands of dollars.
Among our list, we also recorded the risk factors for other designer timepieces. Reporting approximately 463 global threats each, less commonly stolen watch brands include:
Though some of these watches can sell for comparatively lower resale values, they remain attractive targets for thieves. It’s important to be on your guard and equipped with protective measures to safeguard your precious valuables.
If you take pride in your valuables, don’t put them at risk. Here are some of our top tips for protecting your luxury watch day-to-day and while travelling abroad.
Make sure your home environment is up to the task of protecting your valuables. Invest in a high-quality and robust safe to keep high-value items out of sight and protected from potential theft. Ensure your doors and windows are locked.
Though you may be tempted to show off your most refined timepiece, it’s often important to exercise some discretion while in public. Depending on your environment, consider the risk of wearing your luxury watch out and about. Even at formal events where your watch may look the part, it pays to be cautious.
Organised crime networks often strike in busy, public spaces where their behaviour may appear less conspicuous. Be wary of your surroundings in crowded spaces where your valuables may be more vulnerable.
Apply the same approach to protecting your valuables abroad as you would at home. If you’re travelling and staying at a hotel, be sure to use their safe facilities. Meanwhile, it’s common for criminals to target tourism hotspots, so stay vigilant in public and in busy crowds.
Executive General Manager Adrian Taylor notes that home and contents insurance can cover high-end watches, but there are key steps customers need to take to secure this coverage.
“It’s important to know that home and contents insurance may offer limited cover to your belongings unless you list individual items and specify the coverage you want them insured for, up to the insurer’s limit. This will add cost to your insurance but will help your luxury watches have more adequate cover, as the basic limits per item for unspecified contents could be quite low and not cover their value,” Mr Taylor said.
“You can also purchase Specified Personal Effects Cover to protect your valuables for a specific value while you’re on holiday or overseas. Home and contents insurance generally only applies to goods when they’re kept at home, so portable contents cover can insure belongings like jewellery, watches and personal devices while you’re out and about. Make sure you read through the details of the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Detemrination (TMD) before you buy so you have all the relevant information.”
Our “Luxury Watch Theft Report,” compiled in April 2025, provides a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of luxury watch theft patterns worldwide. Given the limited public availability of official crime statistics on this specific phenomenon, our research combines real-world stolen watch reports with accessible open data to offer a structured and transparent view of global theft risks.
Challenge: Our initial dataset of just under 100,000 stolen watches, while authentic, was incomplete. Many countries showed few or no reports, likely due to underreporting rather than an absence of thefts. To overcome this, we employed a Poisson distribution model. This standard statistical method is ideal for estimating the likelihood of rare events like thefts.
Process:
Result: This process yielded a structured, data-driven estimate of the countries most affected by luxury watch theft. While a projection based on limited public data, it provides a meaningful and systematic insight into global theft risk.
Challenge: Our raw stolen watch sample heavily overrepresented Rolex. This skew was likely due to Rolex owners being more proactive in registering their stolen watches online. However, The Watch Register’s independent data indicates Rolex accounts for about 44% of global luxury watch thefts, a figure significantly lower than in our initial sample.
Statistical Approach: We corrected this imbalance through reweighting.
Process:
Result: This adjustment provided a refined estimate of the luxury watch brands most frequently targeted worldwide. Despite relying on a partial dataset, this method ensures alignment with broader industry intelligence on watch theft.
Important Disclaimer: This report is based on limited public data and statistical projections. It does not represent an official record of global crime statistics. Instead, it offers an informed estimate of luxury watch theft patterns, designed to bring greater visibility to a topic where definitive hard data is not publicly available. All figures presented should be interpreted as indicative rather than absolute.
References:
Data correct as of April 23, 2025.