Armed robbers flee with £350,000 worth of watches after Leeds Victoria Quarter raid, company boss reveals
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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Hide AdHe said: "Forty-seven watches were stolen with a value of around £350,000.
"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.
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Hide AdMeanwhile 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.
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Hide Ad"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."
She said that the men fled at speed towards The Headrow.
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Hide Ad"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
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