Century was founded in Switzerland in 1966 by Hans-Ulrich Klingenberg, an inventor who developed a vacuum case system designed to eliminate moisture, air and dust from a watch's interior, technology he initially supplied to other established Swiss brands before launching his own. In 1979, Klingenberg patented the Megalith system, a process for fusing two discs of sapphire into a single, inseparable watch case, a technique that remains the brand's defining signature and that few manufacturers have ever attempted to replicate. Century continues to operate as an independent, family-run company based in Nidau, near Biel, with each faceted sapphire case still hand-sculpted and polished.
At WATCHOYSTER, we carry a selection of certified pre-owned Century watches inspected in Switzerland. Every piece has been physically examined by our in-house certified watchmaker, verified against The Watch Register, and documented before listing. What you see reflects the actual condition of the watch, with no exceptions.
Century occupies a genuinely unusual niche in Swiss watchmaking, combining jewellery-grade sapphire artistry with proprietary case technology found in no other brand. The pre-owned market is where earlier Master Imperial and Precious Elegance references most consistently surface, often in distinctive gold and gem-set configurations no longer produced. Buying a certified second hand Century from a verified dealer in Switzerland means every piece has been assessed for sapphire case integrity, movement condition and clasp function before listing. Our 12-month warranty applies to every watch in our catalogue, and our 14-day return policy covers any case where the watch does not correspond to its description.
All Century watches in our catalogue are available for immediate purchase with worldwide insured delivery. Standard delivery across Switzerland takes 2 to 3 business days. For clients who prefer to inspect the watch in person before completing the purchase, our appointment-only lounge in the Geneva Free Zone is available by prior arrangement.
Financing is available on selected pre-owned Century references for clients based in Switzerland, with terms from 3 to 24 months, no interest and no administrative fees. The full purchase price is divided into equal monthly instalments, with a minimum first payment of 25%. A decision takes under three minutes at checkout, with no documentation required beyond standard order information.
