The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Thieves steal objects from Swiss watch museum

Theft at the Watch Museum in Le Locle
Theft at the Watch Museum in Le Locle Keystone-SDA

Four criminals have broken into the Watch Museum in Le Locle, canton Neuchâtel. Fewer than ten items – mostly watches – were stolen.

According to a statement from the cantonal police, the thieves forced open the front door on the north side of the building and broke into two rooms at around 6:15am. They then smashed the glass cases housing the clocks.

The four individuals, who were hooded and wearing gloves, remained at the scene for less than five minutes, the police added, before making their getaway in a high-performance saloon car heading towards France. The value of the stolen goods is currently being assessed.

More

The authorities immediately launched a search. The alert was also passed on to the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security, as well as to the French authorities, who are assisting with the investigation.

For the purposes of the investigation and to allow the premises to be restored, the Le Locle Watch Museum, located at the Château des Monts, was closed to the public on Sunday and will reopen in the coming days, as stated in the press release.

How we produce English news
Translated from Italian, reviewed by an 
English Department journalist. 

Related Stories

Popular Stories

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR