Updated:
Readtime: 7 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
- Audemars Piguet has launched The Watch Keepers, an official online marketplace for buying and selling certified pre-owned AP watches, initially in Europe and Switzerland.
- Buyers get manufacturer authentication, condition grading and a two-year warranty, while sellers can list watches at a fixed price or invite bids, subject to commission.
- The platform gives AP its own foothold in the lucrative resale market, though sellers still set their asking prices and there’s no confirmed Australian rollout.
Imagine buying a secondhand Royal Oak and having Audemars Piguet itself tell you it’s the real deal. Well, that’s exactly what The Watch Keepers is all about. The Swiss watchmaker has launched its own certified pre-owned marketplace, where it authenticates every watch against AP’s records and backs it with a two-year warranty. For collectors worried about spending tens of thousands of dollars on something that might not be genuine, AP’s second-hand platform is rather compelling.
Launched on 26 October 2026, the platform brings together everything from Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore models to discontinued collections like the Millenary. But unlike your typical secondhand listing, AP handles the authentication, condition grading, storage and delivery. It’s currently limited to eligible buyers and sellers in Europe and Switzerland, so Australian collectors will have to settle for window shopping.
Of course, there’s more to this than making secondhand purchases safer. AP is finally getting a slice of the resale market that has been making money from its watches for decades. Sellers pay a commission, buyers get the manufacturer’s seal of approval, and AP gets a direct relationship with collectors who might otherwise go through an independent dealer. Not a bad arrangement, as long as everyone thinks the price is right.
What Do Buyers Get From The Watch Keepers?
The biggest drawcard here is reassurance. AP watchmakers check each watch against the manufacturer’s archives and assess its condition, assigning a five-point grade to the case, dial and bracelet. Buyers receive a certificate of authenticity, a branded travel pouch and a two-year warranty covering proper functioning. And if the listing includes the original boxes and papers, you’ll receive those, too.
It’s a welcome alternative in the secondhand market, where convincing counterfeits and undisclosed replacement components can turn expensive purchases into rather costly mistakes. More than reassurance, The Watch Keepers offers a different kind of confidence from an independent dealer: the watch is authenticated and certified by the manufacturer itself, using AP’s own archives.
But there’s an important distinction between certified and restored. Unlike Rolex’s certified pre-owned programme, which includes a full service, AP doesn’t automatically overhaul every watch before listing it. If AP identifies any work that needs doing, additional servicing can be arranged before the watch goes up for sale. So while the certificate should put authenticity concerns to rest, buyers still need to pay attention to the condition grade.
The online catalogue is worth exploring, too. Of the 42 watches listed at launch, we found older Royal Oaks, unusual Millenary models and complications you won’t necessarily find in a current AP boutique. With around 100 watches expected to be listed at a time, it could become a useful place to discover the brand beyond its latest releases.
There’s just one small catch beyond the regional restrictions. You’ll need an AP account and identity verification to see prices or complete a purchase. So, for now, you can’t easily compare the cost of a certified Royal Oak with the same reference on an independent marketplace without logging in first.
What Does It Cost to Sell an Audemars Piguet Through The Watch Keepers?
Selling through The Watch Keepers involves a little more than uploading a few photos and hoping for the best. Owners need to provide a serial number and proof of ownership, and the watch must be at least 24 months past its original retail purchase date.
That last requirement is significant. It means someone can’t buy a new Royal Oak and immediately flip it through AP’s official resale platform. What they do elsewhere is another matter.
Once approved, an insured courier takes the watch to an AP service facility for authentication and assessment. AP handles the photography and listing, while the owner reviews the details and chooses between a fixed asking price and a bidding format. Throughout the process, the watch remains the seller’s property, though AP holds it until a buyer comes along.
For all that convenience and official backing, AP charges a commission. According to Swiss reporting on the programme, the fee is calculated progressively: 20 per cent on the first CHF 25,000, 15 per cent on the next CHF 25,000 and 10 per cent on anything above CHF 50,000.
Take a watch that sells for CHF 40,000 (roughly AUD $69,000). AP would collect CHF 7,250 (around AUD $12,500), leaving the seller CHF 32,750 (around AUD $56,500) before any other applicable costs.
That’s a substantial amount of cash to hand over, even in the luxury watch market. And it raises a fair question: could the manufacturer’s endorsement attract a buyer willing to pay enough to offset the commission? Because while AP handles the lion’s share of the official process, it doesn’t guarantee the seller a better result than they’d get through a reputable independent dealer. The decision therefore comes down to what that extra layer of trust is worth.
Why AP Wants a Piece of the Secondhand Market
This isn’t an entirely new idea for Audemars Piguet. Back in 2018, then-chief executive François-Henri Bennahmias called the fact that other businesses were profiting from secondhand watches an “aberration commercially speaking“. Nearly nine years later, AP finally has a dedicated online platform to do something about it.
And there’s an obvious commercial opportunity. The watchmaker can collect commissions on watches it sold years ago, reconnect with existing owners and offer new customers an official entry point into the brand. Unlike Rolex’s certified pre-owned programme, where authorised retailers handle transactions, AP is running the marketplace entirely on its own.
But if you ask AP, this isn’t primarily about profit. “The platform is not primarily designed to generate revenue or profit,” said CEO Ilaria Resta to Swiss media, describing the programme as a way to address buyers’ trust concerns, with commissions covering the costs of running the service.
Fair enough. Authentication, insurance, logistics and storage don’t come cheap. But even if the platform isn’t a major profit centre, keeping those transactions within AP’s orbit has value of its own. The brand gets another chance to engage with owners, buyers and the prices its watches fetch.
And that’s where things get interesting. An AP-certified Royal Oak could command more than a similar example sold elsewhere because the buyer knows exactly who’s backing it. Those official listings could also influence what collectors consider a reasonable asking price.
But AP isn’t setting a universal resale price. Sellers choose what to ask, and completed sales on independent marketplaces will continue to shape what a Royal Oak is actually worth. AP also can’t necessarily use those resale prices to justify charging more for a new watch.
The Watch Keepers gives AP a bigger foothold in a market it’s been trying to break into for years. But how much business it captures will depend on whether collectors are willing to pay for the manufacturer’s endorsement, whether they’re buying or selling a watch.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.