There are several types of stolen and lost watch registers. Apart from the brand manufacturer registers, there are also online registers. What is the difference and are they all for free?

Are stolen watch registers free?

Not all stolen watch registers are free. Sometimes you have to pay a fee to list your watch or to search in the database. Almost all brand manufacturer watch registers are free, but they are not publicly available. We believe that the more accessible the database is to use, the more chances of success. That is why the Stolen-Watches.com register is free.

Are brand manufacturer registers free?

First of all, not all brand manufacturers have a stolen watch register. If they do, you can register for free.  Sadly these registers are not publicly available. This means you have to contact their customer service whenever you want to register your watch as stolen. The customer service will ask you:

• Name, address, e-mail, & phone number
• Serial number & model reference of the watch
• Date of theft and brief description
• Police report & reference number

Next, the manufacturer will contact you whenever the watch would turn up.

What is the difference between manufacturer registers and others?

First of all, registers of brand manufacturers will only contain watches of their models. If your Rolex got stolen, you should not report it to Breitling. Online watch registers accept all brands.

Next, the registers of brand manufacturers are not publicly available, so not everyone can look into it. That’s why online registers are often more accessible, although they could also work with inquiries or paid searches.

Further, not all online registers are free. Sometimes you have to pay a small amount to register it in the database. If your brand manufacturer keeps track of stolen or lost items, you can mostly list them for free.

Another difference is the service that is provided after a watch is located. Depending on the laws where the watch was located, the watch will not automatically be handed over. A buyer in good faith might have the right to keep the watch, even if it was reported stolen. Stolen-Watches.com was founded from a legal background, so they could help you if legal aid would be needed.