Story Highlight
– Rolex CPO premiums have narrowed from 40% to 30%.
– The 1916 Company offers lowest premium at 15%.
– Median CPO premium globally is +30.2%.
– Over 150 new retailers joined Rolex CPO program.
– Median sales increased from $578,000 to $899,000.
Full Story
The disparity in pricing between Rolex Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) partners and the wider secondary market has become less pronounced.
Since the programme’s inception in December 2022, early participants like Bucherer, owned by Rolex, and Watches of Switzerland Group initially commanded premiums close to 40% over unauthorised sellers. However, recent data from Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts indicates this premium has decreased to approximately 30% today.
Among these early adopters, The 1916 Company, based in the US, has managed to maintain a competitive edge, with its CPO premiums now sitting around 15%. This price advantage continues to distinguish it from its peers.
Morgan Stanley’s findings reveal a global median CPO premium of 30.2% for all Rolex listings, with 75% of listings displaying premiums of 18.8% or more, while 25% present premiums exceeding 41.6%. The 1916 Company leads the market with a CPO premium of 18.7%, while Watches of Switzerland holds the highest premium in the UK at 38.8%. Overall, the median premium for Rolex CPO as of early July stands at 22.6% compared to the broader market.
The evolution of the Rolex CPO programme is noteworthy as its network of authorised retailers continues to expand. Although 18 months ago the majority of inventory—63%—was held by key players like Watches of Switzerland, Bucherer, and The 1916 Company, their market share has since reduced to 48%. This comes as the number of other participating retailers increased from 101 to 154.
Despite this growth, the pace of new retailer additions has slowed considerably, with only 13 new partners since the beginning of 2026 and just three in the last quarter. Currently, 157 out of 712 authorised Rolex retailers, accounting for 22%, engage in the CPO programme, along with 288 of 1,334 retail outlets.
The CPO initiative shows no signs of diminishing in terms of sales, as participating retailers report higher revenues. Estimates suggest that the median CPO retail operation generated $578,000 in sales over the first half of 2025, which has since increased to a median of $899,000 in the first six months of 2026.
