Six Years in Prison Sought for Watchmaker Accused of Appropriating 101 Luxury Watches

An employee of a Madrid-based watch repair company faces a prison sentence for allegedly stealing luxury timepieces valued at over 300,000 euros.

Close-up of a luxury watch face with intricate details.
IA

Close-up of a luxury watch face with intricate details.

An employee of a watch repair company in Madrid is accused of misappropriating 101 luxury watches, valued at over 300,000 euros, leading prosecutors to seek a six-year prison sentence.

The trial against the accused, identified as S.K., took place this week at the Provincial Court of Madrid. The Provincial Prosecutor's Office alleges that between 2016 and October 2019, the defendant, who worked at Unión de Relojeros Certificados SLU, exploited the trust of clients and colleagues to keep watches entrusted for repair.
According to the indictment, the allegedly stolen items include high-end watches from renowned brands such as Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, Hublot, Cartier, Blancpain, Vacheron Constantin, and Franck Muller. A total of 31 victims, including individuals and jewelry stores, have been identified, with claims in some cases exceeding 40,000 euros.
The prosecution estimates that 101 watches were allegedly appropriated, with a total value of 304,908 euros. The acts have been classified as a continuous crime of misappropriation.
In addition to the requested prison sentence, the Prosecutor's Office is seeking a fine of twenty months and for the accused to compensate the victims for the amounts claimed. It is also requested that the company be held subsidiarily civilly liable.