A British millionaire who spends half his time in Monaco has been mugged in Saint Tropez by two men who took his Richard Millie watch valued at more than 400,000 euros.
The very fit and muscular 41 year-old was approached from behind in the early hours. One thief grabbed his arm while the other cut the watch strap.
“’The watch was gone in a split second, no more than two seconds. ‘Two men approached me from behind, one pulled my arm and the other clipped the watch strap. It happened so fast but I realised what had happened straight away.
“I chased after them,” Richard Skelhorn said. “One of them dropped his mobile phone as he ran. He stopped and I picked it up. As I’m 6ft 6in and about 300lbs he must have thought twice about coming back and carried on running. I decided not to continue chasing as it was very dark and I didn’t know if they had knives.”
Having left the Noto restaurant on his own at about 02:00, Richard was waiting to be picked up by a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce to return to the Chateau Messardiere Hotel.
The businessman had paid £100,000 for the watch, made from carbon and features 18k rose gold, eight years ago as a gift to himself after selling his first company, he told a UK tabloid. As so few of the watches have been made it has appreciated in value.
Richard put a reward up for its return on his Instagram account with an email address for anyone to get in touch anonymously with information, the Daily Mail said.
He has been contacted by another businessman who said he had his Richard Millie watch stolen in St Tropez by two men.
There has been a spate of similar muggings in Paris in recent months, and with the holiday season in full swing the thieves have evidently moved south for richer pickings.
PHOTO: Ricahrd Skelhorn Instagram
