Rolex
Business NewsRolex Is Now Certifying Watches That Are Two Years Old In Change To CPO Rules
Watches from 2023 are being listed and sold by authorized dealers under the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program.
Rolex, the top Swiss watch brand by sales, has revised its Certified Pre-Owned program to allow authorized dealers to sell previously ineligible two-year-old used Rolex watches. The Geneva-based company, which is owned by a trust foundation named after the brand's founder, Hans Wilsdorf, confirmed that it has reduced the minimum age of watches that can be certified under the program to two years from three years. "In light of the growing demand for second-hand Rolex watches, the brand has decided to include watches under three years old in its Certified Pre-Owned programme. Since May 2025, all second-hand Rolex watches are eligible as long as they are at least two years old. The Certified Pre-Owned programme remains otherwise unchanged,'' Rolex says in response to questions.
Rolex CPO at Bucherer in Geneva. (Image courtesy of Rolex)
The change, although seemingly small in terms of time period, marks a significant shift in the parameters of watches eligible for CPO and will give authorized dealers access to more inventory that may have previously been sold to unaffiliated second-hand watch sellers. Authorized Rolex dealers participating in the CPO program, which began in 2022, charge a premium for previously-owned watches that are officially certified as genuine and authentic by the brand and include a two-year service guarantee.
Data compiled by WatchCharts, which tracks prices on the secondary market, shows that Rolex CPO dealers charged an average premium of about 30% during the second quarter of 2025 for similar second-hand Rolex models compared to non-CPO dealers. The top Rolex Certified Pre-Owned dealers include Bucherer and Tourneau, which are owned by Rolex. The 1916 Company and Watches of Switzerland, which owns and is the parent company of Hodinkee, also feature in this list.
Watches from 2023 currently for sale under the CPO program include a 2023 GMT-Master II ref. The 126720VTNR, featuring a green and black bezel and left-hand crown, nicknamed the 'Sprite' by collectors, is listed for sale at $17,250 at Henne Jewelers in Pittsburgh, according to data compiled by WatchCharts. At Pragnell in the U.K., a Cosmograph Daytona ref. M116503-0004 from 2023 with a black dial in two-tone yellow gold and Oystersteel is listed at £ 17,950 or about $24,212, WatchCharts data shows. That's a premium of about 9.4% compared to average prices for the same watch at a non-CPO dealer, according to WatchCharts.
Image courtesy of Rolex
Rolex launched the Certified Pre-Owned program in December 2022, initially at a handful of Bucherer stores in Europe, and launched in the United States in 2023. WatchCharts estimates that there are now approximately 8,500 Rolex CPO listings worldwide, sold by 116 retailers across 227 doors, with total sales of $120 million in the second quarter of 2025 and an average premium of around 30% compared to similar listings from non-Rolex CPO retailers.
Data compiled by WatchCharts shows that Rolex-owned Bucherer retailers in Europe charged the highest average premium for Rolex CPO watches, with prices averaging a 42% premium compared to non-Rolex CPO dealer prices, as of July 5. Average prices for Rolex-CPO watches at the U.S.-based 1916 Company were the lowest, at about 16%, according to the data. Rolex has said it allows official dealers to independently set prices for Rolex CPO watches and has no control or influence over each retailer's prices.
Top Discussions
Business NewsRolex Is Now Certifying Watches That Are Two Years Old In Change To CPO Rules
IntroducingThe Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition (Live Pics)
Splashdown: The Little-Known Story Of Navy Frogmen And The Space Program