Audemars Piguet has formally stepped into certified pre-owned with The Watch Keepers, a digital marketplace for authenticated AP watches re-entering the market.
It’s a significant move for a brand whose most sought-after references can be difficult to access at retail, especially for collectors who are new to the manufacture.
The platform starts in Europe and Switzerland, with Audemars Piguet saying it will expand progressively across other regions.
At a glance
- Audemars Piguet has launched The Watch Keepers, an online certified pre-owned platform for authenticated AP watches.
- Watches are handled through AP service facilities, with authentication, condition grading, photography and a two-year warranty for buyers.
- The service is currently available in Europe and Switzerland, with a wider global rollout planned by the brand.
A digital CPO platform run by Audemars Piguet
The Watch Keepers is built as an online experience rather than a boutique-led resale programme.
Audemars Piguet says the platform is designed to facilitate both buying and selling, while bringing returning watches back into the care of the manufacture’s service centres before they move to a new owner.
The brand positions the service as open to established clients and newcomers alike, a notable point given the level of demand around certain AP models.
Inside the platform, users are guided by Expert Watch Keepers, described by the brand as real AP team members represented as digital avatars.
Those guides support browsing, listing a watch for sale and accessing editorial content within the marketplace.
How selling works on The Watch Keepers
For sellers, the process begins with registration, followed by online verification of the watch’s serial number and proof of ownership.
Eligible watches must be at least two years from their first sellout date.
Once eligibility is confirmed, an insured courier transfers the watch to Audemars Piguet’s Customer Service facilities.
The watch is then authenticated and assessed, with AP carrying out checks intended to support transparency and trust.
The team produces high-resolution photography and a detailed listing, including insights from the manufacture and a five-point grading system for the aesthetic condition of the case, dial and bracelet.
The seller reviews the listing information and can choose either a set price or a bidding format, while retaining control over the publication date.
Until the sale is complete, the watch remains the seller’s property and is stored securely within Audemars Piguet’s facilities.
What buyers receive
Buyers also begin with registration before they can acquire a watch through the platform.
Audemars Piguet says around one hundred watches are shown at any given time, spanning different collections and eras.
Once a sale is finalised, the watch is delivered with The Watch Keepers travel pouch, a certificate of authenticity and a two-year warranty.
Operations are overseen from Audemars Piguet’s headquarters in Le Brassus, working in coordination with local regional service centres.
| Programme | The Watch Keepers |
|---|---|
| Brand | Audemars Piguet |
| Format | Online certified pre-owned marketplace |
| Initial availability | Europe and Switzerland |
| Expansion | Progressive rollout across regions worldwide planned |
| Buyer inclusions | Travel pouch, certificate of authenticity and two-year warranty |
| Seller eligibility | Watch must be at least two years from its first sellout date |
| Typical platform selection | Approximately one hundred watches displayed at any given time |
The wider certified pre-owned moment
Certified pre-owned has become an increasingly important part of the watch industry, with major houses and independents developing their own approaches to authenticated resale.
Rolex’s certified pre-owned programme helped sharpen wider attention on the category, while brands including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, MB&F and F.P. Journe have also embraced the concept in different forms.
LuxeConsult and Morgan Stanley have estimated Rolex’s certified pre-owned activity at USD 590 million in 2025, underlining how meaningful the category has become for top-tier watchmakers.
For Audemars Piguet, the appeal is clear enough.
The Watch Keepers gives the manufacture a direct role in the secondary life of its watches, from authentication and presentation to warranty and delivery.
Marc Montagne, Audemars Piguet’s Director of CPO, said the programme responds to strong collector demand and reinforces the brand’s commitment to supporting the long-term lifecycle of its watches.
For collectors, the value will depend on the watches that appear, the condition transparency and the buying experience itself, but the direction is unmistakable.
Audemars Piguet is bringing its own authority to the secondary market, and that could make The Watch Keepers one of the more closely watched CPO launches in high watchmaking.
