Armed robbers flee with £350,000 worth of watches after Leeds Victoria Quarter raid, company boss reveals

Armed robbers snatched around £350,000 worth of Rolex and Omega products during a raid at a Leeds watch store, the company director has revealed.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Jul 2017, 14:54 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2017, 08:35 BST
The scene.The scene.
The scene.

Police have said that three balaclava-clad men armed with hammers, axes and a fire extinguisher smashed display cabinets at Watchfinder in County Arcade at Victoria Quarter before escaping with items just after 10am today.

Company director Matthew Bowling said that it was mainly Rolex and Omega watches that had been stolen.

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He said: "Forty-seven watches were stolen with a value of around £350,000.

A smashed cabinet.A smashed cabinet.
A smashed cabinet.

"The most important thing is that nobody was hurt."

He added that the store would open up again as soon as possible.

Pictures revealed by the owners show smashed and emptied cabinets at the store.

But Mr Bowling is keen to spread the word about which items were stolen in order to make anyone who may be offered them aware - and a full list is provided below.

Mainly Rolex and Omega items were stolen.Mainly Rolex and Omega items were stolen.
Mainly Rolex and Omega items were stolen.
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Meanwhile one witness, who did not wish to be named, spoke of her shock after seeing the armed men coming out of the shop as the getaway driver "panicked".

An Audi car was "unusually" parked on the pavement outside the centre, she said.

"We looked out and saw the car there. The next thing you know there's a guy with a crow bar. He had on gloves and a mask."

She said that the man and the driver then waited for another person to come out of the shop and get in the vehicle.

A smashed and emptied cabinet.A smashed and emptied cabinet.
A smashed and emptied cabinet.
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"The driver was really panicking, he was horning at them to hurry up."

The witness said that a colleague saw one of the culprits with a fire extinguisher.

"He took that from the store to get anyone off of him. They all seemed very panicked.

"It's usually very quiet on a Monday, I think they expected it to be very quiet but outside the store it was quite busy, it felt like a weekend."

A smashed cabinet.A smashed cabinet.
A smashed cabinet.

She said that the men fled at speed towards The Headrow.

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"It was a shock. It's crazy. I stood there thinking 'did that just happen?'"

As forensics got underway in store, an officer guarded the shop while two police vans were present on Vicar Lane. Another police car was parked on Briggate.

See below a full list of the stolen products, followed by their series, model number and serial number.

Rolex Sky-Dweller 326138 712476S5

Omega Seamaster 200m 166.0068 166.0068

Mainly Rolex and Omega items were stolen.Mainly Rolex and Omega items were stolen.
Mainly Rolex and Omega items were stolen.

Rolex Daytona 116523 v524968

Rolex Yacht-Master II 116688 M241035

Omega Planet Ocean 232.90.46.21.03.001 86518200

Rolex Submariner 16610 LV V015817

Rolex Deepsea 116660 - D-Blue 0LH82381

Rolex Daytona 116520 07A86863

Rolex Yacht-Master 16622 Y344438

Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.20.39.21.51.003 85416870

Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.10.44.52.04.001 78607800

Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow 321.10.44.50.01.001 78511232

Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.10.39.21.02.001 86233224

Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.20.39.21.52.003 85208933

Rolex GMT Master II 116713 LN V800433

Omega Seamaster 300m 212.30.41.20.01.001 81957833

Rolex Submariner 16613 Z363568

Rolex GMT Master II 116710 LN V816376

Omega Seamaster 300m 233.20.41.21.01.001 87133504

Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.10.42.21.03.003 87926192

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 311.30.44.51.01.002 85226927

Omega Planet Ocean 232.30.42.21.01.004 86167229

Omega Seamaster 300m 2293.50.00 78018830

Omega Olympic Seamaster 522.30.46.21.01.001 86232552

Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.10.39.21.01.002 87043830

Omega Planet Ocean 232.30.44.22.03.001 86772730

Omega Seamaster Chrono Diver 2225.80.00 81610086

Omega Planet Ocean 232.90.46.51.03.001 85225719

Omega Planet Ocean 232.30.46.51.01.003 85586886

Omega Planet Ocean 215.63.44.21.03.001 89122623

Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 116600 M1252358

Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon 311.92.44.51.01.003 87026394

Rolex Submariner 116613 LB V872641

Omega Seamaster 300m 233.62.41.21.03.001 87260681

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 K907156

Rolex Submariner 16613 E126748

Omega Seamaster 300m 212.30.44.50.03.001 86790618

Rolex Submariner 116610 LN V981165

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 E571886

Rolex Yacht-Master II 116681 567640Q4

Rolex Yacht-Master 116655 6996U829

Omega Speedmaster Missions 3597.08.00 48381499

Rolex Yacht-Master 16628 U995060

Rolex Daytona 116500 LN 8Z56Y200

Rolex Deepsea 116660 G100059

Rolex Yacht-Master II 116680 950180V9

Rolex Daytona 116518 M922946

Related topics:LeedsPolice