Audemars Piguet is a prestigious Swiss watchmaker and one of the world’s top three watch brands. The company has developed a number of fascinating wristwatches that defy common sense, and the ” Royal Oak ” in particular is a coveted icon that attracts executives from all over the world. In this issue, we introduce the charm of Audemars Piguet and its classic models!
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What is Audemars Piguet?
AUDEMARS PIGUET is a long-established manufacturer founded in Le Brassus in the Swiss Jura mountains and still based in the same place today. Since its foundation, AUDEMARS PIGUET has established a leading position in Switzerland in the field of ultra-complex watch development. It further climbed to the pinnacle of watch brands with the ” Royal Oak,” which discovered new possibilities for sports watches. Along with PATEK PHILIPPE and VACHERON CONSTANTIN, the company is considered one of the three major watch brands in the world.
History of Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet was founded by two genius watchmakers
Founded in 1875, Audemars Piguet is a prestigious watch brand that has been uninterruptedly family-owned for 140 years. Jules-Louis Audemars, born in a family of watchmakers and a genius engineer specializing in complications such as chronographs and minute repeaters, and his childhood friend Edward-Auguste Piguet ( Edward-August Piguet, who was two years younger than Jules-Louis Audemars and two years younger than Edward-August Piguet, who was not only technically skilled but also had a great sales and management ability.
left: Mr. Jules-Louis Audemars (1851-1918) / right: Mr. Edouard-Auguste Piguet (1853-1919)
Launch of a full-fledged brand
In 1881, the two founders established the brand to sell the watches they had created under their own names. In order to use their name as the brand name, they registered the company as a joint venture. Mr. Jules, who did not have enough money to invest in the company, made an investment of 18 of his own watches instead of cash, and ” Audemars Piguet ” was officially born.
Audemars Piguet’s early years are devoted to the development of pocket watches with complications.
At the end of the 19th century, the watchmaking world was competing to incorporate complications such as minute repeaters and perpetual calendars into pocket watch movements. The two founders of Audemars Piguet were no exception, producing many complicated watches that were works of art and jewelry watches for women. Among them was the model known as the ” Universelle ” sold in 1899, which featured a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, grand and petit sonnerie, chronograph with 30-minute counter, one-fifth of a second foudroyant with reset mechanism, split-seconds, and deadbeat seconds. It was a highly innovative pocket watch filled with as many complications as possible, such as a one-fifth-second foudroyant with reset mechanism, split-seconds, and deadbeat seconds.
Audemars Piguet is a watchmaker that pursues ” miniaturization and thinness
After the founder’s retirement, Audemars Piguet’s passion for watchmaking continued. In 1921, Audemars Piguet developed the world’s thinnest pocket watch, measuring only 1.32 mm thick. In the 1950s, Audemars Piguet finally succeeded in miniaturizing complications. In the 1950s, the company finally succeeded in miniaturizing the complication, and in 1957, the first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar and leap year display was completed. In 1967, he developed the ” Cal. 2120 “, the world’s thinnest self-winding movement with a center rotor. This movement, the thinnest in the world, made it possible to add complications and greatly expanded the possibilities for wristwatch development.
The world’s first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar mechanism with leap year display, created in 1957 and sold in 1969.
As one of the “world’s three major watch brands”, Audemars Piguet continues to challenge technological development
In 1972, the first Royal Oak was launched. This model, which broke the rules of high-end mechanical watches, was the model that propelled Audemars Piguet to its current position and has become synonymous with the brand. After achieving great success with the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet continued to develop traditional complications, and in 1978, with the Cal. 2120, created an exceptionally thin perpetual calendar wristwatch with a diameter of 7.8 mm, the thinnest in the world. In 2006, the company introduced the AP Escapement, a new mechanism that eliminates the need for lubricating oil, and in 2007 it introduced Forged Carbon, a new ultra-lightweight, high-hardness material.
world’s smallest wristwatch with tourbillon (1986)
Audemars Piguet’s eternal classic! The Royal Oak, a luxury sports watch
In 1972, Georges Golay, then CEO of Audemars Piguet, wanted to present an unprecedented wristwatch at Baselworld that year. He asked Gérald Genta to design a new product. The legendary designer would later go on to design Patek Philippe’s “Nautilus,” Bulgari’s “Bulgari Bulgari,” Rolex’s “Oyster Quartz,” and Cartier’s “Pasha. The Royal Oak, which was born as a result of these efforts, stunned the world by adopting stainless steel for a luxury watch, whereas solid gold was the norm at the time.
The left is Gerald Genta’s drawing and the right is the actual first model. The finish is almost exactly as designed. It is said that Mr. Genta designed the Royal Oak in only one day.
The case size of 39 mm in diameter was also unparalleled by the standards of the time, earning the watch the nickname “Jumbo. The octagonal bezel alone was revolutionary, but the eight hexagonal screws driven into the bezel were a departure from conventional wisdom. These screws were not mere decoration, but ran all the way through to the caseback, making the watch waterproof and robust. The watch’s iconic case design was inspired by the porthole of the HMS Royal Oak, a British Prince Consort-class armored ship, which also inspired the model’s name. Other watches with porthole-inspired designs include Hublot’s ” Big Bang,” but the Royal Oak has a longer history.
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak (left) and Hublot’s Big Bang (right) both have their design roots in ” portholes.
The case-integrated bracelet and the tapestry patterned dial with guilloché engraving are also major features of this model. The first model was almost unchanged from Gerald Genta’s drawing. It can be seen that every detail had already been thought through at the design stage.
The Royal Oak was born right after the quartz shock, yet it fully demonstrated the importance of mechanical watches. With the catchphrase “Homage to Steel,” it broke new ground as a “luxury sports watch. Today, in addition to reissued models of the original model, the brand’s popularity is driven by a diverse collection that includes complication models with minute repeaters and perpetual calendars, divers’ models with inner bezels and chronographs, and models with yellow gold specifications.
How Audemars Piguet creates the world’s most prestigious watches
Design by hand sketches
Like the Royal Oak created by Gérald Genta, all Audemars Piguet watches are the result of freehand sketches. The designer is an artist who must consider not only the artistic but also the technical limitations of the movement that he or she will inevitably face in the future. By working closely with the designers and the technical development department during the drawing stage, the designers are able to incorporate a technical perspective into their designs.
Computer-aided design and prototyping
Three-dimensional modeling is performed based on the finished rough sketches, and the color, texture, light reflection effects, and other finishing touches are considered. After obtaining details that are closer to reality, a wax prototype is created by a specialist. The technical problems that would be faced in the manufacture stage are then cleared, and a prototype is made in precious metal. Only after all the details are perfectly confirmed does the manufacturing of the watch begin.
Movement and dial production by skilled craftsmen
From two-hand calibers to grand complications, Audemars Piguet has been pursuing movement mechanisms since its inception. From the machining of the smallest components to the final decoration, each watch is made by dedicated craftsmen in several workshops.
The guilloché petit tapestry and grand tapestry dials, which are emblematic of Audemars Piguet, are created in the workshops at the company’s headquarters. The unique manufacturing process, which requires unparalleled precision, involves 12 steps and each dial takes seven hours to complete. Petit tapestry dials, the most dress-like and smallest “frame” dials, require a precision of only 2 mm for each pattern.
from left to right: petit tapestry, grand tapestry, mega tapestry
Assembly takes an average of one month
The watchmaking process begins with a drawing, and it takes several months to complete the manufacturing process at the Manufacture, including the movement consisting of several hundred parts and the elaborately decorated dial. From there, the final step, the casing, takes an average of one month of labor and passion to complete a single Audemars Piguet wristwatch.
Introduction of Audemars Piguet’s classic models
Audemars Piguet ” Royal Oak Offshore
The “Offshore” series is a sportier and tougher version of the Royal Oak, a luxury sports watch. The massive 44mm case gives the watch a massive and powerful impression. The bezel, crown, and pushers are made of black ceramic. The black bezel accentuates the silver color of the iconic hexagonal screws.
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Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak Offshore Diver
This Royal Oak diver’s model has the familiar octagonal stainless steel case with a black inner bezel. The black ceramic screw-down crown and 300-meter water resistance are authentic specifications. The glossy black mega-tapestry dial gives the watch a sense of luxury and power. The back of the watch has a see-through back cover that offers a view of the “Cal. 3120,” an in-house developed movement with a 22K gold oscillating weight. The Cal. 3120 movement is not only beautiful in its gold color, but also has a high performance 50-hour power reserve.
Audemars Piguet “Millenary 4101
Since its introduction in the millennium year of 2000, the ” Millenary ” has been one of Audemars Piguet’s flagship collections of luxury designed wristwatches. The oval-shaped case houses a self-winding ” Cal. 4101 ” movement designed as if it had been turned inside out. The white gold gyromax balance with its eight weights is a sign of the watch’s commitment not only to its appearance but also to its accuracy.
Audemars Piguet “Jules Audemars Extra Sinn
This model is named after Jules Audemars, one of the founders of the company. Equipped with Audemars Piguet’s ultra-thin Cal. 2120 movement measuring 2.45 mm, this ultra-thin watch has a case thickness of only 6.7 mm. The pure round case with two neat hands shines in this noble dress watch.
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