You have just invested in a luxury or collector's watch. If, unfortunately, it has been stolen, it is essential to know how to respond quickly and effectively. Here are the three essential steps to follow after your watch has been stolen.
Report the theft promptly
The very first thing to do in the event of theft is to report the theft to the relevant authorities, at a police station or gendarmerie. Filing a theft report is mandatory if you wish to assert your rights with your insurer.
Following this complaint, you will receive a police report or a theft report receipt. These documents will include the date and time of the complaint, the type of item stolen (in your case, a watch), a description of the item, including the model and serial number, and finally the circumstances of the theft.
This step is essential: if no complaint is filed, your insurer may consider that the theft was never reported to the relevant authorities.
Report the claim to your insurance company
Once you have filed a complaint with the authorities, notify your insurer promptly. This is part of the official process for receiving compensation; without this declaration, your insurer cannot compensate you.
According to Article L. 113-2 of the Insurance Code, the deadline for reporting a claim is very short: a maximum of two business days after becoming aware of the theft. If the deadline is exceeded without justification, the insurer may refuse compensation or reduce the amount.
To facilitate and expedite the processing of your file, it is essential to provide all the necessary supporting documents from the outset: police report or receipt, description of the watch, proof of purchase, and photos. Solutions such as Watch Certificate™ offer to centralize all these documents in a watch passport, thereby simplifying the process for you.
Maximize your chances of finding your watch
After the official report and insurance procedures, there are additional steps you can take to increase the chances of finding your watch.
For example, the Watch Certificate™ platform allows you to blacklist your watch. This operation reports the theft to the world's largest databases, such as The Watch Register and Enquirus. It also informs the manufacturer and makes it more difficult to resell the watch on online sales platforms. Although this procedure does not guarantee that the watch will be found, it does make it possible to detect any attempts to use or resell it in the future.
It is imperative to carry out all of these actions: filing a complaint, reporting the incident, and conducting research.
The combination of a watch certification, offered by Watch Certificate™, and specialized insurance such as Watch Cover provides simple and secure protection for your watch.
