Luxury Watches, Celebrities, and Organized Thefts — Cannes Shows Its Dark Side

When cameras flash in Cannes, limousines crawl along the Croisette, and actors wearing sunglasses bigger than their film roles emerge from luxury hotels, the Côte d’Azur feels like a parallel world for a few days. Everything shines. Everything sparkles. And nowadays, it’s not just photographers who are drawn to this. Around this year’s film festival, reports of spectacular thefts of luxury watches have been increasing. Millionaires, producers, influencers, and entrepreneurs — people who visibly wear their wealth on their wrists — have been affected. Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille ...