‘This could have happened to any of us’: Growing terror of watch dealers after Richmond £2.8m jewellery raid saw two thugs put ‘traumatised’ salesman Oliver White in chokehold before he took his own life
Watch dealers have revealed the growing threat of theft they face following a £2.8 million jewelery raid in Richmond, which preceded the salesman’s suicide by the store.
Oliver White, 27, died at his family home in Shepperton, Surrey, just a day after two unarmed thieves burst into the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond in the south west. London on Saturday May 25.
Gruesome video footage shows one of the robbers holding Oliver in a chokehold while his accomplice sweeps up large numbers of watches and stuffs them into the backpack of the man attacking the young sales manager.
A man and a woman have now been arrested in connection with the robbery. But the incident has put other watch dealers on edge after a rapid rise in watch thefts in recent years.
Speak with The Sunday timesThe founder of Atlas Watches in Hatton Garden – an area of London known for its jewelers – said the tragic events in Richmond have had a profound impact on the business.
Oliver White, 27, died at his family home in Shepperton, Surrey, just a day after two unarmed thieves broke into the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond, south-west London, on Saturday, May 25.
Oliver with his girlfriend Alana Dredge. A man and a woman have now been arrested in connection with the robbery
A video showing the watch room of 247 Kettles then shows these gold Rolex watches. The Richmond incident has put other watch dealers on edge after a rapid rise in watch thefts in recent years
Joel said: “Things have been very bleak in the watch community. You can really feel it.
“This could have happened to any of us.”
It’s not just dealers who are at risk of having their luxury timepieces stolen. In recent years there have been a number of high-profile cases of famous victims of watch thieves.
Last year Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc’s Richard Mille watch worth £265,000 was stolen while signing autographs in Italy on Easter Monday.
In June 2018 comedian Michael McIntyre had his £15,000 Rolex ripped from his wrist by a gang of armed robbers who brandished a knife at Mr Mcintyre and his terrified son.
Joel explained that the reason thieves are increasingly targeting watches is because they are small and easy to steal. While also retaining their value on the second-hand market, with major brands often fetching more than £40,000.
For second-hand watch dealers like Atlas, it is crucial that they can detect stolen goods.
Joel, 32, says he puts the serial numbers of the watches he buys from the public into a lost and stolen database. If a watch is found stolen, dealers may insist they hold the watch while they call the police.
Last year, Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc’s £265,000 Richard Mille watch (pictured on his wrist) was stolen while signing autographs
Because Atlas typically has as many as 70 designer watches in its possession at any given time, security is critical. That’s why Joel’s store has cameras, a panic alarm and an airlock to trap potential thieves inside the store.
Joel said, “Some might call me paranoid, but I try to be overly cautious because you never know who is at your door.”
The series of recent thefts and events in Richmond have brought Hatton Garden jewelers closer together in an industry where they often compete for the same customer base. Joel insists the watch dealers support each other.
