Police have arrested five suspects in connection with a report of a terrifying £1million watch burglary in which a masked gang stormed in and attacked the homeowner with a sledgehammer.
Matthew Simpson told the Daily Mail last month how he was at home with his wife watching television and cooking dinner when two of the men dressed all in black smashed their way inside and appeared in their kitchen.
They attacked Mr Simpson, 57, with a sledgehammer before shouting: 'Where are the watches?' before making off with a collection of rare watches which he had amassed over 20 years.
A number of designer handbags, including pieces from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, and Dior, were also stolen in the raid on the property at Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, on December 4. Some of the men were armed, with one carrying a pickaxe as well as another with a sledgehammer.
After being attacked with the sledgehammer, Mr Simpson was forced to get the safe keys and open the safe. The offenders then filled a sack with a large quantity of luxury watches from the safe.
As this was happening, his wife was physically dragged upstairs by other offenders, where she was forced to show them where the rest of the watches were stored.
This morning Nottinghamshire Police revealed four men aged between 18 and 24 and a 33-year-old woman had been arrested as part of the investigation.
The force said an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possession with intent to supply cannabis.
Matthew Simpson was attacked by the masked men armed with sledgehammers and pickaxes who smashed through the patio door and stole his rare, valuable watch collection and bags
Some of the rare watches stolen in the raid. Crimestoppers has offered a reward for information
Men aged 21 and 23 were arrested on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, while the 24-year-old was arrested on suspicion of burglary.
The 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of cocaine.
All five were subsequently released on conditional bail.
Among the luxury watches stolen were an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak QP perpetual calendar. This watch was only released in February 2025 and is produced in very limited quantities.
The timepiece has the recognisable 'Royal Oak' octagonal bezel with exposed screws, and a smoky-blue 'Grande Tapisserie' checkerboard-style patterned dial. The name of Audemars Piguet is displayed at the 6 o'clock mark, within the moon phase indicator.
Also taken was a Rolex 'Platona' Daytona Cosmograph, reference 126506. Police said this watch is crafted entirely from platinum, giving it a more silvery sheen than polished steel or white gold.
The watch has a rich, ice-blue lacquered dial that is unique to platinum Rolex models.
An Omega Speedmaster 'Snoopy' 50th anniversary special edition - issued in 2020 as a highly limited release - and a pair of matching ladies and gents Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'London' editions were also taken.
Mr Simpson and his wife, who did not want to give her first name, at their home in Nottinghamshire last month
The masked gang were dressed in all black and armed with a sledgehammer and pickaxe
The most distinctive handbag stolen was a white Chanel 'Boy' handbag, in a style available only from Milan. This specific bag is made of quilted white leather and is unique due to it having a rigid top handle with Chanel written across it.
It is not a variant which can be bought from the UK.
Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'While the arrests of these five suspects are a significant development, our inquiries are very much ongoing into this appalling crime.
'Our hard work continues in this investigation to bring those responsible to justice.'
Mr Simpson and his wife, 53, who did not want to be named, told the Mail last month the attack was 'absolutely not random' and said he believed 'somebody who knows us' was involved.
The couple, who run a heating company, said the gang could not have found out about the watches on social media as they did not share images of them or the bags online and very few people knew the extent of the collection.
Crimestoppers has offered a reward of up to £7,500 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Mr Simpson said the watches were not only valuable but also held sentimental meaning.
'They came for the watches pure and simple,' he said. 'The watches were a passion of mine and something that I have built over 20 odd years. They are not things you can just go out and buy, there is a lot of research that goes into them.
'A lot of the pieces you are invited to buy, you can't walk into these boutiques and expect to buy these off the shelf, the manufactures - because the relationship you have with them and the pieces you have purchased previously - they then invite you to buy these limited edition options.
'They are generational things and I took a bit of pride in the fact that when I am no longer here my son could be walking around with a watch and that would have been his dad's watch.'
The watches' serial numbers are registered with The Watch Register which means any legitimate sale would be flagged with police.
The offenders also took a mobile phone, and a purse containing bank cards.
The men were caught on the couple's CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition identified a grey hatchback vehicle with false number plates on the nearby A610 at the time of the attack.
The vehicle is then thought to have travelled out of Nottinghamshire, through Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire, before entering the West Midlands region.
