If your watch is stolen, report it to the police and get a reference number, tell your insurer, and register the serial number with stolen-watch databases such as The Watch Register and Enquirus. Then alert the brand's authorised dealers. The aim is to make the watch hard to sell, so it's spotted when it resurfaces.
Key takeaways
- The police reference number unlocks almost everything else.
- Stolen watches get recovered when someone checks the serial. Get yours on the registers fast.
- Keep your receipt, papers and photos together. You'll need them for the claim and any recovery.
Step by step
- Report it to the police. Ask for a formal incident or crime reference number.
- Tell your insurer. Do it early. Have the serial number, receipt and valuation ready.
- Register it as stolen. Add the serial to The Watch Register, which dealers and pawnbrokers consult, and to Enquirus, which is free and is used in eBay's watch authentication and by Watchfinder.
- Tell the brand. Contact the brand's authorised dealer or the brand itself. Some keep their own stolen-watch lists for their retailers.
- Alert local buyers. Let nearby pawnbrokers and pre-owned dealers know, so they can watch for it.
- Gather your documents. Serial and reference numbers, receipt, box and papers, service records and photos all help prove the watch is yours.
If your watch has a Shado module
Open the Shado app and turn on Protection Mode. Only you, as the registered owner, can do this. Shado can't turn it on for you, and nor can anyone else.
When it's on:
- the watch is flagged as stolen and transfers are blocked, so it can't be passed to a new registered owner through Shado;
- anyone who taps the watch with the Shado app sees it as reported stolen straight away. If no police reference is added within 30 days, a tap shows "Status under review. Contact Shado." until one is;
- on your instruction, Shado can confirm the stolen status to your insurer. It can also share it with law enforcement where the law requires.
Protection Mode doesn't find the watch. It makes it harder to sell on, because a buyer who taps it sees the problem before paying.
If you get the watch back, you clear the status in the app and tap the watch. You need the watch in your hand to do it, which stops someone who has taken over your account from clearing it. The fact that it was reported stays in the watch's history.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still claim on insurance without the serial number?
It'll be harder. Look for the serial on your warranty card, receipt or service paperwork, and give your insurer everything you have.
Does registering a stolen watch cost anything?
Enquirus is free. Check other registers for their current terms.
Can a stolen Shado watch be resold with a new owner?
Not through Shado. A watch flagged stolen can't be transferred, and the record of the report stays in its history.
Does Shado track the watch's location?
Not on Provenance, the edition in the first pilot. Protection Mode works through the registry, not by locating the watch. Sentinel editions, which are in development, are designed to report location to the owner, and only while Protection Mode is on.
Sources
Next step: see how Shado protects a registered watch.