Second-hand watches have become a strategic concern for watch brands—not because every brand must buy and resell inventory, but because consumer interest is rising, resale can introduce buyers to models they cannot find new, and the channel shapes trust and customer relationships. The evidence points to a growing opportunity, not a single best business model: brands can certify watches, accept trade-ins, operate a vintage business, partner with dealers, or let marketplaces handle transactions.
Why resale matters to watch brands now
Deloitte’s 2024 pre-owned-market spotlight says global consumer interest in buying pre-owned watches doubled between 2020 and 2024. Its finding comes from annual online surveys conducted from August 2020 to September 2024 across Switzerland and major Swiss-watch export markets, with more than 6,000 consumers surveyed over the five-year study period. The survey measures stated interest, not completed purchases, and should not be read as a census of all watch buyers.
Deloitte also reported that pre-owned-market growth had exceeded primary-market growth in the recent period covered by its spotlight. It forecast that the pre-owned market could equal the primary market within ten years; that is Deloitte’s projection, not an established outcome or a guaranteed timetable. Deloitte’s 2024 Swiss watch industry spotlight explains the survey and its market outlook.
The strategic point is broader than selling another watch. A second-hand channel can bring a customer into a brand’s orbit through a lower-priced entry point or a discontinued model, offer a route to trade an existing watch, and provide a brand-backed trust layer. Those are potential benefits, not proof that resale ownership will raise profits for every brand.
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What buyers say they want
Deloitte Switzerland’s 2025 study found that 40% of surveyed Generation Z respondents intended to buy a pre-owned watch in the next 12 months, compared with 20% of baby boomers. Across respondents, 53% said affordability was a reason they valued pre-owned watches, while 36% cited access to unique or no-longer-available models. The study surveyed 6,500 consumers and 111 senior executives in June and July 2025; stated intentions are not the same as purchases.
The figures suggest two practical attractions for buyers: price and choice. A pre-owned watch may be more accessible than a new one, or it may be the only route to a reference no longer in production. Deloitte’s survey also points to sustainability as part of the appeal, but it does not establish that sustainability is the primary purchase driver for every cohort or market. The study covers Switzerland and major watch-export markets, with Mexico added to the 2025 consumer sample, so its results should not be generalized automatically to every country.
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Deloitte Switzerland’s October 2025 release quotes Karine Szegedi, Head of Consumer and Luxury & Fashion at Deloitte Switzerland: “Generation Z is redefining the watch market.” The same release identifies affordability, uniqueness and sustainability among younger consumers’ criteria. Read the 2025 study announcement.
How brands can participate without choosing the same model
Resale is not one operating model. Deloitte groups platforms into three structures, distinguished mainly by who owns the watch while it is being sold. The right route depends on a brand’s appetite for capital and inventory risk, its ability to authenticate and service watches, its desired control over pricing and customer relationships, and its relationship with authorized retailers.
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| Model | Who owns the watch? | How it works and examples | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1P: stock-based retail | The business buys and owns the inventory. | The retailer sources watches, then resells them. Deloitte gives Bucherer, Watchfinder & Co, the 1916 Company and Watches of Switzerland as examples. | Offers direct control over stock and sales, but requires the most inventory capital and exposes the seller to the full inventory risk. |
| 2P: consignment | The seller retains legal ownership while an intermediary manages the sale. | A consignment business markets and sells the watch on the owner’s behalf. Deloitte names Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips and Wristcheck as examples. | Reduces the intermediary’s inventory ownership exposure, though reserve prices and other terms can still create risk. |
| 3P: marketplace | The seller retains responsibility for inventory; the platform does not hold or manage stock. | The platform connects buyers and sellers, generally earning a transaction commission. Deloitte gives Chrono24, eBay and Bezel as examples. | Requires less inventory capital from the platform, but leaves stock responsibility with sellers and gives the platform a different degree of control over the transaction. |
These categories describe the platform structures in Deloitte’s study; they do not guarantee that every named business handles every transaction in exactly the same way. For a watch brand, the choice is not simply whether to enter resale. It is whether to own stock, share the work with a dealer or intermediary, or focus on authentication and customer trust while another party handles inventory.
What certified pre-owned does—and does not—solve
Certified pre-owned (CPO) is a way for a brand to attach a formal authenticity and guarantee process to eligible second-hand watches sold through an approved channel. Rolex is a prominent example, but its specific rules should not be assumed to apply to CPO programs from other brands.
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According to WatchCharts, Rolex launched its CPO program on December 1, 2022. The program covers Rolex watches at least three years old at resale through participating authorized retailers. Eligible watches receive a new two-year international guarantee, and a participating retailer may service a watch if it considers that necessary. The program’s central buyer proposition is brand-backed authenticity and added confidence; it does not make an older watch new or eliminate the need to assess condition, fit, price and the buyer’s own requirements.
WatchCharts estimates Rolex CPO sales at $90 million in 2023 and $300 million in 2024. Those are third-party estimates, not sales figures disclosed by Rolex; its page also describes live retailer and inventory tracking. WatchCharts says authorized dealers source their own CPO inventory and Rolex does not dictate participating dealers’ prices. Its separate analysis expects a price premium over uncertified resale watches, but that expectation is not a promise that a CPO watch will be better value or appreciate. WatchCharts’ Rolex CPO overview describes its estimates and program information.
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- Wrist Size (in): 7.25, Case Height (mm): 14.00, Case Width (mm): 43.00
- This item is pre-owned and may show light signs of wear. Please refer to the condition and photos.
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CPO can address a major friction in buying second-hand: confidence in authenticity and recourse if a problem arises. It cannot, on the evidence available here, be treated as a universal standard. Eligibility, warranty, geography and sales-channel rules may differ across brands; a buyer should check the specific program and retailer terms for the watch under consideration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why market numbers need careful reading
“The secondary market” does not have one comprehensive, audited dataset in the evidence cited here. Market reports measure the activity visible to their publishers, and their figures answer different questions.
- Chrono24’s H1 2025 market-share observations are based on transactions on Chrono24. Its report identifies Rolex as the leading brand in that dataset and discusses activity for Omega, Cartier and the high-end segment; these are platform observations, not global market shares. See Chrono24’s H1 2025 report.
- WatchCharts reported that its secondary-market index rose 1.9% in the first quarter of 2026, marking a fifth consecutive quarter of growth, and that 71% of brands in its tracked universe were positive. These figures apply to that universe, not every watch brand or transaction. See WatchCharts’ 1Q26 report, dated June 4, 2026.
Similarly, Deloitte’s consumer findings describe survey responses, not a tally of completed sales. Each source is useful when its population and measurement are kept attached to its numbers.
A practical decision framework for brands
The research supports strategic relevance, not a universal instruction to own resale inventory. A brand assessing its options can separate the decision into a few questions:
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- What customer problem should resale solve? Lower entry prices, access to discontinued references, confidence in authenticity, trade-in convenience and a direct customer relationship are distinct goals.
- How much inventory risk can the business accept? Stock-based retail offers control but ties up capital; consignment and marketplace structures shift inventory responsibility, though they do not remove every commercial risk.
- Where should trust and service sit? A brand may focus on certification, warranty and authorized-retailer standards, while a dealer or platform manages sourcing and sale.
- What does the brand need to control? Pricing, condition standards, customer data, service decisions and the buyer relationship may point toward different partnerships or ownership structures.
- How will the route work with existing retail? Authorized dealers may be sourcing inventory themselves, as WatchCharts reports for Rolex CPO. Channel design can therefore matter as much as the headline decision to offer certification.
For buyers, the same distinctions help clarify what a second-hand listing actually offers. Before paying a premium for a certified watch, check who authenticated it, whether the guarantee applies to the specific purchase and location, who is responsible for servicing, and how the asking price compares with the alternatives. Certification can add a trust mechanism; it does not replace a careful purchase decision.
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