What had been heard in the rumor mill for some time has come true: Since December 1, 2024, Fake Rolex has been issuing certificates of authenticity and a two-year guarantee for used watches (Rolex Certified Pre-Owned) – via the “detour” Rolex specialist dealer. With this, Rolex wants to steer the lucrative used watch business into official channels and get a piece of the cake. Because: The trade in used watches via gray dealers or platforms such as Chronext or Chrono24 has exploded in recent years – the management consultants at McKinsey predict market growth to around 30 billion US dollars annually by 2025 (that’s around half of the new watch market). market!). Rolex would be pretty stupid if it left this market to others without a fight, right? Unfortunately, the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program has a bad aftertaste – true to the motto: Do you want a GMT-Master II at the list price? Hmm, well maybe in 10 years, if ever – but hey, look, here’s one that’s already been worn for twice the list price!
Key points of the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program summarized:
Used Rolex watches that a Rolex concessionaire “buys back” from a private individual are first sent to Rolex.
At Rolex, they are checked for authenticity, fully revised and provided with a certificate of authenticity and a two-year international guarantee.
The condition is that the Rolex watches must originally come from the purchasing dealer.
Another condition is that the watches must be at least 3 years old.
The introduction of the new program will take place gradually – Bucherer is the first. Other official Rolex concerts will be able to join in from spring 2023.
Thoughts on the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Program (CPO)
The older a watch, the greater the discount on the list price – that’s the rule. As always, exceptions prove the rule: With brands like Rolex, where the waiting lists are full for years, the market prices significantly exceed the list prices due to the extreme scarcity – which is why it is easily possible for a private individual to buy a Rolex from the concessionaire at some point Bought at the list price and sold to providers like Chronext at a hefty markup.
