Michelin-starred chef Simone Zanoni was assaulted late on 12 August outside his home in Le Chesnay, Yvelines, and robbed of a Richard Mille watch worth about €150,000, according to police. Returning from his shift at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris at around 23:00, the 49-year-old chef was knocked from his scooter and kicked in the torso and ribs by two attackers who then fled on a T-Max scooter toward the A13 motorway. Zanoni sustained minor injuries and filed a complaint for aggravated robbery at the Versailles police station. Investigators are analysing surveillance footage that captured a scooter bearing a visible licence plate and have sealed the chef’s clothing for forensic tests. The prosecutor’s office has opened an inquiry and is seeking public assistance to identify the suspects. The incident comes three years after Zanoni and his family were victims of a violent home-jacking in which luxury watches and jewellery were stolen; six men were later sentenced in December 2024 to terms of five to nine years. Police statistics show thefts of high-end timepieces, particularly Richard Mille models, have been rising in the Paris region.