Audemars Piguet launches certified pre-owned programme The Watch Keepers
Audemars Piguet has officially launched The Watch Keepers, a certified pre-owned digital platform allowing collectors to buy and sell authenticated vintage and modern timepieces directly through the Swiss watchmaker. The programme is initially available in Europe and Switzerland, with global expansi
Audemars Piguet has officially launched The Watch Keepers, a dedicated certified pre-owned (CPO) watch service programme that brings together buyers, sellers and some of the Swiss luxury maker's most coveted timepieces on a digital platform. The long-anticipated eco-system allows collectors to buy and sell both vintage and modern timepieces, with rigorous verification standards managed directly by Audemars Piguet. Each timepiece returned to the manufacture's service centres will, according to the brand, “receive the same attention and expertise that first defined them.”
Sellers must register and undergo an online verification of the timepiece's serial number and proof of ownership. Submitted watches must be at least two years past their initial retail sale, and upon approval must be shipped via an insured courier to Audemars Piguet's Customer Service facilities. There, the timepieces are authenticated again and their condition evaluated by experts, then photographed and graded on a five-point scale assessing the case, dial, bracelet, and a detailed listing. Sellers retain ownership and can choose either a set price or a dynamic bidding format for the highest possible outcome.
Buyers must also complete an initial registration process. Once a sale is final, The Watch Keepers delivers the watch in a specialised travel pouch with a certificate of authenticity and a two-year warranty. To keep the collection curated, only about a hundred watches will be showcased on the platform at any given time, ranging from rare high-complication pieces to vintage references no longer available in boutiques. Digital avatars of real Audemars Piguet team members, called Expert Watch Keepers, are available 24/7 to guide collectors and offer recommendations.
Audemars Piguet's CPO programme opens doors to both long-time collectors and newcomers. High-demand models like the Royal Oak are often inaccessible to first-time buyers in boutiques, and The Watch Keepers levels the playing field with a digital storefront available to all. The programme is only available in Europe and Switzerland for now, but Audemars Piguet has plans for global expansion.
The concept of CPO is not new to the industry; Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, and IWC Schaffhausen have similar programmes that directly control the secondary market of their watches, ensuring that their heritage, reliability, and reputation remain safeguarded for generations.
