I steal a ton of watches whenever I perform and it always is the perfect climax to any of my magic close-up but I would like to be able to repeatedly steal the same watch over and over again. I learned how to do this years ago at a John Calvert lecture I believe but I can't remember how to anymore. Where would be the best place to learn the technique for repeatedly stealing the same watch.
Josh

Isn't it the same as taking it off the first time...?

I'm a little confused as you can probably tell. Do you mean the physical stealing of the watch (in which case you use the techniques that undo the buckle and so on) or are you talking about misdirection to get the watch off again?

I'm refering more to routining rather than technique. I can get the watch first time 99% of the time I would like to know the best way to misdirect them in order to steal the watch again and again.
Josh

Ahhhh I see.

Mark Raffles repeatedly steals the same items over and over in his routines so you might want to study his routining strategies. I'm not sure where you can find a video of him though since he did his shows quite a while ago. I know there is a DVD called "Mark Raffles: The Legacy" out but I'm not sure how much it would help.

Ok to clear a few things up:

There is no actual dvd's of repeat stealing. Once you have taken a watch you can ask the spectator to put it back on and then with proper misdirection you can take it off again.

It is all about diversion and keeping them entertained at the same time. Use this tip I came up with:

Have multiple ways/routines of taking their watch so when you take it off they will not think about their watch though the difference in routine/trick.

I will put a link up shortly showing you a repeat watch steal.

JaY-JaY

You steal their watch the first time, then after showing it to them, in the process of (you) putting it "back" on their writst, you start to put the watch back on normally --placing the strap around their wrist, then threading the tongue through the clasp --but you do not actually put the pin in the hole --you only "pretend" to put the pin in and pretend to slip the tongue under the saftey band... then, just as after you thread the tongue through the clasp you (secretly) pull the pin back (away form the hole), then, with a downward pressure on the crystal (face) of the watch with the left palm of your hand (if you steal with your right hand) you steady the watch in place and pull the tongue back out so it releases (clears the clasp). At this point the watch and strap are simply held in place by the downward pressure of your left hand as it pushes downard on the face of the watch and your left thumb and index hold the strap in place over the volunteer's wrist. Pull (slip) the watch out from under your hand and continue the downward pressure on the volunteer's wrist with your left hand so that he /she "feels" as if the watch is still there ("phantom watch"). You continue on with your next trick having pocketed the watch for a later reveal. Think of the entire manuever as being similar to put-pocketing , but instead it is put-wristing --putting somtehing (in this case the watch ) back on the volunteer's wrist, but pulling it back before the volunbteer can realize the repeat steal has occurred,

Hope this is clear. Very hard for me to put into words the way I do it. It works for me (and my volunteers are doubly surprised). Gets a great reaction. Lots of fun. But do not over do it. Once per show is enough.

Jonathan

Thanks for the advice, tried it the other day and it worked well. I need to keep the pace up after the second steal I found since they are a little more wary of their watch I don't want to give them the time to think about it.

Execellent Mcvicar.

Glad you are having success.

Keep up the momentum and the misdirection and you will have it every time.

Jonathan