East Asia

Tokyo police are still searching for a man on suspicion of theft.

Stolen watch worth US$290,000 returned to Japan store with sorry note

People shop at the Ameya-Yokocho in Ueno, one of the busiest open-air markets in Tokyo. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

03 Nov 2026 05:19PM

TOKYO: A Swiss luxury watch worth about US$290,000 that was stolen from a Tokyo store last week has been returned with an apology note, according to local media.

The theft occurred when a man posing as a customer tried on the Audemars Piguet timepiece and then fled the shop in the Japanese capital while it was still on his wrist.

But the case took a twist when the store received a package containing the watch - and a handwritten note saying sorry, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and other media reported on Monday (Nov 2), citing unnamed investigative sources.

The watch's serial number reportedly identified it as the stolen item.

The shop declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Tokyo police are still searching for the man on suspicion of theft, according to the Asahi.

In August, four luxury watches worth 200 million yen (US$1.3 million) were stolen from another store in the same shopping complex.

Source: AFP/ia

Source: CNA

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