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AUDEMARS PIGUET 

Master watchmakers

Jules-Louis Audemars

Edward-Auguste Piguet
The history of AUDEMARS PIGUET begins in 1875, when Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet, two talented master watchmakers, joined forces to found a company in Le Brassus, which immediately specialized in ultra-thin watches with complications. Perhaps the most prominent line in the Audemars Piguet collection is the Royal Oak, which was launched in 1972. The name is rooted in English history: it is said that Charles II, when pursued by Cromwell's army in 1651, took refuge in the hollow trunk of an oak. Inspired by the story, the Royal Nayy between 1803 and 1914 christened three of its largest battleships "Royal Oak." Spurred by the rich historical heritage of the name, Audemars Piguet decided to commission a design from that rascal Gerald Genta that would be a worthy reflection of this proud heritage. The shape is derived from the shape of a porthole, with the bezel attached by eight hexagonal bolts made of white gold. Purists may note that the slots of the screws are, of course, always perfectly aligned to follow the curvature of the case.

In its latest ad campaign, the company's publicists ask the question: "WHO IS BEHIND AN AUDEMARS PIGUET WATCH?" One of the popular questions among watch enthusiasts has consistently been: "If you could pick just one watch to wear every day, for all sorts of casual, sporty, and elegant occasions, which one would it be?" Now, I must admit, for anybody who loves wristwatches, the question almost amounts to torture, the same dilemma as that faced by the kid in the toy store who can pick just one gift. As soon as you think you have the answer, you think of another choice!
Still, one of the watches that have been high on my list is the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. For me, it would be the simplest version, if cost were no object, in gold on leather strap or else just like the one here. It has everything you need: automatic with date, rugged yet elegant and definitely beautiful. What more can you ask for? The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph (below are three models) is another favorite model of the big guy, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This watch is big, in fact, unless you have seen it, you will not believe how big it really is! I was certainly stunned when I first saw it: it takes one huge wrist and ego to put this on. Click on one of the pictures above to go to the Audemars Piguet web site!
If you like to complicate things, the Royal Oak can deliver there as well. On the right is probably my favorite RO complication, the day/date with moonphase indicator. Below, you can see, from the left: the Royal Oak tourbillon , the skeleton perpetual calendar model with all the bells and whistles, and on the right the Royal Oak with date and dual time zone. There are two problems here, though: the more complicated your Royal Oak, the bigger it seems to get (read: showy), and price-wise, you may decide rather to visit an automobile dealer and get that new Mercedes Benz with all the extras; it might be cheaper.
Approximately 25% of Audemars Piguet's annual production, which for 1997 was stated to be 15,000 units, are quartz watches. The "Royal Oak," which has gradually become the company's flagship, accounts for approximately 52% of the total output. In order to counteract a possible dissemination of its potential, a more aggressive business strategy will see the corporation concentrate on four collection families, i.e. on the Royal Oak, the Millenary, the complications, and ladies' jewellery watches.

With the release of the movie END OF DAYS, Audemars Piguet made its association with the big guy official. Featured in the movie, and issued in a limited edition of 500, is this version of the Royal Oak Offshore, which has long been rumored to be one of Arnold's preferred weapons. I find the watch beautiful in a menacing sort of way and thus appropriate for the film's gloomy, apocalyptic character. It would be difficult to imagine the big man wearing a Calatrava for the occasion!
Click on the poster to go to the movie's official site, on the images beside to go to the AP news flash!
AP also announced it would become one of the major sponsors of the Swiss team in the America's Cup. The most prestigious event in yacht racing, first raced in 1851, is also the oldest sport trophy of our era. The 30th America's Cup will commence in October 1999 in the waters of Auckland and continue until February 2000.
The first of many Audemars Piguet contributions to a new millennium of timekeeping is also the latest member of the Royal Oak family. The Royal Oak Annual Calendar needs just a single adjustment once a year in February, an elegant way of dealing with a problem that has haunted the inventors of calendar systems since time began. All that is required is to move the date forward to March 1, at the end of February. The Royal Oak Annual Calendar will see to the rest of the year by itself. This is the first of many Audemars Piguet contributions to a new millennium of timekeeping.

Like most new, somewhat unorthodox designs, that of the Millenary takes some getting used to. After initial hesitation, the oval not only pleases because of its aesthetics, but because of its practicality: the shape is well suited to its intended location on the wrist, which is wide and constricted. The first attempt at a watch with this shape I can recall is Omega's original Dynamic of the 60s, which is now regarded as yet another hippie thing from that era.

It remains to be seen how well the public will respond to the Millenary; significantly, Omega opted for a more conventional round shape when re-issuing the Dynamic auto and chrono. Ergonomically, the chronograph seems to suffer from the oval shape, while the automatic has no such problems.
The sales of Audemars Piguet watches have a certain geographical obliquity. Over half of the sales are made on the Asiatic market, particularly in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore. The European proportion is in the range of 30 to 35%, lately showing some upsurge. A problem area seems to be the purchase-strong Americas with approximately a 10% share. The management of Audemars Piguet justifies this rather one-sided distribution structure mainly with the different utilization of the distribution and sales syndicates.
The present vast range of Audemars Piguet is illustrated by the three models above. The simple, slightly old-fashioned looking automatic in the middle is flanked by, on the left: an automatic "Grande Complication" with perpetual calendar showing day, date, month, leap years, moon phases and weeks, minute repeater and split-seconds chronograph (virtually all the functions that can be crammed into a wristwatch). On the right, an "undressed" complication, a skeletal perpetual calendar. Again, these skeleton watches are largely a matter of taste. While they show the watch maker's bravura to the fullest, they usually are lacking in one important function of every timepiece: it is frustratingly difficult to try to read the time.

Naturally, AUDEMARS PIGUET makes many more "elementary" models and in fact, some of their complications are among the most elegant and desirable watches on the market, watches that are less ostentatious in their complexity than the models above. Indeed, it is difficult to conceive of designs that are more unaffected than those of the automatic two-register chronograph on the left or the two versions of the "Grande Sonnerie," a minute repeater, beside it. To my mind, and I doubt that I would be alone in my assessment, they rival Patek Philippe in the distinguished appeal of their design.

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Patek Philippe
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Flieger		 Page 7:
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Zenith, Eberhard		 Page 9:
chronographs		 Page 10:
big money!
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less known gems		 Page 14:
moonstruck		 Page 15:
pictures & links
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