heres what i do
i will perform it for couples or groups and i will take one person aside using the ecuse that they are an essential part of the trick. i will tell that person that "i am going to attempt vanish their friends watch but they sometimes get funny about it if they realise its gone to soon. i will make up a funny storie about someone calling the police or something. i will tell them that they will act as my insurance policy and that if they are uncomfortable with me doing this effect then please tell me and i wont do it.
this generaly works well i use the insurance guy as misdirection since everyone else belives he is an assistant. also to his point of view you cover his friends watch with your hands and then when you take your hands away the watch is gone so he's happy to.
hope this is useful for people
please tell me any views on it
Johnny

I had always been afraid to do the watch steal. For some reason I didn't believe I could do it. Then I tried it and it was fairly easy. That doesn't always mean you won't get caught. While doing a card trick I tried the watch steal. The watch slipped out of my hand, fell and then
the glass shattered. I have been caught before but that was the worst.
It is almost embarrising getting caught doing the wallet steal. You almost don't know what to say.

Nathan Nickerson

Getting Caught really isn't that bad. Chances are you are getting caught because you're nervous about what your going to do, thus your speech patterns break up, you look at the watch, etc...

I tend to stick with buckle-type watches, and when I actually pull the watch off their wrist I time my patter to get a laugh, which distracts them for the move. If you want to see a GREAT watch stealer and magician, order Jeff Hobson Live! from Penguin, they have an EXCELLENT price, and Jeff is amazing. Using his method you will be able to get off a watch just by quickly shaking a spectators hand.

As far as getting caught: If you're performing for a group of people just whisper to your victim "Just Play Along", most people will. They get excited to be on 'the inside' and will help you out. If they catch you trying to get it off, say "OOPs i almost took off your watch", then let some time pass and try it again.

Practice Practice Practice ... confidence and success will follow.


~MM

Is anyone good enough to do it in a handshake with the left hand?

Yeah, this happens alot, it sometimes pinches them.

maybe you can just have another trick to perform so that they really know you're a magician.... but if you screw the second one, you'RE doomed lol

well i sometimes do the watch steal and i mostly get caught but i did it to my friend 3 times (the first time he didnt know what i was doing andthe second time he just played along to see if i could do it again without him realising) and he didnt realise.
i like to do it to people who wont know whats coming and that i havent met before. i did it to my new teacher on the first day and i explained that i am not very good at this next trick and if she catches me its alright. so what i do is i do the blaine method and if they catch you stealing their watch then you explain how it didnt work because blah blah blah. i also like to add in... see i told you i wasnt good at this trick.

I watched the DVD last night and today at work stole my magician buddy's "big daddy" watch (you know...the kind with the double security latches?). TOTALLY AWESOME! If I get caught every time after this, I still have something to live for. He freaked out for about 30 minutes. Heh, it was great!!

this is dangerous magic atculy..but big effect..try to practice at u family or you friend first.

broke my nail on a part of it and then said ow