London Police averted citizens to wear expensive watches at public places, 24News HD TV channel reported on Tuesday.  

After the London police’s alert, the famous store ‘Harrods’ has also issued an advisory to refrain from wearing expensive watches in public places and areas prone to muggers.

At least 621 expensive watches have been snatched between January and July 2022 in the city, London Metropolitan Police said.  

Reports of expensive watch-snatching have raised concerns among the citizens prompting the police to go for issuing an advisory.  

Harrods, a store of luxury items, warned citizens by displaying digital billboards outside the store in London.  It flashed up several graphics including a map highlighting “watch theft hotspots” and an acronym for the word "watch", which says: “Wear it with care, avoid unnecessary risk, travel with a friend, cover it up, hand it over if threatened.”

A few weeks ago, the London police have instructed citizens not to wear luxury watches in an awareness campaign. 

Meanwhile, the public safety campaign was also launched by Watch Collecting, a prominent online auction house, in response to the surging number of watch thefts in the capital this year.

Muggers carried out several robberies/thefts of valuable watches in various areas of central London. 

Footage emerged last week of a woman on a street in Chelsea being attacked for her watch in broad daylight by two masked men wielding knives.

Police have promised to add patrols in areas seeing the highest levels of assaults.

Police also advise the public to keep valuables like watches concealed and to be aware of their surroundings.