In addition to the usual places to report a stolen watch… when stolen during travel, it will depend on your originating and ending countries, but generally speaking you should immediately: – file a police report in both the departure and arrival cities (this will likely be needed in the subsequent filings) – if TSA operates at the airport, file a claim with TSA — for those airports where TSA does not handle the screeninig, you will need to file a claim with the private company that does – if TSA operates at the airport, file a claim with TSA – contact the airline; they will likely defer to TSA, but it does not hurt to contact them directly as well.

So you’ve had the misfortune of your watch being stolen. And you took the initial step of reporting it to stolen watch databases and registries online, including of course the Alpha Hands Stolen Watch Registry.

If there is any bright spot in this otherwise terrible experience, for the amount of the loss not compensated by insurance, it is that you may be able to claim the theft as a loss on your U.S. tax returns. That’s right… Internal Revenue Bulletin: 2009-14, Part I. Rulings and Decisions Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
Rev. Rul. 2009-9. Specifically, “Section 165(a) allows a deduction for losses sustained during the taxable year and not compensated by insurance or otherwise. For individuals, § 165(c)(2) allows a deduction for losses incurred in a transaction entered into for profit, and § 165(c)(3) allows a deduction for certain losses not connected to a transaction entered into for profit, including theft losses.” Further note that “The character of an investor’s loss related to fraudulent activity depends, in part, on the nature of the investment.” So the ownership of the watch must be as an investment…as I read this.

I’m not a lawyer and not an accountant – make sure to take the guidance of those that are regarding any such losses.

Please use the Alpha Hands stolen watch registry submission form if you would like to have any watch(es) added. Please note there is little chance of recovery without a police report! So if you haven’t submitted a police report yet, please do so before reporting the watch to the Alpha Hands stolen watch registry.

The Alpha Hands stolen watch registry is the largest free registry in the world, and is used and contributed to by:
– Collectors and enthusiasts
– Insurance agencies
– Retailers/dealers
– Auction houses
– Manufacturers
– Police departments
– Pawnbrokers
– Service providers
– Watch associations/foundations

The registry doesn’t just include stolen Rolex – this database includes a wide variety of manufacturers, including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, TAG Heuer, Vacheron Constantin and others. But in addition to searching the Alpha Hands registry, always perform a broader search (aka Google) for the serial number of the watch you are purchasing (or even a fraction of the serial number). There are also manufacturers with databases of stolen watches, including Rolex.

Alpha Hands does not take a position as to the proprietary rights of the watches recorded in the registry, rather we are just aggregating watches that have been reported as stolen on or to a variety of sources: watch forums, instagram, Facebook, auction houses, police departments, manufacturers and directly to Alpha Hands. As such, there may be disputes over ownership. If you are interested in the original source of a piece reported stolen, please contact us for details. Prospective buyers should always do their own due diligence regarding watches that have been reported as stolen, as well as watches they are purchasing.

Alpha Hands does not assist with recovery of stolen timepieces. We recommend that you work with a company that has experience in navigating the legal process to recover your watch. We do not recommend that you contact the seller/reseller of your stolen watch directly, but rather engage a third party in recovering the watch. We recommend Chris Marinello at Art Recovery International – Chris regularly works not just on stolen art cases, but stolen watches as well.

As with the rest of this Website, the following table, and data contained therein, is subject to Alpha Hands LLC Terms and Conditions.