Seller-side private placement
Audemars Piguet consignment and private placement
Published . Last updated .
Seller representation in writing. Progressive fees, not one flat rate. No completed sale means no success fee.
Know which agreement you need
What our AP private-placement service covers
Owners use “Audemars Piguet consignment” to describe asking a business to find a buyer for their watch. Our service is a private placement under a written seller mandate. We agree the exact watch, outreach authority, fee and sale conditions before approaching buyers. This is different from buying your watch as principal or acting for a buyer who wants it.
Do not assume that one provider's consignment terms apply to another. Record who owns the watch, who holds it, who may approve a price and when final release can happen. Giving custody for an inspection is not the same as completing a sale or granting unrestricted authority to accept an offer.
We review collector watches worth about $25,000 and above. The AP seller guide explains reference preparation and all available route types. Use this page for the terms and net calculation of the separate seller-side placement.
Fit before appointment
When private placement is a good fit
| Your priority | Why consider placement? | Decision before starting |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled, private outreach | You want an agreed search for a buyer without a public listing. | Approve the description, information that may be shared and outreach boundaries. |
| A documented unusual or complicated reference | You want the reference, set and condition explained to relevant prospective buyers. | Check the evidence and likely route. Rarity alone does not guarantee demand or a higher price. |
| Time to compare a placement with a firm offer | You can assess an expected net against an available purchase price. | Set a minimum acceptable net and a review point. An estimate is not a buyer commitment. |
| An upgrade with separate sale and purchase decisions | You want a documented sale net before deciding how to fund another watch. | Agree the order, cash gap and represented side of each transaction. PAA does not promise replacement stock. |
Source: Passion Asset Advisory private-placement guidance. These are seller-decision scenarios, not evidence of completed sales or guaranteed demand.
When not to choose this route
Private placement is not a fit if you need guaranteed immediate cash or will not allow time for a buyer search. Compare an available written purchase offer instead. It is also not a retail-stock service, an auction guarantee or a way to treat an advertised price as money already secured. If you only need an insurance or estate value, request a separate appraisal.
If your watch is the black-ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked, Ref. 26585CE.OO.1225CE.01, check the active buyer mandate first. A matching buyer-side offer has a different represented side, and the seller pays us no commission. It is not a reason to charge the placement fee on that same buyer-side transaction.
Progressive, not flat
Passion Asset Advisory: AP private-placement fees
Our placement success fee applies progressively to portions of the final sale price. It is not 6% or 4% of the entire price because the watch reaches a higher band. No completed sale means no success fee. Any other proposed cost must be identified in the written agreement before you authorise it.
| Portion of the final sale price | Rate on that portion |
|---|---|
| First $100,000 | 8% |
| Next $400,000, from $100,000 to $500,000 | 6% |
| Amount above $500,000 | 4% |
Source: Passion Asset Advisory commercial terms approved 27 September 2026, reviewed for this page on 10 October 2026. A lower fee for a large mandate may be agreed in writing before work starts. The final agreement identifies the currency, represented side and every fee.
Hypothetical $250,000 sale: $233,000 before other costs
If a watch sells for $250,000, the fee is $8,000 on the first $100,000 plus $9,000 on the next $150,000. The total success fee is $17,000, leaving $233,000 before applicable taxes or separately agreed costs. This is fee arithmetic dated 10 October 2026, not an AP valuation, a purchase offer or a completed sale.
The same headline price is not necessarily available through a dealer, a buyer mandate or auction. Compare actual proposals on the same condition assumptions. The AP value guide separates retail, asks and completed sales; the Net Proceeds Calculator lets you test clearly stated hypothetical inputs.
One represented side
Why the 5% and zero-commission routes are different
| Route | PAA's role | Seller commission to PAA |
|---|---|---|
| Private placement | Seller's agent under a written mandate. | Progressive 8% / 6% / 4% bands above, due on a completed sale. |
| Seller-side funded-buyer service | Seller's agent for that separate appointment. | 5% success fee. |
| Buyer-side acquisition mandate | Buyer's agent; not the seller's adviser on that transaction. | Zero. The buyer pays PAA's fee. |
| Disclosed principal purchase | PAA buys the collector watch itself. | Zero. PAA's margin is included in its offer. |
Source: Passion Asset Advisory commercial terms, approved 27 September 2026. The contract identifies the counterparty, represented side and every fee.
We never advise both sides in the same transaction. A seller may obtain separate independent advice before accepting a buyer-side or principal offer.
The 26585CE active brief is reference-specific, not general AP stock or a funded buyer for every Royal Oak. To respond to it, use the buyer-mandate intake. To discuss appointing us to find a buyer for your watch, request the separate seller-side placement review.
Record the decisions
Passion Asset Advisory: AP placement agreement checks
Use this proposed checklist before signing with us or another provider. It is not a claim that every consignment contract has the same terms. Blank fields need an answer before the watch moves or outreach begins.
| Decision | Written record to request |
|---|---|
| Watch and authority | Exact reference, condition file, included set, known changes and the person authorised to instruct the sale. |
| Role and fees | Contracting parties, represented side, fee calculation and every proposed third-party cost. |
| Price approval | Expected net, minimum acceptable net, who may accept an offer and how a price change is approved. |
| Outreach and privacy | Approved description and photographs, who may receive them and whether any public listing is permitted. |
| Duration and exclusivity | Any exclusive period, review date and withdrawal terms. Do not assume exclusivity is automatic or unlimited. |
| Custody and inspection | Location, condition record, insured value, transfer responsibilities, inspection scope and process for a disputed finding. |
| Completion and payment | Buyer acceptance, cleared-payment trigger, seller statement and authority for final release. |
| Unsold or withdrawn watch | Return instructions, insurance while returning, any previously agreed costs and termination of outreach authority. |
Source: Passion Asset Advisory seller-agreement checklist. This is a proposed record of decisions to agree, not a standard contract or a completed-sale report.
Agree a response to a materially different inspection finding before shipment. A lower revised price is a new decision, not automatic acceptance. A listing, an expression of interest and a completed sale are three different stages; ask which one a progress update describes.
The watch and the money
Inspection, custody and settlement
We arrange and pay for insured, tracked transfer to inspection and independent inspection on our private-placement route. The appointment may be in Geneva, London or Prague; these are inspection locations, not walk-in offices. Confirm the actual location, insured value, custody record and return terms before releasing the watch for inspection.
Placement does not promise a sale by a fixed date. Your agreement should state the outreach period, review points and payment conditions. If an offer is accepted, distinguish temporary inspection custody from final release to the buyer. Verify payment instructions through the agreed contact channel and retain the settlement record.
If the watch remains unsold, no placement success fee is due. The written terms still need to say how it is returned and whether any separately authorised costs apply. Do not infer a withdrawal charge, free storage for an unlimited period or automatic renewal from a success-fee statement.
Consignment by market
Passion Asset Advisory explains the fee and represented side before a private-placement mandate starts. Compare consignment and private sale in the UK, AP consignment choices in the UAE and Audemars Piguet consignment in Singapore. Ask each provider who holds the watch, who insures it and who returns it if it remains unsold.
AP consignment questions
Frequently asked questions
Does consignment mean you buy my AP?
No. In a seller-side private placement, Passion Asset Advisory is appointed to find a buyer under written terms. A purchase by us as principal is a separate route with a disclosed offer. The agreement must distinguish ownership, custody for inspection, price approval and final release. Sending a watch for inspection is not itself a completed sale.
What are your Audemars Piguet consignment fees?
Our private-placement success fee is progressive: 8% on the first $100,000 of the final sale price, 6% on the next $400,000 and 4% on the remainder. No completed sale means no success fee. The contract records any separately agreed costs. This is not the separate 5% seller-side funded-buyer service or the zero-commission buyer-side mandate.
What happens if my Audemars Piguet does not sell?
No private-placement success fee is due without a completed sale. Before starting, agree the review date, any exclusivity, withdrawal procedure, return instructions, insurance and separately authorised costs. Those details are contract-specific. Do not assume that an unsold watch is subject to an automatic price cut, an indefinite mandate or an undisclosed withdrawal fee.
When do I get paid after a consignment sale?
The signed agreement defines the payment trigger and settlement process for the accepted sale. A placement estimate or a buyer enquiry is not cleared payment. Record the inspection conditions, deductions, currency and authority for final release. Our conditional two-business-day direct-purchase term is a different route and should not be presented as a guaranteed consignment timeline.
Can I consign an AP without box and papers?
You can ask for a placement review with an incomplete set. Describe what is missing and send the available service and ownership records. Suitability and expected net depend on the exact watch, evidence and inspection. Do not label replacement documents as original papers. The active buyer mandate may have different requirements from a seller-side placement.
Should I use consignment for my 26585CE.OO.1225CE.01?
First check the active buyer mandate for the black-ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked, Ref. 26585CE.OO.1225CE.01. If your watch matches and an offer is agreed on that buyer-side route, the buyer pays our fee and the seller pays us no commission. A seller-side placement is a separate choice, with different representation and fees.
Start with the watch and your goal
Request an AP private-placement review
Send the reference, condition, set, country and your preferred deadline through the AP seller form. Select private placement or consignment as the preferred route. The reply checks fit, requests missing evidence and explains the proposed role and net estimate. It does not create a mandate or authorise a public listing.
We reply within one business day; the written offer or net estimate follows complete reference details and photos. The website form takes text only. Photographs follow in a private email thread. There is no obligation to proceed, and nothing is published without your approval.
Request my AP placement review
For identification, use the Royal Oak perpetual-calendar guide. For valuation evidence, use the Audemars Piguet value guide. For the exact active request, use the 26585CE buyer-mandate record.
Terms, sources and limits
Fee and service statements use our published commercial terms approved on 27 September 2026, reviewed here on 10 October 2026. The $250,000 calculation is hypothetical. The agreement checklist is proposed seller guidance, not a report of a completed AP transaction. Read our terms and editorial standards.
The official Audemars Piguet 26585CE page supports the model identity and black-ceramic material, not our buyer mandate or a market price. Our central mandate record states current buyer interest. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or an authorised dealer for Audemars Piguet.
We represent the seller on a private placement. We hold no general dealer stock, and any separate purchase by us as principal must be disclosed before you accept. The agreement states the role for your watch.