Richard Mille 67-02 "Alexander Zverev"

Richard Mille RM67-02 Automatic Winding Extra Thin "ALEXANDER ZVEREV" timepiece

18 July 2024

RECOVERED TODAY: Today we recovered this €300,000 Richard Mille RM67-02 Automatic Winding Extra Thin   "ALEXANDER ZVEREV" timepiece. Stolen in June 2023 in Interlaken, Switzerland while the victim was having dinner with his girlfriend at local Thai restaurant. While the thieves were arrested, the watch was lost until two weeks ago when it appeared in Dubai.  It took us just 12 days to negotiate an unconditional surrender with the lawyer for the possessor and return it to the theft victim.

Following a theft, it is important to file police reports (even if the police seem disinterested) and to notify the manufacturer (some of whom maintain databases of stolen watches).  No matter which watch register or database you use, it is critical that you do not let them handle the recovery.  Some of these watch registers are conflicted and actually represent the dealers or auction houses and are not acting in your best interests.  They are simply looking to collect fees from both sides of the dispute.

If your watch appears in the marketplace for sale or service, we strongly recommend that you resist the temptation to immediately contact the possessor.  A clear and fluid strategy needs to be implemented prior to contact in the event that the possessor disappears, or the dealer/auction house returns the stolen item to their consignor, never to be seen again. Law enforcement must be notified at the right time to encourage their involvement without them ham-handedly seizing the watch and holding it for years until a Court sorts out the title issues.  We will sort out the title issues and present it to the police.

Feel free to contact us for a free consultation on stolen art or watch cases BEFORE you retain that lawyer who is going to “give it a go” for the first time. You will be charged by the hour for their education.

To my member insurers, once again, an uninsured victim. He claims he can’t find the right insurer for his collection.  I’ll leave that up to you folks…