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9 Top Tips to STOP Your Rolex Being Robbed

9 Top Tips to STOP Your Rolex Being Robbed

*Disclaimer and I mean a big Disclaimer in this post I am by no means promoting you to risk your safety and your life. By trying to go all Steven Segal, Jason Stratham on any potential muggers or attackers. I am giving 9 tips which may help you in a disadvantaged position of being robbed of your expensive Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe etc. In my humble opinion the 10th tip is the most important one and the go to one. I will recommend using the other tips if you have responsibly judged the risk of you getting out of the bad situation unharmed. This post may include quick get of trouble tips but this is not where you are going to learn David Blaine, Dynamo the Magician methods unarming gun men with a napkin. Either will I try to replicate in words Detroit Urban Survival Training Commander Dale Brown. Systems on how to slip a bullet or disarm a knife wielding attacker.

D.U.S.T Commander Dale Brown
D.U.S.T Commander Dale Brown

Motivation for writing this post is there is an increasing number of expensive watch robberies in the last few years. Especially in the city I reside in; London. At functions where some musicians and celebrities feature there are opportunists who target anyone they can steal from. I’ve been in clubs and restaurants where multiple people have been robbed for their expensive watches. Some of these places are the most central tourist parts of the city where you would think you would be most safe. Even in Dubai you have had Premier league football players being robbed for £100,000s in possessions.

Just the weekend prior to me writing this someone was attacked inside a club with a Gun for their Rolex. As well as someone losing their life at a popular party within the same 10 mile radius allegedly for their expensive watch on that same night. Where there was footage of emergency service trying to save his life from the knife wounds. The terrible thing about that incident is that his not being successfully revived was recorded live by onlookers. As is the trend for most things shocking nowadays and the heartbreaking last moments of his life has most likely been seen by his loved ones. Which you can imagine is a memory they can’t unsee and adds to their devastation.

The following 9 tips are based on if you are already wearing your expensive watch in a social or public setting. Therefore will not include some instructions which may seem like common sense to some but not all like:

  • Don’t wear it in unsafe environments.
  • Wear long sleeves
  • Have a pouch or deep pocket you can hide it in etc.

This is more based on you having your lovely shiny ‘Richard Mille’ you have aspired to and worked hard to purchase. Which you are wearing as a milestone of your lifes accomplishments. Which you know may draw all the positive attention which comes with wearing it. From compliments, potential business ventures from like minded people and increased attraction from females. Why shouldn’t you? It’s your possession, your life and watches tell the time best when it’s on your wrist! 

Furthermore this list will draw from personal experience I have seen, experienced and consulted with people who are knowledgeable in these situations:

 

1. Don’t get too intoxicated 

Be careful

This may sound like a given when you have 10s of thousands of £/$ on your wrist. However it can come easy to get carried away when you’re having fun with your friends in a celebration setting. Especially if you are single and you happen to see someone who takes your fancy and the prospect of you having relations with her within hours of 1st meet.

Quick story about a decade ago I went on a trip to Miami for the 1st time with a few friends. It was memorial weekend, a really busy weekend where you have party goers from all over the states in South Beach. I remember a friend of mine speaking to some people who were staying in our same hotel one morning. I came late to the conversation but I soon realised the guy was looking so stressed. His Rolex, with wallet and phone, had been stolen from him in the early hours of that morning. Summarising his bad ordeal he met a beautiful young lady that night in the nightclub. After drinking way too much alcohol and taking a few recreational drugs he took her back to his hotel. To wake up that morning to no girl, no macbook, no wallet and no £30,000 Rolex! 

Sad story right? How could this loss of possessions be avoided? At the end of the day you want to enjoy yourself and want to shine your trinkets to get female attention. Here are some useful tips:

  • Know your level. If you know 3 glasses of patron is your sweet spot or you can’t handle white rum. Don’t overdo it.
  • Don’t accept drinks from strangers.
  • Try and have at least one friend who doesn’t get as intoxicated as you that night so they can look out for and spot anything irregular.
  • Finally this is something I have done consistently at any holiday where I may bring back a guest. Is lock up any expensive items in a safe before leaving the room. Also if you are wearing anything of high value when you are returning to the residence with a new friend. Before you get into any type of action, put your valuables in the safe. Without exposing the code, key and if possible safe location.

2. Be with people you can trust

trust

Being with people who have your best interest at heart is a valuable asset to have. They can pre warn about hazards you may not see and can act as a soft security to unwanted attention. 

Well the opposite is just like how this saying goes. ‘If you keep company with people who don’t mean you well, it most likely won’t end well’.

Bad company can wish such negative luck on you due to envy or straight up bitterness. Even worse they can potentially set you up to lose your watch and may gain a commission from doing so.

 

3. Know your environment 

aware

Being aware of where you are and the potential dangers is essential. If you are entering a restaurant, bar, or club it is good to familiar yourself with the surroundings, such as:

  • Environment, is it a hostile or is it a friendly one?
  • Entry and or exit points, just in case you and loved ones need to make a hasty exit.
  • Who looks like they are in the place not to have fun and may have more sinister ulterior motives.
  • If there is anyone in the location or in the street who you don’t know who may be dressed to conceal a weapon?
  • If you are in a nightclub, how thorough was the search on you to get in the building? 
  • How thorough are the people in front and behind being searched for any contraband?  

Another quick story back in Miami but a few years later than the previous time. A few friends and I were getting ready to go into a Nightclub one night. We just parked our convoy of expensive car rentals across the street from the club in a car lot to meet a club promoter who was our hook up for tables that night. Who informed us the price went up for our reservation, which is already a lot of money as it is. However because we were on holiday with more girls around us we had the YOLO attitude and were like whatever and started pulling out more dollars from our pockets. Then one of the lovely females who was with us who resides in Atlanta, Georgia, started saying how crazy we are moving and we think South Beach is sweet. Also in her hometown certain individuals would have seen the $1,000s of dollars, Rolexs on each individual’s wrist and shot first and took their winnings later. She was right to be so cautious because even though nothing happened to us as we carelessly counted money out in public, it definitely could have turned bad. 

The next night the Miami South Beach strip was completely closed down to a shoot out by a group of civilians which ended in one losing their life. Now i can’t remember what was the motivation behind the gun fight but it is a reminder that weapons which are made to kill are not far away.

Moral of the story, the more aware you are the higher your success rate of keeping your watch and not being harmed that night is.

 

4. Show confidence 

Peacock

To a mugger you may look like a peacock so you must portray yourself to be a peacock. What do I mean by this? To a potential attacker you stand out to them because of what you have on your wrist. As far as what their vision shows them is a grey dull frame and here you are nice and colourful with your expensive watch shining like a lighthouse to a starving, lost sailor at sea. Do not be that savour to them!

Try to walk and carry yourself with confidence and swagger to say this Rolex was made to be on your wrist, without your wrist the Rolex is worthless. Not to be loud and cocky saying ‘hey everyone, look at me!’ no to the contrary more that this expensive watch is like your smartphone to you. Another accessory which you happen to have on you, nothing special, like wearing running shoes to the gym. The more comfortable and confident you look, the less like food you may look like too.

 

5. Trust your instincts

gazelle

If it doesn’t look right, dont sound right and doesn’t feel right then it most likely isn’t right. If you near someone whose body language is off, then be alert as they may be plotting something to your detriment, this can be tell, tell signs like:

  • Someone you do not know who keeps hovering around.
  • Someone who looks too invested in your movements in a social setting.
  • Someone complimenting your watch, especially if their attire may not be similar to yours.
  • People giving you too much eye contact and then going immediately on their phone straight after, they could be lining you up.

No one likes a surprise which is not followed by ‘Happy Birthday!’ and if you know it’s not your Birthday try to keep your wits up and trust your intuition.

 

6. Legally weaponize your possessions

belt

Legal weapons? That sounds like a contradiction. Let me explain if you’re in certain states in the USA you are allowed to own and carry certain firearms as a form of self defence but that is not what I am getting at. What I mean here is if you are confronted by a would be attacker and ONLY if you have assessed you have a really high success rate of pulling it off. Use the element of surprise to get yourself out of a potential sticky situation. 

For example this can be at a bar you may want to grab glass, object, snooker cue to hit and run out of danger. You may want to make sure your waist belt is unhinged and use your leather belt or metal buckle to avoid being a victim. Even having your keys in your hand may be a good tactic, especially if you are driving so you can quickly get in your vehicle to escape danger. 

However any of these should only be used as a last resort where your safety may be at risk and i do not recommend these tactics so freely for 2 reasons:

  • If you do not get away after your surprise attack you can further furiate your attacker who may be in a position to harm you.
  • Attacking someone with an object which can be seen as a weapon can get you into legal trouble and the whole point is to avoid trouble at all cost.

7. Show respect to people around you

resp

Don’t be a Prick, not just when wearing an expensive watch but life in general. Chances are if you enter an establishment being ultra arrogant. Like being disrespectful to the staff, like waiting staff, security etc. If anything you should be the opposite and if you can tip with intent. This is giving them money you can afford to give but letting them know if anything seems like it can go wrong make sure they are there to warn you and even assist you. Especially if you know where you are may attract some unsavoury characters and the security team looks the part.

Also be respectful to other customers in the place or people in the street as it will reduce the chances of you getting into a confrontation. Imagine it, you being over pompous and getting into a stand off which is going to turn physical between you and an individual. You are wearing your Rolex and house of fashion labels from Italy, he in an unnamed tracksuit and dirty trainers. He may be really motivated to knock you the hell out so if any money drops out of your clothing and if you’re unconscious he can take his winnings off your wrist.

It has been said it’s harder to be mean than it is to be nice.

 

8. Run

run

No shame on getting ten toes down and running to safety. What’s the worst that can happen, you get called a coward? Well that coward still has his Rolex and has escaped harm to enjoy another day. If you know you are at a clear disadvantage there is no point testing your heart, you are not Mel Gibson and your life isn’t ‘Braveheart’. No one is going to come to applaud you on a hospital bed or worse, with you injured and potentially £10,000s down saying you made the right decision. If they do, once you are discharged from hospital, get away from them. They are not your friends, they do not have your best interest at heart.

 

9. Give it up, give it up

Yes i know the song says Live it up, live it up, but you get where i am going with this.

Obtaining someone’s expensive watch is a Come up for criminals which can change their trajectory and fortune in the underworld. With the potential to take wrist wear off someone which can cost £50,000 or more that can fuel investments in illegal contraband that can get enough money in a short period of time to purchase the same expensive watch legally. If someone was to roba £80,000 Range Rover off someone they will unlikely get anywhere near half the retail value of that vehicle. Let alone risk driving such a large item around and hiding it until they reach their purchaser. However a watch which you can fit into a super skinny jeans pocket, that’s way less work hassle and depending on where they can fence the item can be more rewarding monetary. To most it is an easier come up than robbing drugs from a potential dangerous dealer, who may have the resources to exact a violent revenge. 

Calvin Paid In Full
Calvin in Paid In Full 2002 (Horrible Thief)

At the end of the day if you have £1,000s on your wrist and you value that item you should have insurance in place so that if the worse happens you can get a replacement or allowance to a similar amount.

I will elaborate on my point earlier: your life is more important than any material possession to you and your loved ones and should be treated as such. Just last month arguably Great Britain’s best welterweight boxer of this millennium was robbed at gunpoint for his estimated £70,000 watch. Leaving a restaurant where he must have felt safe at, seeing that he knows the owners on the road outside. Even with his honed world class skills with his hands and being on most people’s list (myself included) of being in the top 10 fastest punchers of all times. Without hesitation gave up his watch knowing his and his wife’s life, which was only yards away, is worth more than any valuables they have which aren’t their children.

Hopefully this article helps you to avoid harm in a potential robbery. 

Please feel free to share this article if you feel others may find it useful.

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