If you’ve trawled the secondary market for high-end timepieces, you’d know it could get really dark – like deep web-dark. Questions about authenticity of the product (and even its reseller's background) weigh heavy on the minds of those coming across a too-good-to-be-true listing. Several guides on the worldwide web give step-by-step accounts to newbies on how to navigate this tricky space but even so, it isn’t a full-proof method in ensuring that the mechanical timepiece is in working condition and legit. One of the most traded brands in the market that many would attest is as good as gold is Rolex. Many have fallen prey to fakes and highly inflated pricing that the Swiss watchmaker has finally taken matter into its own hands with the launch of what it calls the Certified Pre-Owned Programme. The premise behind this is simple: Rolex will be vouching for these second-hand timepieces it is planning to resell through official retailers. This is a big move and surely puts a dampener on those trying to make a tidy profit without the Swiss marque’s involvement (think of those custom Subs that have been flooding the market that Rolex doesn’t service). What Rolex has planned is still in the initial phase but it will be authenticating all pre-owned watches with a new seal after it passes stringent checks by its extensive network of experts. What are the privileges of buying a pre-owned Rolex from an official source? Well, for starters Rolex will be offering an international two-year guarantee from the date of purchase which means any working defects will be sorted right away. Trust is something money can’t buy, probably.

www.rolex.com