NYPD: Armed Robbers Storm UES Jewelry Store, Steal Watches Worth More Than $300K

What to Know

  • Police are searching for two men seen on surveillance video stealing watches from an Upper East Side jeweler in broad daylight
  • One of the men smashed display boxes and stole the watches as the other man forced employees to the floor with a gun, police said
  • None of the employees were injured; the men got away with watches worth more than $300,000

Two thieves armed with a gun and a claw hammer stormed into a jewelry store on the Upper East Side this week and forced employees to the ground as they smashed displays and stole luxury watches in broad daylight.

The robbery was caught on video and police are hoping the footage will help lead to the robbers’ arrest.

The two men wore sunglasses and hats to hide their faces as they entered the Jaeger-Lecoultre Jewelry Store on Madison Avenue at about 10:30 a.m. Monday.

One of the men pulled out a handgun and pointed it at three employees as he ordered them to the ground, police said.

The second man smashed two display boxes with the claw hammer. Police said he was able to grab five watches worth more than $300,000 from the boxes. 

The two men took off down Madison Avenue and then headed east on East 62nd Street, according to police.

The NYPD said that no shots were fired and that none of the employees were injured in the robbery.

On Tuesday morning, the jewelry store had brown paper blocking the windows and a guard standing outside. 

Watch specialist Jonathan Hochman went to the store to check on his friends there and make sure they were OK. 

"Unfortunately, this goes with the territory," he said. "They are liquid items. If they were any more liquid, this would be a bank." 

Still, the theives will have a hard time selling the stolen jewels, Hochman said. 

"This is a very rare watch because of the price point," he said. "They aren't made that often, therefore people know and will check. That is the issue with the super high-end items. Also if it breaks, you cannot get it fixed." 

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