There’s no denying that the market for pre-owned Swiss watches is robust. By all accounts, it’s grown to be substantially bigger than the new watch market in the past few years.
While most major watchmakers have chosen to remain outside of the buying, selling, and trading of their vintage timepieces, Omega is wisely inserting itself. The Swiss watch brand announced last week that it will now provide certificates of authenticity for pre-owned (and genuine) Omega watches—at the cost of around $800 per certificate.
The certificate will be given to any authentic Omega timepiece that’s older than 30 years. To procure the certificate—which will surely become a must-have accessory for pricier vintage Omegas on the market—owners need to bring their watch(es) to one of Omega’s two U.S. flagships, in Costa Mesa, Calif., and New York City, or send it directly to the brand’s headquarters in Switzerland.
All watches are then sent to the Omega Heritage Team, which accesses historical production records and servicing policies to verify that a watch is legit. The team will inspect “the current state of the timepiece and then decide if it qualifies for a certificate of authenticity,” according to a statement from the brand.
The new certificate differs from the existing Extract from the Archives certificate, which provides a customer with information about when their watch was produced. The certificate of authenticity specifically provides “extended information about the authenticity of the watch in its current condition at the time of the certification expertise,” according to the brand.
Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of Omega, said in the same statement, “Our ambition is to create more trust for Omega watches within the vintage and pre-owned sector and help to grow confidence for people who are new to the buying market.” And for owners of vintage Omegas, it’s a way to add some official assurance when selling, and also add some value to their timepieces.”
Top: An Omega Speedmaster (photo courtesy of Omega)
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