Date de création
1875
Établissement
Le Brassus, Suisse

En 1875, dans le village Suisse du Brassus, deux jeunes hommes passionnés de Haute Horlogerie, Jules-Louis Audemars et Edward-Auguste Piguet, décident d’unir leurs compétences afin de concevoir et de produire des montres à complications. Leur détermination, leur imagination et leur discipline leur apportent rapidement le succès. Vers 1885, ils installent une succursale à Genève et, en 1889, nouent de nouvelles relations commerciales à l’Exposition Universelle de Paris, où ils présentent des montres de poche compliquées. Si la Manufacture Audemars Piguet s’est considérablement développée depuis, l’esprit d’exigence, l’inventivité et la passion pour l’horlogerie de ses fondateurs perdure et guide quotidiennement l’entreprise dans ses choix. Aujourd’hui, Audemars Piguet demeure la plus ancienne manufacture de Haute Horlogerie à ne pas avoir quitté le patrimoine de ses familles fondatrices. Plus de 700 employés dans le monde, dont 550 sur les trois sites de production situés en Suisse, et plus de 24 000 montres produites chaque année, révèlent son dynamisme, son indépendance et son audace créative.

1892 Première mondiale : Audemars Piguet conçoit et achève la première montre-bracelet répétition à minutes.

1899 Une montre de poche à grande complication voit le jour dans les ateliers Audemars Piguet. Elle est dotée d’une grande et d’une petite sonnerie, d’un mécanisme de répétition à minutes par carillon sur trois timbres, d’un réveil sur timbres indépendants, d’un quantième perpétuel, d’une seconde morte, d’un chronographe à seconde foudroyante (indication du cinquième de seconde) et d’une rattrapante.

1915 Audemars Piguet établit un record mondial encore inégalé : elle crée le plus petit mouvement répétition à cinq minutes de tous les temps.

1921 Audemars Piguet conçoit la première montre-bracelet à heures sautantes, munie du calibre HPVM10’’’.

1946 Avec le calibre 9’’’ML dont la hauteur n’excède pas 1,64 mm d’épaisseur, Audemars Piguet réalise le mouvement à remontage manuel le plus petit du monde pour une montre bracelet.

1955 Apparition de la première montre-bracelet Audemars Piguet pourvue d’un quantième perpétuel (calibre VZSSQP) : ce garde-temps affiche la « régulière » irrégularité des mois, et ce en tenant compte des années bissextiles.

1972 Bouleversant les codes de la Haute Horlogerie, Audemars Piguet crée la Royal Oak (calibre 2121), première montre sportive haut de gamme en acier, reconnaissable à son cadran guilloché, à sa lunette octogonale dotée de huit vis hexagonales et à son bracelet intégré.

1986 Nouvelle première mondiale : Audemars Piguet réalise la première montre-bracelet ultra-plate tourbillon à remontage automatique (calibre 2870). La cage du tourbillon est la plus petite jamais réalisée.

1989 Audemars Piguet crée la Dual Time, première montre-bracelet affichant l’heure d’un second fuseau horaire à partir d’un seul mouvement à remontage automatique (calibre 2229/2845).

1994 Alors que seules des montres de poche abritaient ce mécanisme, Audemars Piguet l’intègre dans une montre-bracelet et présente le premier mouvement grande et petite sonnerie et répétition à quarts sur deux timbres à remontage manuel (calibre 2868).

1995 La Manufacture adjoint un chronographe à rattrapante à son modèle Triple Complication lancée en 1992, donnant ainsi naissance à la première montre-bracelet Grande complication à remontage automatique (calibre 2885).

2000 Célébrant le 125ème anniversaire de la fondation de la Manufacture, le Dynamographe Jules Audemars (calibre 2891) vient enrichir la collection Classique d’Audemars Piguet. Une nouvelle indication le caractérise : celle du couple dispensé par le ressort de barillet.

2002 Pour ses trente ans, la Royal Oak s’offre la Concept. Son esthétique se révèle résolument futuriste, les matériaux de son boîtier, le titane et de l’alacrite 602, sont issus des recherches technologiques les plus récentes et son mouvement inédit (calibre 2896) repousse les limites de la sophistication.

2004 Lancement de la quatrième pièce de la Collection Tradition d’Excellence. Limité à 20 exemplaires, ce tourbillon Royal Oak avec chronographe dispose d’une double indication de réserve de marche, pour dix jours et pour les 24 dernières heures, ainsi que d’un compteur de 30 minutes. Doté du calibre 2893 à remontage manuel, ce garde-temps d’exception possède un boîtier et un bracelet en platine 950.

2005 Audemars Piguet présente le tourbillon Edward Piguet Agate Mousse. Ce tourbillon est la première montre au monde dotée d’une platine en agate mousse, un minéral semi-translucide parcouru de fine marbrures rappelant des motifs végétaux.

Pour l’avenir : Forte de son succès international, Audemars Piguet veut continuer à développer des modèles créatifs dans le respect de la tradition sans trahir l’esprit de ses fondateurs.

The First Ever AP ROO Chrono made with Non Symmetrical Subdial positioning as per the Genuine and Running Secs @ 12 Made with a Genuine watch used as sample
MOVEMENT: Asia 7750 Automatic Working Chronograph Movt (28,800bph) with working regulator (Secs running at 12:00)
CASE DIAMETER: 42mm
THICKNESS: 15.5mm
DIAL COLOR: Checkered Grey Dial , Black Subdials, White Embossed Numeral Markers (Grey Inner Bezel)
**Updated Dial & Inner Bezel with correct details**
CASE MATERIAL: 18K RG Thick Plated (5 mils) on Solid Stainless Steel 316L
BRACELET: Leather Strap with Deployant Buckle
FRONT GLASS: Sapphire
BACK GLASS: Solid SS Case Back with insignia
BEZEL: Rubber Bezel with Screws
HACK MOVEMENT: Yes
CLASP TYPE: Deployant Buckle with insignia
DATE INDICATOR: At 3:00 (Mag Crystal Mounted on Dial same way like Gen)**Updated with Black Date Surround**
GMT HAND: OTHER REMARKS:
Water Resistant
Running Seconds at 12:00
Same Case Construction like Genuine

Rechercher la meilleure sélection de montres Audemars Piguet :

Établissement

Le Brassus, Suisse

En 1875, dans le village Suisse du Brassus, deux jeunes hommes passionnés de Haute Horlogerie, Jules-Louis Audemars et Edward-Auguste Piguet, décident d’unir leurs compétences afin de concevoir et de produire des montres à complications. Leur détermination, leur imagination et leur discipline leur apportent rapidement le succès. Vers 1885, ils installent une succursale à Genève et, en 1889, nouent de nouvelles relations commerciales à l’Exposition Universelle de Paris, où ils présentent des montres de poche compliquées. Si la Manufacture Audemars Piguet s’est considérablement développée depuis, l’esprit d’exigence, l’inventivité et la passion pour l’horlogerie de ses fondateurs perdure et guide quotidiennement l’entreprise dans ses choix. Aujourd’hui, Audemars Piguet demeure la plus ancienne manufacture de Haute Horlogerie à ne pas avoir quitté le patrimoine de ses familles fondatrices. Plus de 700 employés dans le monde, dont 550 sur les trois sites de production situés en Suisse, et plus de 24 000 montres produites chaque année, révèlent son dynamisme, son indépendance et son audace créative.

1892 Première mondiale : Audemars Piguet conçoit et achève la première montre-bracelet répétition à minutes.

1899 Une montre de poche à grande complication voit le jour dans les ateliers Audemars Piguet. Elle est dotée d’une grande et d’une petite sonnerie, d’un mécanisme de répétition à minutes par carillon sur trois timbres, d’un réveil sur timbres indépendants, d’un quantième perpétuel, d’une seconde morte, d’un chronographe à seconde foudroyante (indication du cinquième de seconde) et d’une rattrapante.

1915 Audemars Piguet établit un record mondial encore inégalé : elle crée le plus petit mouvement répétition à cinq minutes de tous les temps.

1921 Audemars Piguet conçoit la première montre-bracelet à heures sautantes, munie du calibre HPVM10’’’.

1946 Avec le calibre 9’’’ML dont la hauteur n’excède pas 1,64 mm d’épaisseur, Audemars Piguet réalise le mouvement à remontage manuel le plus petit du monde pour une montre bracelet.

1955 Apparition de la première montre-bracelet Audemars Piguet pourvue d’un quantième perpétuel (calibre VZSSQP) : ce garde-temps affiche la « régulière » irrégularité des mois, et ce en tenant compte des années bissextiles.

1972 Bouleversant les codes de la Haute Horlogerie, Audemars Piguet crée la Royal Oak (calibre 2121), première montre sportive haut de gamme en acier, reconnaissable à son cadran guilloché, à sa lunette octogonale dotée de huit vis hexagonales et à son bracelet intégré.

1986 Nouvelle première mondiale : Audemars Piguet réalise la première montre-bracelet ultra-plate tourbillon à remontage automatique (calibre 2870). La cage du tourbillon est la plus petite jamais réalisée.

1989 Audemars Piguet crée la Dual Time, première montre-bracelet affichant l’heure d’un second fuseau horaire à partir d’un seul mouvement à remontage automatique (calibre 2229/2845).

1994 Alors que seules des montres de poche abritaient ce mécanisme, Audemars Piguet l’intègre dans une montre-bracelet et présente le premier mouvement grande et petite sonnerie et répétition à quarts sur deux timbres à remontage manuel (calibre 2868).

1995 La Manufacture adjoint un chronographe à rattrapante à son modèle Triple Complication lancée en 1992, donnant ainsi naissance à la première montre-bracelet Grande complication à remontage automatique (calibre 2885).

2000 Célébrant le 125ème anniversaire de la fondation de la Manufacture, le Dynamographe Jules Audemars (calibre 2891) vient enrichir la collection Classique d’Audemars Piguet. Une nouvelle indication le caractérise : celle du couple dispensé par le ressort de barillet.

2002 Pour ses trente ans, la Royal Oak s’offre la Concept. Son esthétique se révèle résolument futuriste, les matériaux de son boîtier, le titane et de l’alacrite 602, sont issus des recherches technologiques les plus récentes et son mouvement inédit (calibre 2896) repousse les limites de la sophistication.

2004 Lancement de la quatrième pièce de la Collection Tradition d’Excellence. Limité à 20 exemplaires, ce tourbillon Royal Oak avec chronographe dispose d’une double indication de réserve de marche, pour dix jours et pour les 24 dernières heures, ainsi que d’un compteur de 30 minutes. Doté du calibre 2893 à remontage manuel, ce garde-temps d’exception possède un boîtier et un bracelet en platine 950.

2005 Audemars Piguet présente le tourbillon Edward Piguet Agate Mousse. Ce tourbillon est la première montre au monde dotée d’une platine en agate mousse, un minéral semi-translucide parcouru de fine marbrures rappelant des motifs végétaux.

Pour l’avenir : Forte de son succès international, Audemars Piguet veut continuer à développer des modèles créatifs dans le respect de la tradition sans trahir l’esprit de ses fondateurs.

 Rechercher la meilleure sélection de montres Audemars Piguet:

This DUAL name is on the dials of some of the greatest classic watches ever to be designed and constructed,and for many enthusiasts, it has the same resonance as the words Rolls-Royce do for automotive buffs. Indeed there are many fascinating parallels to be found within the contexts of the two meetings between Jules Audemars(1851-1918) and Edouard Piguet(1853-1919) in Le Brassus in the Swiss Jura mountains in 1875, and between Sir Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in England at the turn of the centrury, It is never a surprise to find an Audemars Piguet on the wrist of a Rolls-Royce owner, such a purchaser undoubtedly appreciates beauty in movement.
At the time of their meeting in 1875, Audemars was a maker of dial frames and Piguet was just starting as a finisher. Apparently they started collaborating immediately. Their trademark was officially registered in December 1882, and by 1889 Audemars Piguet & Cie SA was in business, with ten emplayees, making both simple and complicated unsigned movements for other local watchmakers and for export to America, where ther import tax on complete watches was then wery high. The two gifted pionees continued their business together until 1918, when Jules Audemars died; his partnter died the following year. To this day the company has remained in the hands of the descendants of the founders, together with those of a few original investors in La Vallee de Joux.
Audemars Piguet has always maintained a detailed register of every watch made and sold; thus, as with Rolls-Royce chassis numbers, each product has a unique serial number, which makes a fake watch difficult to pass off (unless to unwary or uncaring buyers in, say, Hong Kong, to whom a ridiculously huge saving is all).
In its early years, when wristwatches were in the first stages of development, the firm naturally concentrated on pocket watches. Today some of them command astonishingly high prices in the auction rooms. The most famous of these are La Grande Complications, of which only 100 have been made between 1915 and 1989; the Grande Sonnerie, the Perpetual Calendar Watch with Minute Repeater, and the Skeleton Watch. However, after the First World War had finally established the wristwatch industry , most Swiss makers truned their attentin to the worldwide non-military requirements of the markets in the 1920s – good design, jewels , beauty, watches as fashion accessories, and so on. Audemars Piguet had been early into the market; in 1909 they made a wristwatch with a minute repeater which was sold in 1925 to Metric Watch Company, New York, then their American agent. Its design is elegant and simple  — a cask-shaped face on which no name or logo appears, only bold Arabic numerals, and the hour and minute hands.
Early on, Audemars Piguet adopted the policy of delivering quality watchts and complete movements to internationally renowned houses, who could sell them under their own name. Audemars Piguet’s name does not appear on the face and, some times, not even on the movement. Among the prestigious companies for whom the Swiss firm produced watches in the first three decades of the century were Van Cleef & Arpels of Paris and Tiffany of New York. Novice collectors should be aware that some of the early wristwatches bearing these names may be , in fac, made by Audemars Piguet. Checking the movement number and Audemars Piguet’s record book can confirm this.
From the beginning of the century until the 1930s, finished watches were rarely inported into the USA. Audemars Piguet, along with other Swiss watchmakers, provided only movements, usually equipped with dials and hands. These were to be inserted in cases actually made by the importer – the reason being to avoid the very high American customs duties on gold and finished watches. To maintain quality, Audemars Piguet always provided a detailed plan of the case, so that there would be no difference between the finished watch and the original model.
Another Audemars Piguet speciality also dates from just prior to the First World War. From about 1910 onwards, the company, in keeping with current fashion, concentrated on a range of men’s and ladies’ wristwatches, which appealed to the tastes of their wealthy clientele. One striking, if not to say extravagant, axample form these early days was a small ladies’ wristwatch, made in 1911. It was richly set in diamonds, with a minute repeater and central second hand; the lugs were also diamond-studded. Similar but wven more spectacular was a ladies’ wristwatch producted in 1920. This was place inside a case set with diamonds and measured barely 19mm in diameter. The watch’s minute repeater worked by pressing on the diamonds of the case set at 6 o’clock. The owner of this miniature marvel could also remove the watch and nsert it into the pocket watch sase supplied with it.
Audemars Piguer watches like this now fetch fabulous prices when they trun up in salerooms, but, during this period, Audemars Piguet also produced high-quality watches of more sober desigh. Catalogs and advertisements show simple watches with top-quality movements, as well as watches with special featurers, such as digital display with alternate hours, or various complications such as calendars, chronographs and striking mechanisms. Men’s watches generally came in square, rectangular or cask-shaped cases, the white featuring mainly boldly legible Arabic numerals. In design terms, these are timeless classics, as functional and stylish now as they were then. Eminently wearable , with no hint of vulgarity, these are artstocrats among antique watches and very much in demand among those with taste as well as money.
Another charming range from this period were ladies’ sports wristwatches. Designed for daytime , casual use, as opposed to formal wear, these are something of a misnomer, since they are not ‘sport’ watches in the modern sense with chronograph, shock-resistant qualities and so on- although, no doubt, ladies went motoring or played golf while wearing them. Usually in slender rectangular cases, these are undeniably feminine and decidedly chic in the then fashionable Art Deco style. Linear or geometric patterns are inset in the case in shimmering, ofen brightly-colored enamel, while , on some pieces, part of the face itself is enameled. Small and slim, there were made to look good on the wrist, their appearance enhanced by the soft wuede or lizard-skin straps on which they were often mounted. Like the plain, elegant men’s watches of the period, these are practical, wearable timepieces today and as much sought after because of the revival of interest in 1930s style as for their high-quality movements.
At this time, of course, other illustrious Swiss watchmakers were producing wristwatches, seemingly as attractive and as well desighned as Audemars Piguet’s watches, at a somewhat lower price, even if by no means cheap. What made Audemars Piguet’s watches so special and so expensive? The reason lies in the nature of the initial philosophy of the company’s two founders.
Early in their partnership Audemars and Piguet adopted the practice – vevolutionary at the turn of the century — of controling the manufacture of their watches, piece by piece, from start to finish. The majority of watchmakers, then as now, ‘assembled’ watches from externally supplied parts. Alghough Audemars Piguet’s suppliers were invariably highly skilled craftsmen, the partners realized that the only way they could maintain absoluequality was to bring together all such craftsmen under one roof, supervizing each individually handmade piece, finishing and testing it in the Le Brassus workshop. To this day, Audemars Piguet ignores mass production. From the first roughing out of the basic movement to the ultimate finish, each watch is the work of a master watchmaker who can take from six months to a year to produce just one watch. It goes without saying that only the highest quality materials are used. The quantity of gold and platinum is never stinted in the interests of economy and only the finest diamonds and precious stones are incorporated ( each watch carries a certificate confirming its authenticity and quality). Because of the individual attention given to each watch, no two watches are exactly alike, even if they are of the same design.
Audemars Piguet’s main claim ot fame, however, lies not so much in the supreme quality of its watches but in the technical innovations it has pioneered from the early years of the century to the present day. Indeed , this company has won more gold medals in the Olympics of watchmaking than any of its rivals. Although its warly firsts relate to pocket watches, the vigorous striving for technical perfections is obvious. The Grande Complication, created in 1915, required the assembly of some 400 pieces, is still made today and is one of the most expensive non-customer-made pocket watch in the world; in 1925 Audemars Piguet crearted the thinnest pocket watch in the world measuring 1.32mm; the skeleton pocket watch followed in 1934 and 1946 the thinnest wristwatch in the world (1.64mm) was created.
During the 1970s and 1980s Audemars Piguet continued its research and development to produce the modern classic available today. These , too, were firsts in the history of watchmaking. One of the most enduring in more ways than one was the Royal Oak, the first luxury wristwatch ever created in stainless steel. Two years of work elapsed before , in 1972, technicians and stylists were able to produce this elegant sports watch, which became and has remained a highly popular classic. The company named the watch after the hollow tree trunck in which Charles II of England is said to have once sought refuge and which , since then, has come to symbolize sheltering strength — it is no accident that Britain’s Royal Navy has christened at least three of its ships with this name over the years. Steel, the most intractable and demanding of metals, was conbined with 18-karat gold in the famous octagonal desigb — which looks rather like a porthole — and in which the visible screws , intended to show the strength of the watch, are an integral part. The watch was an instant success and its design copied — but as Audemars Piguet say, ‘ never equalled’ – worldwide.
Today, Royal Oak watches are available in steel, steel and gold, gold, or gold with precious metals. The Royal Oak ‘dress watch’, for example, has a bezel set with 32 diamonds; the magnificent ‘jewelry watch’ shows a lavish use of gems with its dial set with 237 diamonds and 11 rubies, and its case and bracelet set with 454 diamonds — rearly, if ever, has a sports watch displayed so much conspicuous wealth! And rarely, too, has much a dazzling brilliance been seen beneath the sea for, gregardless of model, all Royal Oak watches are water-resistant to depth of 50 meters (164 feet). Spurred on by the original Royal Oak’s success, Audemars Piguet developed further refinements. The Royal Oak with day, date and moonphases was introduced in 1983 and the Royal Oak perpetual caledar in 1984.
Audemars Piguet , as specialists in complicated watches since the late 19th century, created numerous perpetual calendar watches, may of them manually-wound pocket watches. In 1978, the company launched a Perpetual Calendar in the form of the automatic wristwatch, programed with such a complex mechanism that leap years are accounted for, keeping perfect time, untouched, until the year 2100. The classic design of this most elegant watch has spawned hundreds of imitations, all incorporating the attractively colored moonphase on the dial, probably its most visually arresting feature. Like other Audemars Piguet models, the Perpetual Calendar is available — at a price – as a jewelry watch. In the platinum version, the pave dials are set with 271 diamonds and the bezel with 40 diamonds and eight sapphires; this sells for over $44,000 ( in 1989). The more austere gold Perpetual Calendar has a bezel set with 80 small diamonds with a bracelet in 18-karat yellow gold and mother-of-pearl. By constrast, the remaining available model in platinum with automatic skeleton movement is unadorned and strenuously muscular.
Another first is the Audemars Pigust records was the development of the automatic tourbillon wristwatch. The tourbillon movement was invented in 1795 by Abraham Louis Breguet, the master watchmaker renowned for his brilliant mechanical expertise. His invention was remarkably ingenious — and guaranteed perfect timekeeping in a watch. Instead of being placed separately, wheel, lwver and balance are held together in a very light mobile cage. Drawn by the wheels, the cage revolves at about one turn per minute. The constant motion of the escapement assures the watch’s precision.
After much research, Audemars Piguet was able to incorporate the tourbillon escapement – which is expensive and difficult ot produce – into an extra-thin automatic wristwatch. The design of the 18-karat gold dial, in the form of sun rays, was inspired by the Egyptian Sun God, Amun-ra, who, according to legend, gave the world the gift of fire. Since its development in 1986, only a few numbered and preordered examples of this exceptional watch have left the Le Brassus factory, so it is already on the way to becoming a rare collector’s item.
Audemars Piguet’s range of watches is relatively small. Among the plainer models are the Philosophique watch, made for both men and women, and the automatic Sportive. Its jewelry watches are spectacular and the Baroque and Dome models, to name but two, are as much pieces of high-fashion jewelry as they are watches, and obvious symbols of status and wealth; the Riviere Dome costs in the region of a staggering $193,800.
The sumptuousness of these jewel-encrusted pieces should never blind anyone to the refinement and quality of Audemars Piguet watches as instruments of precision. Unlike many of their rivals, the company is uncompromising in producing a limited and exclusive range of watches for the connoisseur. In 1986, a year which saw the production of 320 million watches, Audemars Piguet contributed just over 11,000 to the grand total; Patek Philippe and Vacheron & Constantin together produced some 22,700, while Rolex contributed 450,000to the global figure. In Audemars Piguet’s opinion, quality rather than numbers increases profitable turnover.