Audemars Piguet just beat Rolex and Omega with one fantastic feature

If you enjoy luxury watches, one thing that is likely to terrify you is the prospect of watch theft. It's a fair fear, too. If you're lucky enough to own a popular watch from a good brand, you could easily find yourself walking around with the value of a decent car, or even a small house on your wrist.

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of stories concerning watch theft. Harrowing footage has shown users attacked for their timepiece, with some thieves even breaking into car windows to steal the watch directly from the wearers' wrist.

Luxury Swiss watchmaker, Audemars Piguet, has just taken a massive step to address these concerns for their users. As part of their AP Coverage Service, the brand will replace a stolen watch, or refund the value to the user.

The service is available to anyone who purchased a watch from their stores in 2022 or 2023. Users must activate the service by registering their watch online, but they're then covered worldwide.

Should you need to make a claim, you'll need to supply a copy of the police report, including the case number, as well as your personal details. AP say that in some cases, they'll need to see documentation to verify your ID, and they retain the the discretion to decide whether or not to offer the service, based on the case.

Regardless, that's a fantastic offering. It should give owners of Audemars Piguet watches the confidence to wear them more frequently, safe in the knowledge that their treasured timepiece is protected.

It's the kind of thing I'd like to see other manufacturers offer. Rolex, in particular, are susceptible to theft, and offering some added protection would inspire confidence in buyers to wear their watches, rather than leaving them at home.

For now, though AP have a unique service on offer. If you needed another reason to buy that Royal Oak you've been longing for, you just got it.