{
  "id": 17916865,
  "title": "Stolen R4,8 million watch returned with apology note",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/stolen-r4-8-million-watch-returned-with-apology-note",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T05:44:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/world/2026-11-03-stolen-r48-million-watch-returned-with-apology-note/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "An Audemars Piguet watch worth approximately R4.8 million, or about US$290,000, has been returned to a Tokyo store via courier. The timepiece was stolen last week after a man posing as a customer tried on the watch and fled the shop while wearing it. The returned item included a handwritten apology note, and its serial number reportedly identified it as the stolen watch.\n\nTokyo police are continuing to search for the suspect on suspicion of theft. According to Free Malaysia Today, the store declined to comment on the incident. The Asahi Shimbun previously reported that four other luxury watches valued at 200 million yen were stolen from a different store in the same shopping complex in August.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "VnExpress International",
        "title": "Stolen $291,000 watch comes back to Tokyo shop by courier with handwritten apology",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/stolen-291-000-watch-comes-back-to-tokyo-shop-by-courier-with",
        "published": "2026-11-03T02:01:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Thief returns $292,000 luxury watch stolen in Tokyo with handwritten apology",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/thief-returns-292-000-luxury-watch-stolen-in-tokyo-with-handwritten",
        "published": "2026-11-03T05:45:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Sorry about that: Stolen US$290,000 Audemars Piguet watch returned to Tokyo shop with apology note",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/sorry-about-that-stolen-us-290-000-audemars-piguet-watch-returned-to",
        "published": "2026-11-03T06:14:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Thief returns US$290k Audemars Piguet watch with 'sorry' note",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/thief-returns-us-290k-audemars-piguet-watch-with-sorry-note",
        "published": "2026-11-03T07:16:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}