Luxury Watch Robberies Target Tourists in Florence and Tuscany
A surge of luxury watch robberies targeting tourists in Florence and Tuscany prompts increased police vigilance and calls for new safety guidelines across popular Italian destinations.
A series of brazen luxury watch robberies targeting tourists has hit Florence and the Tuscan resort town of Forte dei Marmi, prompting local authorities to consider new security measures and advisories.
Wave of Thefts in Florence
In the most recent incident on September 23, a 62-year-on American tourist walking near the Ponte Vecchio in Florence was robbed of a watch valued at approximately 88,000 euros. According to police, two suspects approached him near an ATM before snatching the timepiece and fleeing. Undercover officers trailing the suspects quickly intervened, capturing one suspect hiding in a restaurant while the second was apprehended shortly after. Authorities recovered the stolen watch alongside another luxury piece valued at 3,000 euros, stolen the previous night from a 63-year-old Lebanese tourist on Via della Vigna Nuova.
This incident follows several high-profile thefts in central Florence over recent months. On August 31, a tourist was robbed of a 100,000-euro watch while walking with family in Piazza Strozzi. Earlier, a British tourist in Piazza della Repubblica was targeted for a 20,000-euro watch, where one assailant blocked his arm while an accomplice deployed pepper spray. Both suspects were arrested and the watch was returned.
"Tourists are advised to exercise caution in crowded areas and avoid displaying valuable items prominently, remaining especially vigilant of anyone approaching unusually or attempting physical contact."
Broader Security Concerns
On July 24 near Lungarno Corsini, a Chinese tourist was robbed of a Richard Mille watch worth around 200,000 euros. Two suspects were later tracked down in Milan following an extensive investigation utilizing surveillance footage, hotel reservations, and digital data. Similar crimes have extended beyond Florence; on September 26 in Forte dei Marmi, a 56-year-old Polish tourist was robbed of a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch valued at 100,000 euros.
In response to the surge, Alessandro Draghi, a Florence city council member from the Brothers of Italy party, announced plans to submit a motion proposing a safety guide for tourists to be distributed in hotels. While official statistics do not yet confirm an exponential statistical spike, the frequency of high-value thefts in crowded tourist zones has raised safety concerns.
