First it was Rolex and Audemars Piguet, now it’s Chrono24: Another major player in the watch industry has started vetting pre-owned timepieces for collectors.

The leading online marketplace for luxury watches today launched a new authentication programme for pre-owned watches to ensure shoppers feel safer splashing cash on the secondary market.

Called simply Certified, the programme will be available for pre-owned timepieces from both professional and private sellers with price tags above US$1,000 (HK$7,830). The certification includes a comprehensive authenticity check of a purchaser’s watch, box, and papers. Every certified watch will also receive an evergreen digital Certificate of Authenticity. Furthermore, a green “C” icon is now visible on the certified watches on the Chrono24 website.

“The world’s leading marketplace for luxury watches now offers the largest selection of certified watches on the planet,” Chrono24 CEO Carsten Keller said in a statement. “Built on the most transparent authentication service in the industry, customers now experience the final layer of security in buying luxury watches.”

Wrist candy can be certified in one of two ways. The watch can be examined by an experienced watchmaker contracted by Chrono24 and geographically close to the dealer. This process is carried out before the piece is listed and at no charge to the purchaser. Alternatively, private sellers can have a timepiece checked by a watchmaker at Chrono24’s certification centre, before it is shipped to its new owner. This optional service bears a convenience charge of about US$216 (HK$1,690) and takes between two to five business days.

Either way, the watchmaker will meticulously examine the watch to make sure it’s legit. The standardised authentication process includes a theft check in which the serial number is run through stolen watch databases, a functionality check that includes the testing of complications, and an authenticity check that ensures the piece meets Chrono24’s authenticity standards. The box and papers (if included in the sale) will also be checked to confirm they match the reference.

A Certificate of Authenticity is then generated for the piece. The document details the condition of the watch, specifies if it has any aftermarket parts, and notes if there are any differences between it and the listing. Chrono24 will also reach out to the buyer so that they can decide if they wish to proceed with the purchase. As always, shoppers are fully protected through the platform’s Buyer Protection program. (Should a watch arrive not as the seller described, the buyer has 14 days to initiate a return and get their money back.)

Certified is now live across Europe, with the US rollout scheduled for later in the second quarter (early summer).