A JEWELLER has described the moment a thief stole a £4,000 Rolex watch by swapping it for a fake.
Posing as a customer interested in a part-exchange, the man distracted a shop assistant and made the split-second switch.
It was only when staff put the watch back on display that they realised they had been duped.
The only flaw in the swindler's plan was that his accomplice was a registered customer of Albone Jewellers in Church Street and the business had his name, address and telephone number.
Police have already made one arrest and are searching for the brains behind the theft, which took place on January 28.
Owner Steve Albone told the Advertiser that the same two men had visited the shop earlier in the day to look at Rolexes.
They returned later in the afternoon and again asked to look at the watches.
"The girl I have working there took the watches out of the window and put them on the counter," said Mr Albone.
"The watches were taken off their stands after he asked her if we do part-exchange.
"He took a watch off his wrist and handed to her. She needed some help because she wasn't sure what we would offer so she called for the manager, who was in the office.
"She didn't leave the customer. She literally turned her head for a second and at that precise moment he took a watch from his pocket and swapped it for one of the watches on the counter.
"When she turned back it had already been done and she had no idea."
The two men left the store shortly afterwards.
It was not until the watches were put back on display that the manager realised what had happened.
"You could tell it was a fake after close inspection but it was almost identical," said Mr Albone.
"It wasn't until I saw the CCTV that I realised how it was done was quite clever.
"Stupid thing is, earlier in the day, one of them asked about his pawn contract because he is a customer of ours.
"We had his name, address and phone number on the system, which we gave to the police."
The recording clearly shows one of the men put the real watch in his left-hand pocket while pulling the fake from his right and placing it on the counter.
Detectives from Croydon Police are investigating the theft.
A 25-year-old man was arrested on January 29 in connection with the offence and has since been bailed to return to south London police station in early March pending further investigation.
