Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
A North Shore man has been reunited with his stolen $90,000 Rolex after an extraordinary months‑long hunt that stretched across three countries and countless dead ends.
The luxury watch was among a haul of high‑end goods seized during a 2023 search warrant at the home of a prolific burglar, now behind bars. But it wasn’t until North Shore Frontline Station Support Officer Lisa Clark spotted the Rolex in the exhibits store that the real detective work began.
Clark says something about the watch bothered her — a sense that someone out there still cared deeply about it. With no clear owner listed and burglary reports offering little help, she launched what became a five‑month international search.
She contacted Rolex dealers, service centres and retailers across New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong, trawled through online forums, and chased every lead she could find. Most went nowhere.
“Everywhere I went, doors kept getting shut in my face,” she says. “But I couldn’t let it go.”
The breakthrough finally came when Clark traced the watch back to Matt Kim, whose North Shore home was burgled in August 2023. The burglary had shaken the family so badly they moved to Australia to start over, believing their stolen items were gone forever.
When Clark phoned him, Kim didn’t hesitate. “He said, ‘I’ll get on a plane right now and come and get it.’”
Kim returned to collect the Rolex, designer bags and a diamond ring belonging to his wife. The moment was emotional.
“He cried,” Clark says. “Three years on, they never thought they’d see any of it again.”
The Rolex had been one of the first gifts Kim bought for his wife — a symbol of their early years together.
After returning to Sydney, Kim sent Clark a message thanking her for her persistence, calling her “our hero.”
Tactical Crime Unit acting Detective Sergeant Beth Bates says Clark’s determination shows how far Police staff will go to support victims and make a difference.
