A luxury Audemars Piguet watch worth approximately £216,000, which was stolen from a shop in Tokyo, has been returned just days after the suspect fled with it. The unexpected delivery came with a handwritten apology note, although police are still searching for the suspected thief. The incident happened at the Nakano Broadway shopping complex in Tokyo's Nakano Ward.
The man reportedly pretended to be a customer before making off with the expensive wristwatch. The theft took place at around 8pm on Thursday, 29 October, at a watch shop on the third floor of Nakano Broadway. According to investigative sources cited by The Japan Times, the man entered the store and asked an employee if he could try on an Audemars Piguet timepiece.
After having the watch fastened around his wrist, the suspect suddenly fled the premises while still wearing it. Two shop employees were present during the incident, but neither was injured. The stolen Swiss-made watch was valued at approximately 46 million yen, equivalent to around £216,000. Its reported price made it a costly loss for the shop.
Stolen Watch Returned With Apology
The case took an unexpected turn on Sunday morning, 1 November, when a package containing the missing timepiece arrived at the shop through a delivery service. The parcel had reportedly been sent from Aichi Prefecture, a region in central Japan.
Shop employees checked the watch's serial number and confirmed that it matched the item stolen several days earlier. A handwritten note expressing an apology was also found inside the package.
The parcel reportedly included a sender's name and address, but investigators suspect that the details may have been false. Despite recovering the expensive timepiece, the shop's case is not yet closed. Tokyo police are continuing their investigation and searching for the man suspected of taking the watch.
A luxury wristwatch stolen from a watch shop at a shopping complex in Tokyo's Nakano Ward last week was returned to the store via a delivery service, along with a handwritten note of apology, investigative sources said. 👉 https://t.co/O3Nteanflm pic.twitter.com/7M0B3Tuw7c
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) November 2, 2026
The Appeal of Audemars Piguet
Founded in 1875 in Switzerland, Audemars Piguet is one of the world's most prestigious luxury watchmakers. It is known for its intricate craftsmanship, innovative designs and high-end mechanical timepieces.
The family-owned company is particularly recognised for its Royal Oak collection. It helped redefine the luxury sports watch with its distinctive octagonal bezel, exposed screws and integrated bracelet.
Its watches are made using premium materials, including stainless steel, gold, titanium and ceramic, with some models featuring complex movements and elaborate complications. Depending on the collection, materials and rarity, Audemars Piguet watches can command prices ranging from tens of thousands to several million pounds, making them highly sought-after pieces among collectors and luxury watch enthusiasts.
Another Watch Theft in Tokyo
This recent incident was not the first major luxury watch theft reported at Nakano Broadway this year. In August, four high-end watches with a combined retail value of approximately 200 million yen (around £940,000) were stolen from another shop inside the same shopping complex. Two Chilean nationals were arrested in connection with the August incident and subsequently indicted.
The case also prompted additional security measures for watch retailers in the shopping complex. Police held a crime prevention session for shop owners, advising them to display replica watches rather than valuable originals and demonstrating the use of special display-case linings designed to make cases harder to break.
