Wow.
After over twenty years of collecting AP, I finally had an opportunity to visit the manufacture in Switzerland. This was an incredibly special trip for me, and one which I had been invited to over a decade ago, but never took the time to visit in person. At that moment, I had only delved into the Offshore world, and also was the only AP collector in my family. Was it a mistake not to visit then?
Fast forward to today, I couldn't have asked for a better time to have my first visit to AP. First, I have been fortunate to expand my collection into more diverse novelties such as Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendars, Split Second Chronos, and other wonderful pieces - so I had a more mature and diverse understanding of their savoire faire. Second, my wife had joined me in collecting AP, and I had somebody special to share a passion and journey together. And finally, in the last five years, I've been truly fortunate to have an AP boutique who has been incredibly supportive and outstanding to elevate our passion with AP. There was no better time for us to make the visit!!
Our first official day was spent in Le Locle.
This houses the legacy APRP and is essentially the main R and D center for their innovations and novelties. It's an incredible facility, filled with incredibly talented and passionate watchmakers, who work on everything from Tourbillons, Chiming Mechanisms, Grand Complications, and the Universelle. While many of the main parts leverage CNC and other modern devices, they are produced unfinished and undergo significant quality checking and finishing before putting into a final watch (surprising to see so many rejected parts in the bin!). Furthermore, well integrated within the facility is their finishing department, where artisans apply old-fashioned tools and methods to create beautifully executed inner angles using traditional tools, oils, and even local flora (bark from a local tree!). Other brands were also present (names not to be shared) but it's clear that Le Locle develops, assembles, and finishes several well known fine high end brands.
(No photos were allowed in the workshop)
I had of course many questions along the way - especially on how long it takes to finish a bridge,
to how long to assemble a Tourbillon, and understanding the most difficult movements to assemble and finish, and it was amazing to hear directly from the watchmakers their feedback. Perhaps what was really surprising is the diversity and energy of the workforce - a mix of experience levels, backgrounds, and music tastes!
We closed our day with a discussion with one of the leads on the complications team, and learned more of the R and D process, as well as a little insight on what will come in the future. Ultimately, it takes a significant amount of effort and time and quality control to create a completely new movement and novelty, and so many of what we see today reflects what may have been discussed or designed many years ago - and so it's surprising to see how relevant and exciting some of the new releases are to the current market.
The next day we spent at Le Brassus, home to AP HQ, but also the brilliant Museum, a high complication workshop (including the masters in engraving), and the phenomenal Atelier workshop. Wow, while Le Locle was extraordinary for me as I had a chance to "geek out" with the R and D teams and look to the future of AP, I think Le Brassus really provides a look at the past and present that elevate the interests for both me and my wife.
First the AP museum - housing over 300 timepieces and representing over three centuries of watchmaking and history that relate to the origin story of Audemars Piguet, and many examples of superlatives produced by the maison, from minute repeaters to grand complications, Tourbillons, and fantastic new materials and jeweled pieces - beyond a representation of AP's history it's a hommage to fine watchmaking in the Vallee de Joux. There is an example of the Universelle (which was commissioned by Union Glashutte) which is spectacular, many examples of student watches by Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet, and as well examples of the modern collection including a very exciting section of offshore models. What surprised me the most is the size of many of the earlier models - minute repeaters and perpetual calendars in cases smaller than 30mm - and given the limited tools and gadgetry available at those times, you are impressed even more by watchmaking of the past, free of CNC machines modern materials and micro-mechanics. Maybe there will be a return of these techniques and designs in the near term!
Second, we had a visit to the complications workshop, where High Finishing, Grand Complications, and Universelle is also assembled and finished to the highest standard. Here, we see again the watchmakers with vintage tools and instruments working diligently in micrometers to polish the perfect component to the highest standard, or to assemble the smallest component on the Tourbillon, and layer
that over multiple months to complete several of the Grand Comps and other novelties in the workshop. What's amazing is that the space is right next to the Museum - and much like a "chef's table" in a fine restaurant where you get to see the chef's cooking their creations, the watchmakers are right next to the museum, so may well see a modern Universelle being assembled the same time you are viewing the vintage Universelle in the museum!! Outstanding experience and highly recommended.
And finally, we had an incredible opportunity to spend time with another outstanding person from the complications department, who spent the entire afternoon with us sharing his thoughts about AP's direction, view many unique novelties, and get some advice and thoughts on some potential future pieces. As shared earlier, I was really curious how I should evolve my collection, and it became very clear during our discussion to elevate my collection to chiming watches. A few years ago I had looked at Patek, but felt the models - while classic were perhaps too traditional for daily use and abuse. And, I did not know the extent of the history of AP in the area of Minute Repeaters. Well, perhaps not to a surprise to the experts in this forum, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that AP developed the first minute repeater movement in a wristwatch, and then developed the smallest minute repeater wristwatch movement. When you look at the size of these movements - not much bigger than a fingernail, it's jaw-dropping!
(Read the letter in French!)
We had a chance to visit the Atelier - which is an ultra-specialized team of watchmakers focused on restoring vintage models, and where there is an incredible archive older than 100 years of vintage ebaches, blueprints, and notes, and where we saw some superlative pieces rarely seen in the wild. In addition to repairing, finishing and assembling vintage pieces to the highest standard, they are capable of making new components from scratch! Furthermore, we had a chance to view some incredibly rare pieces - I had always wanted to see a 5516 and it was truly remarkable - and I am hoping for a Remaster in the future with this dial!!!
At the end of the visit, we had a chance to spend time viewing many of the newest novelties, and share our interests. No surprise, while my wife enjoyed trying on many of the frosted and jeweled pieces, I gravitated towards some harder to view items. My favorites of course are the two Supersonnerie's, whose simplicity in design mask the extraordinary complications below the dial! A real treat.
Perhaps the biggest delight and surprise was the opportunity to see both a Grand Carillon Supersonnerie (dial by Anita Porchet) and a skeletonized Universelle.
Personally I was astounded by the presentation of the Universelle - and especially the 42mm size (I had viewed a Grandmaster Chime a few months ago - whilst outstanding it is completely unwearable and larger than a Concept) and the simplicity to activate and adjust the 19 different functions (no pin pushers, just a twist of a crown or a press of a button for both forward and backward setting). It reinforces the brand's direction into improving simplicity and functionality into design and making AP much more wearable and enjoyable on the wrist! Much like the RD models serve as a platform for future AP complications, I expect many of the learnings from RD 2/3/4 will be applied to the broader collection in the future!
So in closing, after 20 years of collecting AP, it was an extraordinary opportunity to visit Audemars Piguet in the Vallee de Joux. Our heads feel so full from the incredible innovation and technical expertise seen especially in Le Locle, our hearts feel so full from learning the history of the brand and meeting so many incredibly talented and passionate watchmakers, and our souls are so full of emotion and energy as we think about seeing beyond the horizon on what's next!!
Many thanks to the AP team (Thomas, Aurelien, Sandra, Bruno, Jean-Christophe, Xavier, Jill, and many other passionate team members), and most importantly to Sebastian at the AP Frankfurt boutique for organizing this outstanding visit!
