After its move into jewelry, Audemars Piguet is opening a new chapter and is now officially in the pre-owned business. On October 26, the manufacture from Le Brassus launched The Watch Keepers, a digital platform for buying and selling Audemars Piguet watches certified by the brand itself. It’s another step in a clear trend: the big watch houses want back in control of what happens to their watches after the first sale.
The service is aimed at owners who want to sell a watch and at collectors looking for a pre-owned piece. It starts in Switzerland and Europe, with other markets to follow.
Certified by the manufacture itself
Unlike independent resale platforms, The Watch Keepers puts Audemars Piguet at the center of the process. To be listed, a watch must have been originally sold at least two years ago. Once the serial number and proof of ownership are checked, accepted pieces are sent to the manufacture.
There, watchmakers authenticate each watch against the brand’s archives and assess its condition. Every piece gets a detailed listing with high-resolution photos and a cosmetic condition grade on a five-level scale.
Sellers can then choose between a fixed price and an auction. The watch remains theirs until the sale goes through, while Audemars Piguet keeps it safe and handles the sale.
Buyers receive a certificate of authenticity, a dedicated travel case and a two-year warranty on the movement’s performance.
Taking back the secondary market
With The Watch Keepers, Audemars Piguet joins a movement already underway in high-end watchmaking. Rolex, for example, built its Certified Pre-Owned program with its authorized retailers, while other houses have chosen to manage resale more directly.
The point goes beyond making transactions safer. By stepping into the secondary market, manufactures can keep a relationship with their clients long after the first purchase, control authentication more closely and build buyer confidence. They also get a foothold in a market that, until now, largely happened outside their traditional retail networks.
According to LuxeConsult estimates reported by the trade press, the secondary market for Swiss watches was worth between CHF 22 and 24 billion in 2025. It’s now a strategic segment for the big houses, especially those whose models collectors chase most.
A new channel for collectors
At launch, the platform should show around a hundred watches at a time, from different collections and eras. That could open the door to older references, or ones that are hard to find through the new-watch retail network.
For Audemars Piguet, The Watch Keepers extends the relationship with its clients and gives an official framework to how its watches change hands. The manufacture no longer just makes and sells watches. It wants a hand in passing them on, too.
The real test is still ahead: will collectors adopt this new channel, and is certification by the brand itself enough of an edge over the independent dealers who already own this market?
With The Watch Keepers, Audemars Piguet turns pre-owned into part of its own world, instead of a market where its watches circulate without it.