Inside Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons’ Impressive, Newly-Opened Rolex CPO Collection
You could easily think you're visiting a museum of Rolex's rarest models, but no, it's all CPO and available.
When it was officially announced back in late 2022, the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Programme (also known as RCPO) made some noise. The fact that the world’s largest watch brand officialized its interest in second-hand, certified and authenticated watches proved that this segment of the market was never to be neglected anymore. It took a little while for the Rolex CPO concept to deploy but we’re now seeing the Crown’s most trusted retailers opening their dedicated RCPO boutiques. One of them is none other than Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, UAE’s leading retailer of luxury watches and owner of the largest Rolex boutique in the world (a must-see). We’ve travelled all the way to Dubai to talk Rolex CPO with Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, the group’s CEO, and to discover some of the most insane collections of neo-vintage Rollies around. And believe me, it did not disappoint!
Reminder about the Rolex CPO Programme
First, let’s remember what the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Programme is all about. As you’ve guessed from the name, this CPO concept is all about offering second-hand and neo-vintage watches to customers, not only for those looking for now-discontinued models but also as a way to counteract the limited availability of Rolex models from retailers. As explained by the brand and its retail partner Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons, “the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned programme aims to bring added value to the existing supply of Rolex watches on the pre-owned market.”
The RCPO programme attests the authenticity of second-hand Rolex watches but also delivers watches that have been fully serviced, selected, certified and brought back to their former glory, both visually and mechanically. These watches are delivered in a specific pouch, with dedicated CPO tags and with the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned guarantee card – with a two-year international guarantee. Watches that can enter the Rolex CPO program must be from discontinued collections, at least three years old at their time of resale and, normally, no more than 30 years old – with a few exceptions for rare and restored vintage watches.
Rolex CPO at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
First launched together with Bucherer, which in the meantime became part of Rolex, the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Programme slowly expands worldwide, with the Crown meticulously selecting retail partners worthy of having a dedicated CPO salon within their boutiques. For the UAE region, Rolex elected Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, a leading luxury watch and jewellery retailer carrying over 100 brands across over 50 locations, established in 1950, to be its voice for certified second-hand Rolex watches. It is now open and accessible to the public via a dedicated Salon located within the Rolex boutique at Wafi Mall, Dubai.
Before we have a look at some of the most insane watches (but also appealing classics) I’ve encountered recently, I wanted to discuss the benefits of the Rolex CPO programme together with an insider, the man responsible for setting up the dedicated salon and curating this inaugural collection (way over 100 watches), Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, CEO of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons.
It’s like acquiring a new Rolex but with history.
When asked why CPO and specifically the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Programme matters, Mister Seddiqi’s answer is pretty clear, explaining that “the programme that Rolex has introduced by certifying the watches, refurbishing, servicing, and guaranteeing them for two years, delivering them with dedicated CPO tags and pouches, gives great credibility and reassurance to the clients, to buy a watch that doesn’t exist anymore.” Adding to this Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, pointing at the salon behind us, explains that “with a physical boutique, it’s done in such a professional manner by Rolex that it again adds to the experience. The second-hand market has grown impressively over the years and, knowing that Rolex watches are still not readily available, this might be a new opportunity for clients to discover Rolex and start a passion for neo-vintage and vintage watches.”
The whole point of the Rolex CPO programme is, just like it’s been done in the luxury car industry for many years now, to offer peace of mind. “The CPO programme of Rolex, thanks to the warranty and the authentification process, including genuine Rolex service parts, gives the collectors an authentic piece of history but also peace of mind. It’s like acquiring a new Rolex but with history!” says Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi.
The selection of Rolex CPO models by Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons is now available from the Wafi Mall boutique. But that’s not all, since it’ll soon expand with an online presence via Seddiqi.com in 2025, where watch enthusiasts from around the globe will able to purchase digitally through this collection – and without regional limitations.
Curating the Rolex CPO watches
The collection that Rolex has been offering over the past 30 to 35 years is vast, to say the least. From classic, accessible Oyster Perpetuals and Air Kings, to robust professional models and higher-end gold models in the Day-Date collection, there’s room for selection. And the whole process behind the incredible collection curated by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons was well thought through. It was not just about sourcing the easy-selling pieces, such as a GMT Master or a Daytona in steel.
Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, together with his cousin Mohammed Abdul Hamied, have personally sourced, selected, and curated this collection with a specific idea in mind. “We wanted to find rare watches. We didn’t want to focus only on professional models. We have some, of course, as it’s a must-have in any collection and Certified Pre-Owned selection, but we wanted to focus on pieces that are almost unheard of. Surprisingly, for some of them, it was the first time we’ve seen such watches,” says Mister Seddiqi.
He added that, with other family members (Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons is still a family-run business), “We’ve been working on selecting and curating these 100+ watches for the past two years, hunting down watches through collectors, retailers, auction houses… It wasn’t easy but because of the passion we have for watches, it was a really interesting adventure. And we sought watches not only from the region but from the entire world, just to find exactly what we wanted to display in the CPO boutique. It’s not only about having watches dedicated to the regional clientele. It’s meant for international collectors. Even though historically, the local UAE market has a soft spot for Day-Date models, which explains why you’ll see incredible examples here.”
Photo Report… Inside the Seddiqi x Rolex CPO collection
Aside from the incredible range of Day-Date models curated by the Seddiqi family, some of them being extremely rare if not almost unique examples with the most exotic dials you can imagine, I was also pleased to see that there is a fair share of more accessible, classic watches from this CPO programme. The best example I can think of is a lovely, simple Air King reference 14000, with an Explorer-like salmon dial. Once again, not the most random model, and one that has something more unique, more special, but a rather accessible piece – at least compared to some of the insanely rare diamond-filled Daytonas around.
But now, just for the sake of pleasure, here are some of the watches we’ve seen in Dubai… A vast, diverse selection of rare pieces, stone-dial models, but also impeccably-serviced classic models – all in absolutely perfect condition.
The entire Rolex CPO selection by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons can be consulted here. For more details, please visit Seddiqi.com.
1 response
How much price?