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F O C U S
Audemars Piguet are celebrating 150
years of independence, innovation and
all-round watchmaking excellence. It’s a
landmark occasion for the Le Brassus man-
ufacture as it unveils anniversary pieces
that live up to its exceptional legacy.
By Éric Dumatin
Travelling to Le Brassus, in the heart of the Vallée de
Joux – the picture-postcard image of bucolic, enchant-
ing Switzerland – is also a way of soaking in the watch-
making culture that forged the reputation of an industry
quite unlike any other in the world. And when we talk
about the watchmaking culture of Le Brassus, Audemars
Piguet is everywhere. It is “the oldest fine watchmaking
manufacturer to remain independent and family owned”,
having been founded in 1875 in a village that then had
around 1,500 inhabitants. In 2025, as the Manufacture
created by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste
Piguet celebrates its 150th anniversary, one cannot help
but marvel at its exceptional story, especially over the
past two decades.
Le Brassus’ AP City
To grasp the scale of this remarkable ascent, one need
only glance at the brand’s architectural developments.
It arguably all began with the Musée Atelier, a project
launched in 2012, with a foundation stone laid in 2017
and an opening to the public three years later. Then
came the Hôtel des Horlogers, another significant ven-
ture adjoining the company’s headquarters, designed to
offer a distinctive welcome experience. After these hos-
pitality-focused initiatives – a key part of the ‘client jour-
ney’ – it was the turn of Audemars Piguet’s production
facilities to undergo an equally ambitious programme.
“Each project has its own specific purpose,” explains
Ilaria Resta, CEO of Audemars Piguet since January 2024.
“The museum was created to bring people closer to the
brand, while the hotel is a space of hospitality, open to
all. As for our recent industrial projects, their primary
aim is to support our growth, especially in the field of
complications, which is one of our strategic priorities.”
At the end of 2021, Audemars Piguet inaugurated the
Manufacture des Saignoles in Le Locle, now home to the
workshops formerly known as Renaud et Papi – a spe-
cialist in complicated watch mechanisms acquired in the
1990s and now employing over 200 people. That same
year, the brand also purchased a former pharmaceuti-
cal production site in Meyrin, on the outskirts of Geneva,
which is being transformed and expanded to house its
Geneva-based case and bracelet production. Scheduled
to be fully operational in early 2026, with around 300
employees, the site will also host the Manufacture’s
New Technologies Hub. To this must be added the vast,
pharaonic construction project in Le Brassus itself, all built
in accordance with Minergie-Eco© standards and being
carried out in two phases. The first, completed in time
for this year’s jubilee, involved building an arc-shaped
structure around the 2008-era Manufacture des Forges.
The second phase will focus on upgrading the existing
Forges building to meet the brand’s evolving production
needs. With some 3,000 employees worldwide, it is clear
that Audemars Piguet is firmly focused on the future.
A world of exclusivity
This forward-looking mindset, which has helped pro-
pel the brand into the ranks of the world’s most pres-
tigious watchmakers – with 2024 revenue surpassing
2 billion Swiss francs, according to a report by Morgan
Stanley and LuxeConsult – goes well beyond industrial
strategy. Audemars Piguet has shown extraordinary
vision in creating an environment that is as original as it
is exclusive, providing fertile ground for its watchmaking
ventures. The brand has been a long-term sports sponsor,
notably in tennis with Serena Williams and especially in
golf, where a team of champions has gathered around
the legendary Sir Nick Faldo. But while sport remains a
powerful source of emotion – and a fine metaphor for
watchmaking values such as precision, patience and
resilience – Audemars Piguet has also looked further
afield, once again as a pioneer.
Audemars Piguet has forged strong ties with the
worlds of art and music, working on the belief that time
is meaningless without its aesthetic and creative dimen-
sions. “Audemars Piguet is convinced that creativity
fuels culture, brings people together and gives meaning
to life,” the company explains. Since 2012, it has sup-
ported around 20 artists and produced some 60 exhi-
bitions, including a long association with Art Basel. The
same drive has guided its ventures in music, notably a
partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival. Meanwhile,
the Audemars Piguet Foundations – active since 1992
– have worked across environmental, educational and
social equity sectors to build “a sustainable world where
everyone can reach their full potential within resilient
and self-sufficient communities”. And to truly embody
these values, the brand has created dedicated spaces:
the AP Houses, the first of which opened in Milan in 2017.
These “second homes” for brand aficionados have since
sprung up across a string of major cities worldwide –
as of May 2025, Audemars Piguet counts 23 AP Houses,
including new ones in Singapore and Hong Kong.
On the QP
To mark its 150th anniversary, Audemars Piguet
invites discovery of this unique environment – one
that Ilaria Resta has taken time to absorb, following
her previous career at Firmenich in the world of fra-
grance. “Living in Switzerland, I was of course aware of
150 years of excellence