Audemars Piguet Launches The Watch Keepers, Its Certified Pre-Owned Platform
Last Updated: October 26, 2026
Audemars Piguet launched its own certified pre-owned program on October 26, 2026. It's called The Watch Keepers, it runs online, and for now it's open to buyers and sellers in Europe and Switzerland. AP doesn't buy the watches. Owners list them, AP authenticates and grades them, and the brand takes a commission from the seller when one sells. The launch comes from a company whose CEO, Ilaria Resta, has spent two years saying growth isn't what she's chasing.
The Watch Keepers covers every AP collection and era, the Royal Oak included. This is the Jumbo Extra-Thin openworked 16204ST.
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How The Watch Keepers Works
Here's the launch, as reported by Watchonista and Monochrome:
- Online only. It's a digital marketplace. There's no in-store side to it.
- Europe and Switzerland first. Anyone with an account can browse, but only verified users can buy or sell, and the program is open in Europe and Switzerland for now. AP says other regions will follow.
- The owner sells. A seller registers the watch with its serial number and proof of ownership, then sends it by insured courier to an AP service center. It stays the seller's property, stored at AP, until it sells.
- Checked and graded by AP. AP's watchmakers check each watch against the archive registers and grade the case, dial and bracelet on a five-point scale.
- Two years old or more. A watch has to be at least two years past its first sale to qualify.
- Fixed price or bidding. The seller picks the format and decides when the watch goes live. AP told Watchonista that only sellers pay a commission. Buyers pay nothing on top of the price.
- What the buyer gets. A certificate of authenticity, a two-year warranty and a travel pouch.
Around 100 watches are listed at any given time, across collections and eras. Neither report gives the commission rate.
Case, dial and bracelet: the three parts The Watch Keepers grades, shown on a Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin openworked 16204ST.
Eight Years of "Coming Soon"
This has been a long time coming. In 2018, then-CEO François-Henry Bennahmias told Reuters that AP was testing certified pre-owned at a store in Geneva, per JCK. Robb Report says that early program was put on hold after criticism that AP was selling the same watch twice.
Rolex announced its certified pre-owned program in December 2022. A month later, Robb Report said an AP test phase was expected by the end of 2023, and Bennahmias was quoted predicting that "the CPO business is going to be bigger than the new business." A global program didn't arrive that year. Gear Patrol says AP expanded its boutique pilots in 2023 instead. Rolex's program, meanwhile, could reach about $1 billion in sales next year, according to a WatchPro estimate cited by Gear Patrol.
"Growth Is Not My Obsession"
Resta replaced Bennahmias at the start of 2024, and her line on growth hasn't moved since:
- "Growth is not my obsession." (Revolution, March 2024)
- "We could have double digit growth, because we have many more clients than watches we are able to produce." (same interview)
- "Double-digit growth every year is not the main objective." (Luxury Tribune, February 2026, translated from French)
Sales still rose. Resta has put AP's 2025 growth at about 10%, and Luxury Tribune puts production at around 52,000 watches a year. She has also described what limits production: "We have decided that our watches can only be made with a tremendous amount of hand work." (Revolution, March 2024)
The 16204ST's openworked movement, from the dial side and through the caseback.
What Changes for Owners and Buyers
The Watch Keepers lets AP earn from watches it has already sold. Each sale on the platform pays AP a commission from the seller, and AP never buys the watch. It is also set up differently from Rolex's certified pre-owned program, which runs through Rolex's authorized retailers. AP runs The Watch Keepers itself, online.
For an AP owner in Europe or Switzerland, it's one more place to sell. The watch stays with AP until it sells, and the seller pays the commission. In the US, nobody can buy or sell through The Watch Keepers yet, and AP hasn't announced a US date.
Shop Pre-Owned Audemars Piguet
Sources: Watchonista, "Audemars Piguet Launches Its CPO: What The Watch Keepers Means for Buyers, Sellers and Prices," October 26, 2026; Monochrome, "Audemars Piguet Launches The Watch Keepers," October 26, 2026; Gear Patrol, "Audemars Piguet Is Taking a Page Out of Rolex's Book," October 20, 2026, citing WatchPro; Robb Report, January 30, 2023; JCK, February 2, 2023, citing Reuters (2018); Revolution, interview with Ilaria Resta, March 18, 2024; Luxury Tribune, interview with Ilaria Resta, February 26, 2026; Bilanz, interview with Ilaria Resta, December 2025, and CNBC (2026) for 2025 sales growth. AP is privately owned and does not publish full financials; production and growth figures are the CEO's own or press-reported. Watches Off 5th is an independent pre-owned and grey-market dealer with no authorized-dealer relationship to Audemars Piguet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Audemars Piguet have a certified pre-owned program?
Yes. AP launched The Watch Keepers on October 26, 2026, an online marketplace for certified pre-owned AP watches. Owners list their watches, and AP authenticates, grades and stores them until they sell. Buyers get a certificate of authenticity and a two-year warranty. It's open in Europe and Switzerland first, with other regions to follow.
Can I buy from The Watch Keepers in the US?
Not yet. At launch, buying and selling is open in Europe and Switzerland only, and AP says it will expand to other regions over time. Anyone with an account can browse the listings. As of October 26, 2026, AP hasn't announced a date for the US.
Does AP buy my watch through The Watch Keepers?
No. The watch stays yours until it sells. You register it with its serial number and proof of ownership, send it to an AP service center by insured courier, and choose a fixed price or bidding. AP charges the seller a commission when the watch sells, and buyers pay nothing on top of the price.
What has AP's CEO said about growth?
Ilaria Resta, CEO since 2024, has said more than once that growth isn't the target. She called it "not my obsession" in a 2024 Revolution interview, and in 2026 told Luxury Tribune that double-digit growth every year isn't the main objective. AP's sales still grew about 10% in 2025, by her own account.
How many watches does Audemars Piguet make a year?
Around 52,000, according to Luxury Tribune in February 2026. AP is privately owned and doesn't publish full figures. Resta has said hand finishing is what limits production, and that the brand has many more clients than watches it can produce.
What do you get with a Watch Keepers watch?
Each watch ships with AP's certificate of authenticity, two years of warranty cover and a travel pouch. Before listing, AP's watchmakers verify it against the brand's archives and give its condition a grade from one to five. Only watches two or more years past their first sale qualify.