WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

Back in the early 1990s, mobile phones had SIMs the size of credit cards and most people wore watches that ran on batteries. A quarter of a century later, the number of people owning high-end mechanical watches has increased exponentially and, unfortunately, as the appreciation and awareness of valuable watches has grown in the legitimate watch-collecting community, it has also increased the demand by organized criminals. Whether your new timepiece is on your wrist or stowed away in your house, there are a number of things you should do with your watch if you want to protect it and — if you are unlucky enough to have it stolen — recover it.

BUY SAFE

Firstly, you should purchase your watch through a reputable retailer. This doesn’t mean