Vintage Longines Diver: A Story of Recovery

amanico · 2012-05-22T23:04:05Z

Discover amanico's incredible story of recovering his stolen vintage Longines diver, identified by unique marks and movement number. A tale of fate and community.

amanico

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

82 replies12393 views0 photos

Nicolas (amanico) shares an extraordinary and deeply personal account of being reunited with his stolen vintage Longines diver. This post resonates with collectors, highlighting the emotional connection to timepieces and the rare, almost fated, circumstances that can lead to their recovery. His story underscores the enduring value of unique watch characteristics and the importance of community in the watch world.

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One year and a half ago, I lost a lot of watches, as I was " visited " by some unexpected guys.

Several months later, I had a lunch with a good friend of mine, sporting very nice Longines Diver on his wrist.

He knew I had one, and he was sure that it still was in my collection.

This is a watch I always loved, which was part of my collection, and which has gone with the burglars.

I asked my friend to show it to me.

I immediately recognized ... MINE!

A very small hole in the crown at 4 o'clock, a tiny imperfection on the minute hand, and this unbelievable patina on the dial.

There was 99% chances it was mine, so we checked the movement number, and ... Bingo, no more doubts!

My friend, who is a huge collector, with tons of watches, could bring with him any of his many other marvels.

No, he decided to wear this very special one, this day, just because he wanted to compare it with mine, forgetting than mine was stolen.

Definitely, Collecting watches is like Life... You have to face bad moments, and you are, sometime, pleasantly surprised.

As for the rest of the collection, no news, sadly, at least for the moment.

Some watches have a better Karma than others...

Best,

Nicolas.

Key Points from the Discussion

The emotional impact of a home invasion and loss of sentimental items, even beyond watches, is a shared traumatic experience.
While the original owner's joy is paramount, the friend who unknowingly purchased and wore the stolen watch also experiences a form of loss, highlighting the complex ethics of such a recovery.
Other collectors have experienced similar burglaries and the difficulty of recovering stolen watches, emphasizing the rarity of amanico's fortunate reunion.
The unique identifying marks, like a small hole in the crown or a specific patina, were crucial in confirming the watch's identity.
The incident prompts a discussion about the increasing prevalence of watch theft, possibly linked to online visibility, and the need for a community-driven database of stolen pieces.
The story serves as a powerful reminder for collectors to record movement numbers and other unique identifiers of their watches for potential recovery.

The Discussion

dxboon

May 22, 2012

I hope this is the beginning of a good watch karma streak for you! I do love the vintage Longines diver! Cheers, Daos

patrickmaniac

May 23, 2012

its like a sotheby for theives. cheers PAt This message has been edited by patrickmaniac on 2012-05-23 00:36:00

Bill

May 23, 2012

Will continue mon ami

amanico

May 23, 2012

Till a dedicated file for stolen watches doesn't exist... Well, it exists, but only the Police has access to it. Best, Nicolas

patrickmaniac

May 23, 2012

i wish you to find more of the lost jewels quickly. cheers PAt

foowy

May 23, 2012

What a reunification.... I hope more good luck will come your way to recovering what was lost.

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Vintage Longines Diver: A Story of Recovery

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