Thieves Target Audemars Piguet in Paris
STEALING TIME: Two armed thieves made off with luxury watches estimated to be worth around 1 million euros from a boutique owned by Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet in central Paris, steps away from the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, on Saturday afternoon.
It is the latest jewelry heist to strike the French capital.
Authorities are searching for two individuals who left the store located at 46 Rue de Pierre Charonne with a number of high-valued timepieces after the hold-up at about 1 p.m. in the 8th arrondissement, according to a spokesman for the Paris police.
The duo entered the store and showed their handguns – but fired no shots – before taking the watches and fleeing in a car. They abandoned that vehicle, which was subsequently found in the nearby Bois de Boulogne park, the police spokesman said.
The judicial police’s bandit repression brigade is overseeing the case.
Local media outlets are reporting that the stolen watches are worth around 1 million euros.
Officials at Audemars Piguet were not immediately available to comment.
The Audemars Piguet store is located in what’s referred to as the “triangle d’or” (or “golden triangle”) in the French capital, the tony shopping area situated around Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V and Rue François 1er. Over the past few years the neighborhood has been the target of numerous thefts, including at Harry Winston, when in 2008 thieves made away with 85 million euros-worth of gems.
Another Audemars Piguet store, then located on Rue Saint-Honoré in the 1st arrondissement, was robbed of watches estimated to be worth 800,000 euros in December 2013.
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