'This could have happened to any of us': Growing terror of watch dealers after Richmond £2.8m jewellery raid saw two thugs put 'traumatised' salesman Oliver White in chokehold before he took his own life

Watch dealers have revealed the growing threat of theft they are facing following a £2.8m jewelry raid in Richmond that preceded the store's salesman taking his own life.  

Oliver White, 27, died at his family home in Shepperton, Surrey, just a day after two unarmed thieves entered the 247 Kettles store in affluent Richmond in south-west London on Saturday May 25.

Horrifying video footage shows one of the robbers restraining Oliver with a chokehold while his accomplice is seen sweeping up large numbers of watches and putting them into the backpack of the man assaulting the young sales manager.

A man and a woman have since been arrested in connection with the robbery. But the incident has left other watch dealerships in the capital tense following a rapid rise in watch thefts in recent years.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, The founder of Atlas Watches in Hatton Garden - an area of London renowned for its jewelers - said the tragic events in Richmond has had a profound impact on the business. 

Joel said: 'It's been very sombre in the watch community. You can really feel it.

'This could have happened to any one of us.'

It isn't just dealerships that are facing the threat of having their luxury timepieces stolen. In recent years there have been a number of high profile cases of celebrity victims of watch thieves. 

Last year, Formula One driver Charles Leclerc's £265,000 Richard Mille watch was stolen while he was signing autographs in Italy on Easter Monday. 

In June 2018, comedian Michael McIntyre had his £15,000 Rolex torn from his wrist by a gang of armed robbers who waved a knife in front Mr Mcintyre and his terrified young son. 

Joel explained that the reason thieves are increasingly targeting watches is because they are small and easy to snatch. While they also retain their value on the second-hand market with big brands often fetching over £40,000. 

For second-hand watch dealerships like Atlas, it is crucial that they can spot stolen goods. 

The 32-year-old Joel says he puts the serial number of watches he is buying from members of the public through a lost and stolen database. If a watch comes up as stolen, dealers can insist they keep hold of the watch while they call the police. 

As Atlas usually holds up to 70 designer watches at any time security is crucial and for that reason Joel's shop has cameras, a panic alarm and an airlock entrance to trap would-be thieves in the store. 

Joel said: 'Some might call me paranoid but I try to be overly cautious because you never know who's going to turn up at your door.'

The series of recent thefts and the events in Richmond have brought the jewellers of Hatton Garden closer together, in an industry where they are often jostling for the same clientele. Joel insists the watch dealers have each other's back.