Audemars Piguet Officially Launches Its Certified Pre-Owned Platform
The Watch Keepers brings authentication, grading and resale directly under the Manufacture’s control.
Summary
Audemars Piguet officially launches The Watch Keepers, its new Certified Pre-Owned platform.
Eligible watches are authenticated, graded and listed directly through AP’s service network.
Buyers receive manufacturer certification, a travel pouch and a two-year warranty.
Just days after reports pointed to the imminent arrival of Audemars Piguet’s long-anticipated Certified Pre-Owned programme, the Le Brassus manufacture has made it official. Launching under the name The Watch Keepers, the new end-to-end CPO service gives Audemars Piguet direct oversight of authenticated pre-owned watches returning to the market, building on pilot initiatives the brand had previously tested across Japan, Switzerland and the U.S. Rather than relying on third-party dealers, The Watch Keepers operates through a dedicated digital platform backed by AP’s own service infrastructure, positioning the manufacturer itself as the point of contact for authentication, condition assessment and resale. The platform launches first in Europe and Switzerland, with a progressive international rollout planned thereafter.
For sellers, the process begins with registration and online verification of a watch’s serial number and proof of ownership, with eligible pieces required to be at least two years removed from their original sell-out date. Approved watches are transported by insured courier to Audemars Piguet Customer Service, where watchmakers authenticate them against the manufacture’s archive registers, assess their condition and prepare detailed listings supported by high-resolution photography and a five-point grading system covering the case, dial and bracelet.
Sellers can then choose between a fixed asking price or bidding format, while retaining control over when the listing goes live; importantly, the watch remains their property and is stored within AP facilities until a transaction is completed. The digital experience itself is built around color-themed virtual rooms and “Expert Watch Keepers” – actual AP staff represented as digital avatars – who guide users through buying, selling and editorial content.On the buying side, approximately 100 watches will be presented on the platform at any given time, spanning different collections and eras, with transactional access reserved for registered users. Once purchased, each watch is delivered with a dedicated Watch Keepers travel pouch, a certificate of authenticity and a two-year warranty covering proper functioning.
More significantly, the service gives Audemars Piguet a formal role in the secondary-market life of its own watches: as custodian of its historical archives and service records, the manufacture can verify identity and conformity using information unavailable to external resellers. In that sense, The Watch Keepers expands the CPO strategy first reported earlier this month into something broader than an online resale channel — a manufacturer-controlled ecosystem designed to keep older AP references circulating, bring hard-to-find pieces back into view and maintain a direct relationship with collectors well beyond the initial retail sale. For more information, head over to Audemars Piguet’s official website for The Watch Keepers.
