As we head deeper into the long, grey stretch of winter here in Belgium, where daylight feels like a rumour and not a guarantee, I found myself staring at the news. I was watching a report on yet another daring jewellery-store robbery in Paris, the kind that looks more like a movie scene than real life. Amid the chaos, one investigator’s comment stood out: “When gold prices go up, robberies go up.” It stuck with me. Banks no longer hold much cash, gold and watches are worth more than ever, and criminals, it seems, are simply adapting to new economics. So, for the sake of your Monday curiosity, let’s take a look at whether there’s truth behind that offhand remark.
Across Western Europe, robberies targeting jewellery and watch stores have become a noticeable concern again, particularly in major cities such as Paris and London. While official statistics are often grouped under broader robbery or burglary categories, several recent high-value incidents and police reports paint a clear picture: luxury retail spaces, especially those displaying watches and jewellery, have once more become attractive targets for organised crime.
In the United Kingdom, specialist retail security sources report that incidents at jewellery and watch stores have risen by about fifty percent compared to the previous year, with London seeing the majority of cases. These are often committed by coordinated gangs using stolen mopeds for rapid getaways, a tactic that has become increasingly common in recent years. Broader data from the Office for National Statistics show that total robberies in England and Wales have climbed steadily from roughly fifty thousand in 2014–2015 to nearly seventy-nine thousand in 2024–2025, suggesting that the general environment for violent theft has worsened. Important note here to add perhaps is that the ONS states that overall robbery offences in YE December 2024 still remained about 10% lower than pre-pandemic levels (YE March 2020).
In France, the pattern is similar. Paris has seen a number of high-profile heists in recent years, with jewellery and watch boutiques among the preferred targets. The Piaget boutique on Rue de la Paix was robbed in 2023, with reports valuing the stolen goods between ten and fifteen million euros. The same year, the Bulgari boutique on Place Vendôme was hit in broad daylight, with thieves escaping with several million euros’ worth of jewellery. And I’m not going to mention the Louvre heist from just a few weeks ago that will surely translate into a Hollywood movie at some point in time.
Comparable incidents have been reported across Belgium and the Netherlands, though comprehensive statistics on jewellery and watch store robberies specifically are not publicly available. What is evident is that across Western Europe, luxury boutiques have increasingly become high-value targets for criminal groups. These robberies tend to be fast, violent, and well organised, with recovery rates for stolen items remaining extremely low. In London, for instance, only about one in eighty-eight stolen luxury watches is ever recovered.
On the other hand though, it is very clear that over the past two decades, traditional bank robberies in Western Europe have plummeted. The decline is largely credited to simple practical changes: banks hold far less cash than they once did, branches are fitted with modern security and surveillance systems, and digital payments have reduced the physical movement of money. In short, the old-fashioned “stick-up” has become a low-reward, high-risk crime. This evolution has possibly left organised criminals looking for new, high-value targets that are mobile, discreet, and easy to sell, and luxury jewellery and watch stores fit that description perfectly.
So yes, take care out there, my friends. Enjoy your watches with caution 🙂