Audemars Piguet Watches

The Audemars Piguet is amongst the most prestigious luxury watch manufactures when it comes to the watch world. It all began in 1875 when Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet laid down its foundation, which has now become one of the prominent figures in the Swiss watchmaking industry. And till this date, Audemars Piguet company stands independent and is run by its founding families.

The Audemars Piguet company was established in Le Brassus which is a village located at the heart of La Vallée-de-Joux in the Swiss Jura. These two young entrepreneurs were in their early twenties when they began their journey and they had known each other since childhood.

The origin of both the founders of Audemars Piguet was from the traditional watchmaker families thus both of them had consumed a wealth of experience and had suitable skills which were required in their new venture. In 1875 when they started working together, Jules-Louis took in charge of creating the movements while the finishing work was done by Edward-Auguste.

By 1882, Audemars Piguet had already launched their chronograph pocket watch which was equipped with a perpetual minute repeater. 1889 was the year when they experienced their first milestone with the launch of "Grande Complication". This pocket watch was equipped with a grand and small strike while its minute repeater chimed on three gongs. It also consisted of an alarm striking on its independent gongs and had a perpetual calendar, deadbeat seconds, and chronograph with jumping seconds. Hence it is one of the Audemars Piguet pocket watches that had won a medal at the World Exhibition which was held in Paris.

Now let’s take a glance through some of their first wristwatches:

• 1921 – the year Audemars Piguet smallest repeater movement appeared, first jumping hours wristwatch.
• 1938 – the year Audemars Piguet launched their thinnest wristwatch (1.64mm thick) and the first skeletonized Audemars Piguet pocket watch.
• 1967 – the year Audemars Piguet introduced their thinnest (1.45mm) automatic watch which came with the central rotor and perpetual calendar.
• 1987 – the year Audemars Piguet released their first ultra-thin automatic tourbillon watch (5.5mm)

At present, the AP watches are available in a wide range which comes in various types of watches. So now to understand the brand's exceptional personality, let's focus on some of its collections:

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

It is the most famous offering by the Audemars Piguet. Launched in 1972 at the Baselworld fair, the AP Royal Oak is considered to be the world’s very first luxury sports watch. It comes with an extraordinary feature of water and shock resistance and provided a durability to suit any watch enthusiast.

The original AP Royal Oak's design was inspired by the traditional brass diving helmets and required many complex technical and aesthetic considerations. But the surprising fact is, the Royal Oak's designing was done in less than 24 hours and yet the result has made it to the success list.

The first prototypes of this Royal Oak watches were made from white gold. It followed a “monobloc” design which means its case is constructed right into the bracelet strap. Thus this integrated construction provides an extreme durability that can captivate any eye with a deceptive air of simplicity.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch’s eight-sided bezel is amongst the most immediately-striking features. Its unorthodox shape and detailing included the screw heads and water resistance gasket which were assimilated into the watch’s overall look and were made clearly visible.

The original Royal Oak was also nicknamed as “Jumbo” due to its case size of 39mm diameter which was considered extremely large at the time of its release. The Royal Oak watch celebrated the ultra-thin Calibre 2121 which was originally developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre and Audemars Piguet with the help from Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe.

The current models of the Royal Oak include its frame in steel construction and have an elegant design. It is also available in the ladies' collection and comprises various materials like yellow, rose, white gold and platinum in addition to steel.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

The AP Royal Oak Offshore is a representative of strength and performance of the highest level. It is one of the famous collections from the manufactory which was introduced in 1993 to celebrate Royal Oak's 20th anniversary. It is designed by Emmanuel Gueit and comes in a case size of 42-millimeters in diameter, plus is water-resistant up to 100 meters. As compared to its predecessor, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore is bigger and sportier and is extensively successful with Audemars Piguet clientele.

The current collection of this Royal Oak Offshore comprises of a diverse range of models and is made available in various styles and materials which offers the perfect selection for a variety of tastes.

Thus with a rich history and a collection which is not subjected to limits, add these Audemars Piguet watches to your watch collection and let them cater your countless tastes and preferences.