Want a Pre-Owned Rolex? Here’s Where to Get One for Less

At the end of 2022, Rolex first announced its Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program, meaning the world’s bestselling watch brand would finally be able to exert some direct control over its highly inflated secondary market by certifying used watches sold by its CPO partners.

Opinions varied on what effect the program would have on used Rolex prices, and three years on, the results remain a mixed bag. But one thing has become clear thanks to a new report: Not all Rolex CPO dealers are equal when it comes to pricing.

Although every Rolex Certified Pre-Owned watch undergoes the same certification process through Rolex, a new report shows there is a wide disparity in pricing between different retail partners, as Rolex allows independent retailers to set their own prices.

Rolex

Come to find out, one retailer, in particular, is seriously undercutting the competition by offering considerably lower certified-used Rolex prices than its rivals.

Where to Get the Best Deal on a Certified Pre-Owned Rolex

If you don’t care about your used Rolex being certified, then the cheapest way to get a Rolex is still to buy one from an independent seller on a forum like Reddit’s r/watchexchange, Watchuseek or Rolex Forums.

But that’s a risky proposition for many prospective buyers, and a Certified Pre-Owned watch — which undergoes authentication and servicing by Rolex prior to the sale and comes with a two-year guarantee from the brand — is certainly the most secure way to buy a secondhand Rolex with confidence.

If that’s the route you plan on taking, you’re going to a pay a premium for the privilege. The question is, how much of a premium?

Photo by Zen Love for Gear Patrol

According to a new study from Morgan Stanley utilizing data from WatchCharts and first reported by WatchPro, The 1916 Company offers their Certified Pre-Owned Rolexes at an average price that’s 16 percent higher than the same secondhand Rolex from a non-authorized dealer.

That might seem high at first, until you look at what Rolex’s other CPO partners are charging.

The next cheapest CPO retailer, according to the report, is Tourneau, which charges a 23-percent premium. Tourneau is owned by Bucherer, which Rolex has owned since 2023 and which remains the largest retailer of the brand. Next most affordable on the list is Watches of Switzerland, which charges a 35-percent premium — more than twice the upcharge of the Pennsylvania-based 1916 Company.

The 1916 Company

Once you leave the U.S. and look at European retailers, the prices get even scarier. Watches of Switzerland UK sells its watches at a 41-percent premium on average, while Bucherer Europe tops the list at 42 percent.

The 1916 Company Strategy

So, how is The 1916 Company able to offer its Rolex CPO watches at such comparatively low prices? According to The 1916 Company CEO John Shmerler, it’s all about offering the best experience for its customers — regardless of what the competition is doing.

“It is not our goal or strategic objective to undercut the competition. Quite frankly, we view ourselves as the leader in the Rolex CPO space, and want to set the standard in all facets of the business,” Shmerler tells Gear Patrol. “We set our prices without regard to what others are charging because we only care about the client and their experience with the RCPO program.”

Shmerler goes on to explain that his company uses a combination of expertise (its predecessor, Govberg Jewelers, was founded in The 1916 Company’s eponymous year) and smart investments to offer customers not only the best prices, but a superior buying experience.

“We entered the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program in 2023 with substantial experience in the global pre-owned watch market. As such, we are very effective at sourcing watches,” Shmerler says. “We also made a significant investment in our watchmaking and service center, where we are able to service and bring watches to optimal condition before they are submitted to Rolex for certification.”

The company is also looking to expand its Rolex CPO offerings even further in the future, based on the positive feedback it’s received from buyers, and the lower prices are part of that equation.

“It is clear that the client is seeing the value of the RCPO seal at our prices,” Shmerler says. “And we are rapidly expanding our offerings as a result.”

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