Watchatlas

Audemars Piguet

Le Brassus, Switzerland · Est. 1875

Founded by Jules-Louis Audemars, Edward-Auguste Piguet

Founded in 1875 in Le Brassus, Switzerland, by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet, Audemars Piguet remains one of the few major Swiss manufactures still in family hands. It is best known for the Royal Oak, designed by Gérald Genta in 1972, which defined the luxury sports watch category.

Founded
1875
Headquarters
Le Brassus, Switzerland
Group
Independent
Price Segment
Ultra
Status
Active

Pronunciation & name

oh-duh-MAHR pee-GEH

Collectors often shorten Audemars Piguet to AP.

Name note: Named after founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet.

Why this brand matters

Audemars Piguet remains independent and family-controlled, rare among large Swiss maisons.

Collector flashcards

  • Family control — Audemars Piguet remains independent and family-controlled, rare among large Swiss maisons.
  • Royal Oak moment — The Royal Oak helped establish the luxury steel sports watch as a serious haute horlogerie category.
  • Le Brassus identity — The brand is still closely tied to Le Brassus in the Vallee de Joux.

Key Collections

  • Royal Oak (1972) — Designed by Gérald Genta in 1972, the Royal Oak introduced luxury watchmaking in steel with an octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet. It revolutionised the industry and remains the definitive AP piece. Key references: 5402ST, 15202ST, 16202ST, 15500ST, 15510ST.
  • Royal Oak Offshore (1993) — Royal Oak Offshore is Audemars Piguet's oversized, high-contrast sport watch family, launched in 1993 and built to push the Royal Oak idea into louder materials, stronger presence, and more extroverted chronograph and complication territory. Key references: 25770SN, 26470ST.OO.A028CR.01.A, 26238ST.OO.A001VE.01.
  • Millenary (1995) — An oval-case collection with an off-centred dial and skeletonised movement. The Millenary represents AP's haute horlogerie ambitions in a non-Royal Oak format. Key references: 4101, 77247, 15350ST.
  • Code 11.59 (2019) — Launched in 2019, AP's contemporary round dress-sport hybrid. Complex double-curved sapphire crystals and an intricate multi-layer case construction distinguish it from everything else in the AP line. Key references: 15210ST, 26393ST, 26600OR.
  • Royal Oak Concept (2002) — Audemars Piguet’s experimental Royal Oak platform, launched in 2002 and used for concept-watch materials, tourbillons, futuristic architecture, and limited cultural collaborations. Key references: CW1, 26630, 26589, 26650.

Timeline

  • 1875 — Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet found Audemars Piguet on 17 December in Le Brassus, Vallée de Joux, Switzerland.
  • 1882 — AP completes its first minute-repeating pocket watch movement — an extraordinarily complex chiming complication that establishes the brand's technical ambitions.
  • 1892 — AP produces the world's first minute-repeating wristwatch, pioneering what would become a defining category of haute horlogerie complications.
  • 1972 — The Royal Oak is unveiled at Basel, designed overnight by Gérald Genta. A luxury sports watch in steel with an octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet — the watch that changed luxury watchmaking forever.
  • 1986 — AP becomes the first manufacturer to release an automatic tourbillon wristwatch — a mechanical landmark combining the power of automatic winding with the precision regulation of a tourbillon.
  • 1993 — The Royal Oak Offshore launches, designed by Emmanuel Gueit. Dramatically oversized and assertive, it creates a new category of ultra-luxury sports watches.
  • 2004 — The Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet opens in Le Brassus, connecting visitors to 130 years of watchmaking history in the brand's home village.
  • 2019 — The Code 11.59 collection is launched — AP's contemporary round collection featuring complex double-curved sapphire crystals and multi-component case architecture.
  • 2025 — Celebrated 150th anniversary with new Calibre 7138 perpetual calendar and Bleu Nuit Nuage 50 blue ceramic.
  • 2025 — Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in sand gold won the Iconic Watch Prize at GPHG 2025.
  • 2026 — Returned to Watches & Wonders Geneva as exhibitor for first time in six years. Debuted 41mm Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in full blue ceramic.

Frequently Asked Questions about Audemars Piguet

Why is Audemars Piguet called one of the Holy Trinity?
Alongside Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, AP is considered one of the three greatest Swiss watchmakers for its combination of unbroken independent ownership, technical innovation, and historical prestige. Unlike most luxury brands, AP has never been acquired by a conglomerate.
What makes the Royal Oak so iconic?
In 1972, making a luxury watch in steel was almost unheard of. Gérald Genta's octagonal bezel with exposed screws, integrated bracelet, and 'tapisserie' dial broke every convention — and the high price for a steel watch shocked the industry. It succeeded because the design was genuinely extraordinary.
Is AP still family-owned?
Yes. The Audemars and Piguet families remain direct shareholders, making AP one of the last grandes maisons still owned by the founding families after 150 years.
What price range should I expect?
Entry-level Royal Oak Sports start at approximately CHF 30,000; Royal Oak Offshore pieces range from CHF 40,000–80,000; complicated pieces and Concept watches can reach several million francs.
Where are AP watches made?
Entirely in Le Brassus, Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. Audemars Piguet has never left its founding village — the manufacture, museum, and atelier are all in the same location where Jules-Louis and Edward-Auguste first started in 1875.

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Official retail & service

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