Shop the latest in Bucherer Certified Pre-Owned timepieces via Sotheby’s online marketplace.
Demand for luxury watches is so hot right now. Luxury timepiece reseller WatchBox is valued at more than $1 billion. And now, luxury watch retailer Bucherer is bringing certified pre-owned to popular auction house Sotheby’s.
Certified pre-owned
“By bringing our curated Certified Pre-Owned watches on Sotheby’s premier online marketplace and combining our respective expertise, together we are creating a unique opportunity for watch lovers worldwide to express their personality by purchasing iconic pre-owned watches online alongside a strong curation of other luxury-goods categories within fashion, jewelry and more,” says Patrick Graf, Chief Commercial Officer at Bucherer.
“The partnership journey started in May 2020,” Stav R. Martens, Bucherer head of CX, CRM, and commercial partnerships, told WWD.
“And we are pleased to join forces again to continue to engage our global luxury community and cater to new audience of art and fashion collectors. With the introduction of Bucherer Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) on Sotheby’s Online Marketplace, we are excited to present a curated collection of CPO timepieces next to one of the most impressive selection of art and luxury goods,” Martens said.
The partnership brings hundreds of watches serviced by Bucherer’s watchmakers from labels including Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Jaeger Le Coultre, and Omega to the platform.
“We’ve seen explosive growth in our watches category in the last few years, thanks in part to a new digitally native generation of global collectors, who are increasingly more comfortable purchasing online,” said Josh Pullan, Sotheby’s head of Global Luxury Division.
‘A monumental milestone’
“Watches was one of the first categories we introduced to our online marketplace 18 months ago and we’ve continued to see demand at high price points in this format that are consistent with our core auction business. Our partnership with Bucherer allows us to continue to expand the depth of property offered and presents our clients with access to one of the largest collections of authenticated and guaranteed pre-owned luxury,” Pullan said.
Calling it a “monumental milestone,” Martens says it marks a logical extension of its partnership with Sotheby’s, “celebrating our independencies and our leading expertise within our respective industries.”
“Building on a common vision of trust, authenticity, and passion for pre-loved icons, we strive to share our story and those of our timepieces with a global audience of collectors,” Martens said.
Bucherer’s team of experts inspects every watch before it can be resold. It’s not only checking for authenticity but ensuring quality and checking for repairs. All watches come with a two-year warranty—a move that Pullan calls the “next level of service and certification that no global auction house currently offers.”
But the resale market could be selling stolen goods. According to recent reports, luxury watches are in such high demand that they’re being stolen right off of people’s wrists.
Watch theft
Robb Report says California is particularly vulnerable. “Earlier this year, a gang of women known as the “Rolex Rippers” targeted wealthy men wearing Rollies, using the old ‘sleight of hand’ trick to rob them of their crown jewels. Over 30 nearly identical thefts were reported in January. Now, a new string of robbers on this side of the pond is scooping Rolexes off the wrists of Bay Area residents in California,” notes Robb Report.
“The crimes occurred in cities including Oakland, Walnut Creek, San Leandro and Danville, among others, over the past several months. In Oakland alone, there have been more than 20 reports of Rolexes forcibly stolen off wrists by armed perpetrators.”
Several arrests were recently made in connection with the crimes, but authorities are urging consumers to remain vigilant while wearing luxury watches out.
