Audemars Piguet Launches Certified Pre‑Owned Program
Audemars Piguet is set to launch its certified pre‑owned (CPO) program next week, marking the culmination of nearly a decade of development and pilot projects across Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. The initiative will allow the brand to trade in and sell pre‑owned watches directly through its boutiques, following a model similar to Rolex’s successful CPO scheme, which has become a major revenue driver and a tool for protecting customers from counterfeit pieces. The rollout is expected before the end of October, with a dedicated CPO team led by Marc Montagne, former head of digital and e‑commerce at Vacheron Constantin. While Audemars Piguet’s pre‑owned models typically trade at a modest premium of about 5.9% above retail, the flagship Royal Oak collection commands a significant 37% premium, highlighting the strong market demand that the new program aims to capture.
Buying Time Analysis: Audemars Piguet’s launch of a certified pre‑owned program marks a pivotal shift in the luxury watch market, signaling the brand’s embrace of secondary‑market growth, enhancing customer trust, and positioning it to compete with Rolex’s successful CPO initiative.
