Bucherer enters the Certified Pre-Owned watch market

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 Bucherer enters the Certified Pre-Owned watch market  - Bucherer
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As of September 3, Bucherer has entered onto the pre-owned watch market with an exclusive concept.

With their illustrious histories, pre-owned luxury watches are particularly fascinating. Over the years, special- and limited-edition pieces of watchmaking artistry became true icons and are in extremely high demand. It is no surprise, then, that vintage watches are becoming increasingly popular and that demand continues to rise. With its range of CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) watches, Bucherer is raising the bar in this segment and offering its clientele a unique platform.

 Bucherer enters the Certified Pre-Owned watch market

Absolute reliability

Starting today, Bucherer, the world’s largest and most renowned watch retailer with more than 130 years of history and an extensive global presence, is offering watch lovers a completely new concept. ”We want to redefine the luxury pre-owned watch market and offer these wonderful watches a platform and an environment that they deserve as luxury goods”, explains Guido Zumbühl, CEO of the Bucherer Group. ”Bucherer represents tradition, reliability, precision and the credibility required to establish the level of trust with our customers that is necessary for the sale of pre -owned watches while also increasing awareness of CPO amongst the general public.”  With the takeover of Tourneau in January 2018, Bucherer was able to benefit from the US watch retailer ’s long-standing expertise in the CPO market and is now launching an attractive range of CPO watches that also considers the unique aspects of the European market.

An exclusive certificate 

As a clear declaration of Bucherer’s commitment to quality, the company is offering its customers a special certificate, the Bucherer guarantee, that promises that the purchased pre-owned watch is genuine and in perfect working condition. Before the watches can be certified, the in-house watchmakers from Bucherer’s special team of experts open every single one and inspect it. If necessary, the experts then maintain or repair the watches. In the final step, the responsible watchmakers then attest to their work with their signature and Bucherer guarantees a two-year warranty. A newly designed emblem lets customers know immediately that the watch in question has been certified and meets the most stringent quality standards.

For watch experts and novices

With its special concept for this new line of business, Bucherer is building trust while at the same time meeting a need shared by all watch enthusiasts, regardless of how disparate the target groups for CPO watches can be. Bucherer CPO offers collectors a carefully curated selection of new, rare models or limited editions that are no longer available in stores, with more watches being added regularly. But CPO also provides customers who wouldn’t spend a lot of money on a new watch entry into the fascinating world of luxury watches. This is because Bucherer offers its customers three possibilities in terms of CPO:

1. SELL: You can sell your watch to Bucherer at a fair price that is in line with the market. The process is also very quick: offers can usually be completed in just 20 minutes.
2. TRADE: You can sell your pre-owned watch and use that price to offset the purchase of a new one.
3. BUY: You purchase the model of your choice – either a pre-owned watch or a brand new one.

 Bucherer enters the Certified Pre-Owned watch market

Online and offline

Starting now, customers can purchase or examine pre-owned watches online and in select Bucherer boutiques. Why online and offline? Because the two complement each other perfectly and, for customers, this approach combines a comprehensive overview of the entire range with the opportunity to touch and see the watches up close. “Moreover, we believe that a range of CPO watches displayed in our boutiques is an important key to success,” confirms Bucherer Chief Commercial Officer Patrick Graf. “The customers can see the watches for themselves and try them on. This turns the purchase of a luxurious watch into an emotional experience while at the same time setting Bucherer apart from strictly online retailers on the CPO market.”

In the first phase, Bucherer will offer customers in Switzerland the advantage of being able to browse the entire range of CPO watches online at www.bucherer.com, find more information about individual watches, and see if the model of their choice is currently available, allowing them to make a quick decision. After all, the watches are all available on a first-come, first-served basis and there are no waiting lists.

A new meeting place

With its new concept, Bucherer is offering all watch lovers a platform that is unlike any other of its kind, the Bucherer Gallery. The world premiere of the new concept took place on 3 September 2019 in the Bucherer boutique in Geneva. As part of the launch, the fourth floor of the boutique in Geneva was completely redesigned with the goal of creating a relaxed, inviting atmosphere for a truly unique shopping experience. Wherever possible, the range of CPO watches will be presented in Bucherer Galleries in other Bucherer boutiques.

 Bucherer enters the Certified Pre-Owned watch market

The Bucherer Gallery will host a number of events and opportunities to meet other watch lovers in the style of a chic concept store. But the Bucherer Gallery concept is about more than just CPO. With drinks and snacks, the Bucherer Gallery will serve as a meeting place and platform for long-time watch collectors and those who are just discovering the world of haute horlogerie. The Bucherer Gallery invites guests to stay, savour the moment and always discover something new in the world of luxury watches: temporary art exhibitions, an inviting atmosphere that makes the store feel like a living room, a bar, and a carefully curated selection of books and design objects.

The exclusive models from the Bucherer BLUE collections are also on display. The events, for example the Saturdays@Bucherer series, will mostly be open to the public; however, there will also be smaller, more exclusive events throughout the year.

 Bucherer enters the Certified Pre-Owned watch market

Autres boutiques et pays

In the future, customers will be able to find a curated selection of pre -owned watches at additional select Bucherer locations. The first location opened in the Bucherer boutique in Geneva on 3 September 2019, followed by another one on the fifth floor of the flagship store in Zurich in October. In November 2019, Bucherer is planning to expand its CPO business to the German market at its boutique in Hamburg. London will follow in 2020 with an exclusive project in Covent Garden, after which Bucherer plans to expand to Paris as well.