Moment Tim Hortons coffee boss has his £65,000 Patek Philippe watch stolen in London

Algerian convicted for targeting multinational chain's regional head for his luxury watch

This is the moment an expensive watch was snatched from an unsuspecting businessman in a street robbery in central London.

Axel Schwan, the regional president of multinational coffee chain Tim Hortons, was walking in New Bond Street with his wife on June 30 last year when he was targeted.

Algerian Ahmed Djidi, 26, was part of the gang following him, while an accomplice moved in to rip the £65,000 ($87,350) Patek Philippe watch from Mr Schwan's wrist.

In the footage from the Metropolitan Police, the thief is seen approaching Mr Schwan from behind, pulling him down, then running away with the watch.

Ahmed Djidi was jailed for his part in the robbery Photo: Met Police

An accomplice ducks into an alley as Mr Schwan appears to stumble on the kerb, allowing the thief to escape down the alley.

Djidi was sentenced to 22 months in jail for theft when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court on October 8.

The moment Axel Schwan has his watch ripped from his wrist. Photo: Met Police

The investigation was led by Det Sgt Daniel Northcott, who said police have “removed a notorious offender from London's streets”.

“He snatched watches from the wrists of people walking through the city − making onlookers feel unsafe and leaving a significant, lasting effect on this victim.

“The Met is focused on reducing the number of robberies taking place on the streets of London by targeting robbery hotspots with increased patrols.

Axel Schwan, President, Canada & USA Tim Hortons. Photo: Axel Schwan / Facebook

“This prevents and deters robberies from taking place, as we work to identify, apprehend and deter potential offenders, and we're seeing success with personal robbery down 12.8 per cent compared to the same period [the first three months of the financial year] last year.”

The West End shopping streets of Oxford Street and Regent Street, plus the nearby areas of Mayfair and Knightsbridge, have gained a reputation for violent thefts, spawning the term “Rolex Rippers” due to the number of luxury watches that have been stolen.

An investigation into Algerian criminals by The National exposed how they were part of a crime network operating from North Africa to the UK.

In response, police have promised to use facial recognition technology and more “boots on the ground” to combat the city’s problem with violent robberies.