Luxury Watches Targeted by Thieves on the Côte d’Azur
Thefts of luxury watches have sharply increased in the Alpes-Maritimes region, with criminals stealing an estimated €8 million worth of timepieces in 2024 alone. The incidents follow a clear pattern: thieves perform detailed surveillance, execute swift and sometimes violent robberies, and escape by scooter into the hills.
Victims Include Individuals and Specialist Shops
Both pedestrians and luxury watch stores are targeted. Monaco, once largely protected by a comprehensive CCTV network, has recently faced significant robberies.
Notable Thefts in Monaco in 2024
- On 29 May, Monaco Watch Company was robbed in an armed heist lasting six minutes, resulting in the loss of over €4 million worth of watches.
- On 12 November, The Watch Project experienced a rapid raid that led to the theft of four watches within minutes.
Thefts Beyond Retail Shops
- In April 2024, American tennis player Sebastian Korda was assaulted in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and had a €300,000 Richard Mille watch stolen by two masked men.
- In late August, a student from Nice tried to exchange a fake Rolex for a genuine watch valued at €48,000 at the Hôtel de Paris. The student was arrested at Place du Casino and sentenced to four months in prison.
"Monaco, long spared from snatch thefts thanks to its dense network of CCTV cameras, is no longer immune."
These incidents underline a growing and troubling trend of luxury watch thefts in the region.
Author's summary: Luxury watch thefts in the Côte d’Azur have surged in 2024, with rapid, violent robberies affecting both individuals and specialist shops, including major heists in Monaco.