Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was robbed of his $500,000 Richard Mille watch hours after his podium finish at the Italian GP.

Fortunately for the 29-year-old driver, he still had his racing boots on and chased the robbers on foot.

READ MORE: Alonso’s $1m Richard Mille watch is inspired by the tale of the 47 ronin

It all happened outside the Armani Hotel in Milan.

Sainz was on his way back to the hotel after the Italian GP at Monza when three men accosted him.

The three men mugged him at knifepoint, and they made away with a Richard Mille timepiece worth half a million dollars.

Or at least they thought they did.

With the help of a passerby, Sainz chased the robbers, got his watch back and had the perpertrators arrested.

Even though the story has a happy ending, there may be a pattern here and it’s a bit worrying.

The same exact thing happened to Charles Leclerc and McLaren driver Lando Norris.

Both drivers were robbed of their watch, and both times the watch in question was a Richard Mille.

In fact, Norris has been robbed twice.

Once outside Wembley during Euro 2020 and then again this summer in Marbella.

As for Leclerc, his watch was snatched when he was on holiday with friends in the Italian town of Viareggio.

The watch resurfaced on the black market a few months later, where it sold for nearly half its price.

Speaking of his day at the track, Sainz said he was happy with the podium.

“It was a great weekend all along and to be able to celebrate a podium with the Tifosi (Italian supporters, ed.) is the perfect icing on the cake,” Sainz said.

The Italian GP was once again a one-sided affair with Red Bull Racing cannibalizing the podium with a one-two finish.

Max Verstappen won his tenth GP in a row, beating his teammate Sergio Pérez by nine seconds.

Carlos Sainz completed the podium with a third-place finish, narrowly beating his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

The next Formula One race, the Singapore Grand Prix, is scheduled for September 17.

This alien-shaped watch is known as the HM9 Sapphire Vision and it’s made by MB&F, an independent watchmaker from Switzerland.

As you can see, MB&F loves throwing convention to the wind, and we love it for that.

READ MORE: This watch is made from iron, and it costs more than a McLaren

The first question you might be asking is, how exactly does one use this watch to tell time?

Bittersweet news on that front, because while the watch does have a ‘normal’ dial with traditional hands and hour markers, it is a lot smaller than usual.

It’s also not where you’d expect it to be.

The dial is located on the side of the watch, rather than on its face.

This type of watch is something called a driving watch.

They call it that because the idea is you’re supposed to be able to tell time by looking at it sideways while your hands are on the steering wheel.

READ MORE: You can buy a couple of Bugattis for the same price as this Patek Philippe

With the exception of the solid gold frame and the gold crown at the top, the entire watch is made from transparent sapphire crystal, giving you the chance to admire the ultra-complicated movement.

It’s available in yellow gold with a green movement, but if that’s not your cup of tea, you can opt for the blue PVD one with a white gold frame.

The watch isn’t for everyone, for a couple of reasons.

The first is the shape.

It’s unique and unorthodox, almost like the head of an alien.

The second reason is this alien-shaped watch costs more than most supercars.

You might want to sit down for this, because it costs $490,000.

For that money, you can buy a Lamborghini Urus… twice.

This is the new Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail, the second of four Droptail models after the La Rose Noire that was unveiled last week.

Just like the La Rose Noire, the Amethyst comes with a ‘free’ watch included in the car.

And it’s fantastically expensive.

READ MORE: Billionaire hoists $350k Rolls-Royce to the living room of his penthouse

All Rolls-Royce models are fitted with a dashboard clock.

They are always made by Swiss brands and are sometimes detachable to be worn on the wrist as well.

The La Rose Noire, for example, features a dashboard clock made by Audemars Piguet, the brand that makes the ultra popular Royal Oak.

Meanwhile, the timepiece you’ll find in the dashboard of the Rolls-Royce Amethyst is made by Vacheron Constantin, one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world.

Vacheron Constantin is a serious watchmaker.

It was founded in 1755, nearly 250 years ago.

Vacheron and Rolls-Royce came together to give the timepiece a name that’s just as fancy as the car.

It’s called the ‘Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon’.

As the name suggest, it’s a tourbillon timepiece, which is just about the most complicated kind of watch that exists.

If you’re not happy keeping the clock in the car and would rather show it to your house guests, you can remove it from the car and place it on a special custom case.

The Amethyst is a one-off, like the other three Droptails, and all four have already been sold to collectors.

Each Droptail costs between $25 million and $30 million.

And each dashboard clock / watch is equally expensive.

Just like the car, the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon is a pièce unique (watch jargon for one-off) created for this car.

Its value is estimated at around $150,000 – $200,000.

You can buy a decent supercar for that kind of money.

A giant watch has popped up at Harrods and people are wondering what’s going on.

And when we say ‘giant’, it is not a hyperbole – the watch is five meters tall, and occupies two stories of Europe’s most famous shopping mall.

It’s much more than just art too.

READ MORE: Twitch streamer xQc shows off incredible Audemars Piguet watch with massive price tag

The massive timepiece was installed by German watch manufacturer A. Lange & Söhne.

This is a real, fully functioning timepiece with a supersized version of the brand’s movement, and it works just like any other wristwatch.

Except it is 25 times larger.

To put that in perspective, the minute hand is around the same length as a human leg.

There are two reasons why A. Lange & Söhne came up with this crazy art installation.

First, placing a massive five-meter-tall watch inside Harrods is the perfect publicity stunt to entice shoppers and visitors.

After all, approximately 300,000 people visit London’s largest department store every day of the year, and some of them have really large wallets.

Second, it’s a nod to a similar installation that the watchmaker brought to Watches & Wonders, one of Europe’s most important watch fairs which takes place in Geneva in the spring.

The massive watch is an oversized replica of the brand’s flagship timepiece, the Odysseus Chronograph.

It is not for sale but, if your pockets are deep enough, you can always buy the ‘normal-sized’ watch for $135,000.

The five-meter tall watch / work of art is located on the lower ground floor of Harrods, where you can find all the luxury watch boutiques.

However, it is so tall that it also occupies part of the ground floor.

Anybody can head to Harrods and see the watch in person, the only thing to bear in mind is it will only be up until September 24.

If you own a luxury watch, you’ll know how expensive it is to get it serviced.

And there’s a very good reason why – watchmakers are required to be incredibly skilled.

This video of a Patek Philippe being serviced shows just how incredibly talented they are. 

READ MORE! Experts reveal why right now is the best time to buy a luxury watch

The video, posted to TikTok by WRISTCHECK, shows a professional watchmaker servicing a Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5605.

Now bearing in mind the average price of this particular watch on the private sales market is in the region of $46,000.

But it would cost even more – approximately $49,000 – if you were to buy from a secondary market dealer.

Not a cheap watch by any means, so you’ll want to ensure it’s in safe hands.

The watchmaker starts by taking the valuable timepiece from a green leather pouch before removing its composite rubber strap.

He then applies what appears to be some kind of film to the back of the watch to safely remove the case back.

With the case back removed and the inner workings of the watch exposed, he then removes its crown.

This separates the case body and bezel from the dial of the Patek Philippe.

The watchmaker then applies some film to the dial before carefully removing the three hands using a pair of tweezers.

Next up, the movement – the components that make the watch function – are stripped down and placed into a cleaning machine.

While that’s taking place, the crystal is removed from the inner of the bezel, with the latter being machine polished to remove surface scratches.

With the cleaning machine finishing its cycle, the watchmaker then painstakingly pieces the movement back together.

The next step is to fix the hands back on the dial, before testing that the watch’s automatic movement can be wound up properly.

The crystal is given a quick blast with an air gun to clear it of any moisture or dust so that it can then be pressed back into the bezel of the Patek Philippe.

The final pieces of the watch’s movements are then pieced back together and silicone grease is applied to a gasket on the case back.

Last but not least, the rubber strap is reattached to the watch.

There’s no denying it’s fascinating to watch the Patek Philippe being serviced.

The level of precision and detail that goes into watch servicing is truly remarkable.

It doesn’t come cheap, though.

It will have cost a few thousand dollars to have had the Patek Phillipe serviced.

Worth it, though, as it looks as good as the day it was bought.

Last year was absolutely insane for watch prices but things are getting better now.

In fact, watch experts say that now is the best time to buy a luxury timepiece.

READ MORE: Twitch streamer xQc shows off incredible Audemars Piguet watch with massive price tag

SwissWatchExpo CEO Eugene Tutunikov says the market is cooling down after an absolutely mind-blowing rise in 2021 and 2022.

Tutunikov believes this is largely due to Covid.

“[During Covid], consumers were flush with cash because they weren’t going out to eat or traveling [and] there was a limited amount of products [they could spend money on],” he said.

The result was a crazy rise in value for luxury watches.

Especially when it comes to timepieces made by Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe.

Prices for these three brands peaked in January 2022, but they’ve been going down ever since.

Tim Stracke, CEO of Chrono24, says prices are now pretty stable compared to last year and 2021.

“Our view is that prices have reached the low end and have become somewhat stable,” Stracke said.

Stracke further explained that the world’s coveted watches are now 10-20 percent cheaper than they were last year.

This is true for Rolex’s most popular models, including the Daytona, the AP Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Buyers who are not interested in Rolex, Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe should keep an eye on Cartier, according to Stracke.

“It’s super successful right now,” he said. “It’s probably had one of the biggest growth trajectories over the last six months.”

Further, Stracke says Piaget and Chopard watches are on a similar trajectory.

As a general rule, experts collectively agree the best investment is still Rolex.

You can buy one and, worst-case scenario, sell it at the price years later.

Twitch streamer xQc is absolutely besotted with his most recent acquisition, an ultra-expensive Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

XQc, whose real name is Félix Lengyel, shared a picture of his brand-new watch to his 1.5 million followers on Twitter / X and people went absolutely mad in the comment section.

We’re not surprised, to be honest, because this watch is rare – and super expensive.

READ MORE: The new Audemars Piguet ‘Spider-Man’ watch costs the same as an Aston Martin Vantage

The timepiece in question is a skeletonized version of Audemars Piguet’s best-seller, the Royal Oak.

In addition to that, it is also adorned with rainbow-colored gems around the bezel.

Meanwhile, the case and integrated bracelet are made from 18k white gold with a ‘frosted’ effect.

The watch costs more than a supercar.

The cheapest one available from Chrono24, the world’s largest watch marketplace, will set you back $300,000.

It’s unclear whether xQc was able to acquire it at retail price from an Audemars Piguet authorized dealer or whether he had to buy one from the pre-owned market.

Either way, it cost more than most people’s homes.

Most of the comments were positive.

“It’s good to treat yourself once in a while,” one user said.

“Many congrats man! Super clean,” another user wrote.

The Royal Oak is the hottest ticket in the watch world at the moment and the hype isn’t dying down.

There are several variations available but, as a general rule, you can’t get one for under five figures.

And that’s for the ‘bog-standard’ stainless steel model.

The price goes up once you start including complications, like a chronograph function for example, or precious metals such as gold or platinum.

The Double Balance Wheel Openworked AP pictured down below is the most expensive Royal Oak in the world at the moment.

It costs $1.7 million.

A guest on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow has been left speechless after being told the value of his Rolex.

The watch in question was a rare iteration of the Rolex Submariner and was passed down from his father, who bought it for just £132 ($170).

READ MORE: Dealer shows how to spot a fake Rolex

“He bought it for himself in 1972 when I was seven and me, my mum, my dad and my brother went to Birmingham to buy it,” he said.

“My dad passed away and he gave it to me a couple of months before he passed away. It means absolutely everything to me. It’s part of my dad. It’s a very, very special watch that is and will be forever,” he added.

The Rolex owner said his father never modified the watch except for the bracelet, which was replaced a couple of times over the years.

After having the watch examined and appraised, BBC’s watch expert Richard Price was ready to give the Rolex’s owner the good news.

Price told him it was a genuine vintage Rolex Submariner.

He also said that watch collectors – particularly Rolex collectors – were “pedantic” and always looking for the X factor when it came to rare iterations of the Submariner.

“Within a 10-year period, this watch was made with six different types of dial,” Price said. “And it has the word ‘Submariner’ written in red, which is why collectors call it the Red Submariner”.

Then Price delivered the verdict.

“I hope you guys are going to be really, really pleased with this. It’s going to be around the £20,000 mark,” Price said.

For reference, £20,000 is equivalent to $25,000.

Not bad for a watch that only cost £132.

“It’s something you’ve obviously loved and you’re going to keep forever,” Price said.

“It was your dad’s and I think that’s a lovely, lovely story.”

Remember Buzz Aldrin?

In addition to having the coolest name (and jawline) in the history of space exploration, Buzz is also a big watch guy.

That’s why he decided to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the Moon Landing with a social media-friendly picture where you can spot three watches on his wrist(s).

READ MORE: Rolex is returned to its owner four years after it sunk to the bottom of the ocean

On July 16, 1969, Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins became the first men to set foot on the Moon.

All three were wearing Omega Speedmaster watches.

Today, over five decades later, Buzz decided to mark the anniversary by wearing three timepieces: one on his right wrist, and two on his left wrist.

And of course he also celebrated with a plate of steak and eggs.

In the picture, the Apollo XI astronaut is wearing the Skywalker X-33, the X-33 Marstimer Chronograph and the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Speedmaster.

On his left wrist are the X-33 Marstimer and the Apollo 11 Speedmaster.

The former (pictured below) is an analog-digital iteration of the Chronograph that went to the Moon and, among other things, allows you to display solar time on Earth and on Mars.

It retails for $6,400.

The latter (below) is an expensive version of the Speedmaster, priced at $10,600, with a gold-tone depiction of the Moon Landing decorating the sub-dial at the 9 o’clock.

The watch he’s wearing on his right wrist is the Skywalker X-33, the analog-digital predecessor to the Marstimer.

The Skywalker is available for $5,900.

Only 12 people have been to the Moon in total, and most of them were wearing Omega watches.

There’s one glaring exception, though.

In 1971, Dave Scott was supposed to wear his Nasa-issued Omega during the Apollo 15 mission.

But, when Scott reached the surface of the Moon he found out the the watch he’d been issued wasn’t working properly.

So he decided to wear his very own, ‘unauthorized’ Bulova timepiece.

In 2015, that very watch sold for $1.6 million at auction.

Not that long ago, an Australian surfer named Matt Cuddihy retrieved a rare Rolex Submariner from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Despite its terrible condition, the watch was still working and it was still worth a huge chunk of money.

Luckily for the owner, Matt didn’t believe in the ‘finders, keepers’ mantra and, amazingly, managed to find the rightful owner and return the timepiece.

READ MORE: Fans can’t believe Kylie Jenner just casually found a $41k Rolex in the bottom of her bag

As ever, we’ve got social media to thank for that.

Matt took to Instagram to share the news of his sea-debris-encrusted sunken Rolex find and the pictures went viral.

“The only thing I wanted was to reunite it with the owner,” he said.

“I wasn’t ever going to sell it. I knew it meant a lot to someone. There is so much history there.”

With the help of web magazine Fratello Watches, Matt was able to track down Ric, the owner of the Rolex.

When Ric got in touch with Matt, Matt knew he finally got the right guy because Ric was aware of an inscription on the case back that had not been mentioned in the social media post.

“Hey Matt, if that watch has an inscription on the back it is mine. I contacted the police after I lost the watch,” Ric said in a message to Matt.

“I might be able to get it back because it has very special memories for me.”

As it turns out, Ric had been given the watch by his father in 1971, when he was 18 years old, which is why the inscription simply read: “Presented 1971”.

Kudos to Matt for finding the watch and selflessly finding its owner.

After all, even in this condition, the watch is worth quite a bit of money.