{
  "id": 17770356,
  "title": "Stolen luxury watch returned to Tokyo store via courier with apology note",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/stolen-luxury-watch-returned-to-tokyo-store-via-courier-with-apology",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-02T08:29:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/11/02/japan/crime-legal/stolen-luxury-watch-returned/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A stolen luxury watch recovered from a Tokyo store was returned to the establishment via courier, bearing an apology note, according to preliminary reports on Monday. The incident unfolded on Thursday evening at a watch shop within the Nakano Broadway complex, specifically on the third floor. A man, who had tried on a luxury Audemars Piguet timepiece valued at approximately ¥46 million ($292,000), subsequently fled with the object. Two employees were present during the incident and remained unharmed. The watch was delivered back to the store on Sunday morning, after its serial number matched the one from the original theft. The courier package included a handwritten apology note, though police suspect the provided name and address details are fabricated. Earlier in August, a similar theft occurred at the same shopping complex, involving four luxury watches estimated to be worth around ¥200 million ($1.2 million) in total. Two Chilean nationals were apprehended in connection with the earlier event and are currently facing indictment.",
  "summary": "The package containing the stolen watch had been sent from Aichi Prefecture and included a handwritten apology.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}