Sell Quickly and Easily With Certified by Chrono24

May 2, 2024

Certified is a watch certification service that includes (among other things) the certification of the authenticity of the watch by a verified watchmaker. Certified was created to make the sale of luxury watches faster and easier, and to increase buyer confidence on Chrono24.

Why We Created Certified

In early 2023, we discovered in a survey that almost 10% of users on Chrono24 worry about buying a fake watch when purchasing online. We can’t substantiate this uncertainty: We know that the professional dealers on Chrono24 are experts in the industry, and that they know how to assess a watch’s authenticity. That’s why we’ve launched our new certification service, Certified by Chrono24. Certified by Chrono24 gives dealers the opportunity to either certify the authenticity of their watches themselves or – if they lack the necessary resources – to have their watches certified at our Certification Center. We believe that Certified by Chrono24 will significantly increase buyer confidence when it comes to purchasing luxury watches online, by giving potential buyers the assurance they need that their new watch is genuine.

Advantages When Selling With Certified

Certified won’t cost you a thing. The higher level of trust on the buyer’s side offers you the following advantages at no extra cost:

Greater visibility

Chrono24’s 9 million monthly users actively search for Certified listings, which are viewed 20% more often on average than listings without the green Certified icon.

Faster sales

Certified watches are bought more frequently and sell at competitive prices. Dealers who sell Certified watches on Chrono24 can increase turnover by an average of 7%.

Fewer questions

Before a sale, potential buyers sometimes want more assurance before they buy and request additional photos or proof of the watch’s authenticity. Certified watches do away with many of these requests, thereby reducing your workload.

Initial results show that Certified helps boost buyer confidence: More than 51% of the buyers surveyed only purchased their watch because of the certification option. 42% only want to buy their next Certified watch from a professional dealer. 82% of those surveyed confirm that Certified increases their sense of security when making a purchase; 68% even say that, thanks to the certification, they no longer have any reservations about buying a watch on Chrono24.

How Buyers Can Identify Certified Listings

How Certified by Chrono24 Works for Dealers

With Certified there are two paths to certification: You can have your watches certified by Chrono24 (Chrono24 Certified) or certify your watches yourself according to our specifications, e.g., by working with a watchmaker who has been verified by Chrono24 (Dealer Certified).

Dealer Certified

Dealers who employ or work closely with a watchmaker or jeweler and who meet our criteria can certify watches themselves. This path to certification is open for all makes and models. In this case, certification is free of charge for the buyer. Dealers don’t automatically participate in Dealer Certified, but if you want to, you can apply for the program. For further information, please reach out to your personal contact.

 

Chrono24 Certified

Dealers who do not work with a watchmaker or do not wish to certify their watches themselves can send them to our Certification Center. After successful certification, the watch is sent directly to the buyer. However, certification is not mandatory for the buyer, who can book the service as an optional add-on during checkout. Certification costs €199 and is paid for by the buyer. There is no additional cost to you. Chrono24 Certified is not available for all brands and models (see “Watch Requirements” below).

 

Selling With Dealer Certified

You decide which watches you want to sell under the Dealer Certified program. As a dealer, there are no additional costs when selling Certified watches.

After the buyer’s payment has been credited to our escrow account, you send the watch to the buyer as usual. There is no additional work for you to do after certification.

The buyer receives a certificate of authenticity for their new watch. Experience has shown that buyers are less likely to return a certified watch because they no longer have any doubts about its authenticity.

Participation in Dealer Certified

Dealer Certified is only open to dealers who have demonstrated outstanding performance on Chrono24. Furthermore, to certify watches themselves, dealers and watchmakers must meet the following criteria.

  • The dealer has been active as a dealer on Chrono24 for at least 3 years or has successfully completed 100 sales. Testers cannot participate.
  • The dealer has not processed any sales that were initiated on Chrono24 but completed outside the platform in the past three months.
  • The dealer’s complaint rate is less than 1.6%.
  • The dealer has a recommendation rate of at least 95%.

Qualifications: The watchmaker has the necessary training and qualifications in accordance with industry standards. Professional tools: The watchmaker is in possession of professional tools, e.g., for opening the watch without damaging it, testing water resistance, etc. Reference material: The watchmaker has access to the professional literature and online resources needed to research references, models, watch components, etc., and verify the watch’s authenticity according to our {definition of authenticity}. Audits: Chrono24 reserves the right to conduct inspections in person or by videoconferencing, for which we will need your consent.

Dealer Certified

Chrono24 Certified
Condition Pre-owned (no new/unworn watches) Pre-owned (no new/unworn watches)
Brand Any brand that you’re sure you can certify. Limited selection of certifiable watch brands. Further information
Watch Price Listing price at least €1,000 Purchase price between €5,000 and €25,000
Further conditions The watchmaker must be able to open the watch, and the serial number must be legible. The watchmaker must be able to open the watch, and the serial number must be legible.
Availability The watches are in stock and available immediately. The watches are either available immediately or will be shipped within 30 days.

Certified by Chrono24 is not available in all countries. An overview of all countries in which Dealer Certified and Chrono24 Certified are available can be found here.

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