Alpha Hands by Norm Harris
Sad to say, theft has been and will always be a part of watch ownership. What I’ve done at Alpha Hands is add transparency to the marketplace by creating the largest free-to-post and free-to-search database of stolen watches. The Alpha Hands registry is an aggregation of pieces from a variety of sources: collectors, dealers, social networks, forums, manufactures, and police departments. The registry provides the ability for anyone to search for stolen items, and if found, notify the rightful owner. I created this registry to help people who have had pieces stolen – a passion project to support the community as a “thank you” for all of the help I have received, not something that makes any income.
The Alpha Hands stolen watch registry is not the largest, but it is the largest that is free, and my intention is that this will result in greater use both by sellers (we have seen the stories of even auction houses publishing stolen property for auction), as well as buyers, to ensure everyone is protected in the transaction. The database includes information on the manufacturer, and as applicable and known, model, case/serial and movement number, location of theft, where posted, and police report if submitted. With complete transparency, it also means that you know the list of stolen pieces from which you are searching, something other databases do not provide. Prior to the Alpha Hands registry, your primary option was to pay to search from a list of unknown pieces. You could be paying to search a list of 1,000 Rolexes, or you could be paying to search from a list of 0. There also is no personal information required to submit pieces as stolen, as you have with some registries, reducing yet another barrier. Police report information is recommended when adding to the registry, though not required.
There are strong feelings on whether to publish serial numbers, and my philosophy is that exposing serial numbers as broadly as possible will reduce the sale of stolen goods, and allow for the recovery of pieces as well. Some will argue that exposing numbers makes it possible to copy numbers to pass off fakes as genuine, drive stolen pieces underground, or simply stir up trouble by reporting pieces that aren’t stolen to registries. These all are reason that collectors should always do their homework prior to purchase, and that provenance is so valuable when collecting. I don’t personally buy pieces without identifying numbers, whether they have been polished off or simply worn off, though I know not all buyers care about this.
Advice related to protecting your timepieces:
· Keep detailed records. This includes images as well as serial/case and movement numbers, as well as any other identifying marks. All too often I see posts where a collector has had their watch(es) stolen, but does not have the serial number for the watch nor any identifying marks, and is looking for help in recovery. These pieces would be difficult if not impossible to recover, and thus are not included in the Alpha Hands registry.
· If your timepiece is stolen, regardless of whether is insured or otherwise, submit a police report. This can assist in later recovery.
· If you find your stolen timepiece available at auction or a dealer, alert the authorities and let them handle the process. If you try to take this on yourself, you may find yourself finding your stolen piece being returned to the consignor, and you may have lost your chance to have it returned.
· Consider a home safe. Depending on your insurance company, you may receive a discount from keeping them in the safe instead of your sock drawer. Many keep their cherished timepieces in a bank safe deposit box, but having your pieces at home means you can access them. And not just for watches, but the safe also provides a way to protect other valuable items and documents.
· When traveling, consider bringing a watch you simply don’t care about losing. I would always rather travel with one of the pieces I love, but spend just a bit of time online and you will see the unfortunate number of cases, and often with injury, resulting from watch thefts.
· Evaluate insurance policies. Relatively few people carry watch insurance, but it is worth exploring, if only to have basic knowledge of costs and coverage. There are policies available that even cover your watch in shipping, for example, even coverage after you initially buy the watch and it is being shipped to you for the first time. And you may find with insurance you are that much more likely to wear your high-value pieces.
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