All About the Notorious Timepiece Gentleman and the Scam he Pulled off in Beverly Hills

Luxury watches are one of the items that attract people willing to splurge on an extravagant lifestyle, but these timepieces can also be used by scammers to lure unsuspecting victims. Anthony Farrer, a 35-year-old entrepreneur and owner of the Timepiece Gentleman store in Beverly Hills, has been accused of swindling customers out of a staggering $3 million. Federal prosecutors allege that Farrer financed his extravagant lifestyle by selling luxury watches on consignment and pocketing the proceeds for himself.

The modus operandi of the alleged scheme involved Farrer collecting high-end watches from trusting customers, assuring them that he would sell the items on consignment and take a modest 5% fee. But it was later discovered that Farrer betrayed this trust, selling the Rolex and other prestigious timepieces to fund a lavish Los Angeles lifestyle, complete with a red Lamborghini, a Ducati motorcycle, and frequent trips to Las Vegas for gambling.

The legal ramifications for Farrer are substantial, as he now faces charges of wire fraud, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The arrest, executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), sheds light on a series of alleged fraudulent activities conducted by Farrer during his time operating the Timepiece Gentleman store in Beverly Hills, spanning from November 2022 to August 2023.

Farrer, also known as the Timepiece Gentleman, relocated from Texas to Los Angeles in February 2022 to establish his consignment business. Prosecutors contend that he convinced customers to wire him money, ostensibly to purchase watches on their behalf. However, he either failed to produce the promised watches or provided entirely different timepieces. Simultaneously, Farrer allegedly withheld the proceeds from the sales of watches that did occur.

At least 20 victims have come forward, reporting to law enforcement officials that they never received the money from the sales of their watches or the watches they paid Farrer to acquire. The complaint highlights a particularly egregious case where Farrer handed a customer a Rolex watch in lieu of owed money, only for it to be revealed that the Rolex belonged to another customer.

Farrer's ability to "lull victims into a sense of security" by engaging in smaller transactions before requesting more significant sums is detailed in the complaint. In a startling revelation, Farrer admitted to his financial troubles in an August YouTube video, confessing to being millions of dollars in debt and struggling with alcohol, drugs, and gambling addiction. He acknowledged that he was living beyond his means and spending other people's money, and confessed that he deceived employees, clients, friends, and peers.

Despite these revelations, Farrer continued his business operations, even advertising watches for sale as recently as October 6. Detectives from the Beverly Hills Police Department, responding to mounting complaints, found Farrer's business closed and deserted in August, with doors locked, lights off, and surveillance equipment damaged.

Farrer's arrest in the Venice section of Los Angeles raised questions about the extent of the alleged fraud and its impact on the victims, who fell for the allure of expensive watches.