As far as luxury brands go, it doesn’t get much more prestigious than Audemars Piguet.
With a brand history that stretches as far back as 1875, and countless timepieces under its belt, Audemars Piguet is not only recognised as a reputable luxury brand but also as a cornerstone in pop culture.
You need only listen to popular music and see the rollout of celebrity endorsements to understand just how broad the appeal of Audemars Piguet is as a cool staple of wealth and prestige.
But what is it about the brand’s watches that makes them both coveted and incredibly high in value and price?
The Rise of Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet has long been recognised as one of the big three players in the horological market.
Ever since the brand was first introduced to the market, one of its underlying principles has been innovation blended with tradition – releasing every new collection with a commitment to both the past and to the future.
To really understand the brand’s values and where it came from, you need only look at the two founders who came together to reimagine and redesign the industry. While Audemars was known for his approach to watch complications and the inner workings of the timepiece mechanics, Piguet was dedicated to movement and to the way the watch could be read by the wearer.
This unique culmination of skills resulted in watches that have been built to last and withstand the test of changing mechanics, while also appealing to the trends of the buyer. Complications could be layered within the watch design, without losing sight of its appeal and the way it would be worn and used.
And the earliest watches from Audemars Piguet supported that, with a very limited collection of watches that worked exceptionally well, and that were thin and lightweight on the wrist.
But, like every brand, Audemars Piguet has had its ups and downs. Which is where this blog really gets interesting…
The Things We Wish All Buyers Knew About Audemars Piguet
1) The Royal Oak Is Much More Than Just a Regular Collection
The Royal Oak was released by Audemars Piguet in 1972. While it was marketed as a new direction for the brand, and the very first example of a luxury sports watch, perhaps more importantly it marked a change in the brand’s fortune.
Prior to the release of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet was struggling and needed something new and fresh to retain its position in the market. The impending Swiss Watch Show and the lack of interest in recent designs had the executive staff of Audemars Piguet worried for the future of the brand, and so they called upon designer Gerald Genta, giving him an almost impossible overnight turnaround for something new and exciting that they could release.
Despite the initial reception, with the timepiece receiving a questionable reaction from the market (the Royal Oak was nicknamed Jumbo for its size and shape), ultimately the design that was spearheaded by Gerald Genta became a success and elevated Audemars Piguet to be the visionary of a brand-new corner of the market.
One could say that this paved the way for much of the success of Rolex and other iconic brands.
2) The Royal Oak Held a Number of Records
Looking more closely at the design of the Royal Oak and its evolution over time, not only did this watch break boundaries and elevate the reputation of Audemars Piguet – it also celebrated a number of records at the time of release and ever since.
The first is that the Royal Oak was the first luxury sports watch to be released. The second is that its initial release marked the most expensive stainless steel watch to ever be marketed and sold.
The Royal Oak was bold and unforgiving in its design – yet it’s this that has made it a staple for so many buyers, investors, and celebrities all over the world, and which saved the Audemars Piguet brand.
3) Audemars Piguet Remains a Family Business
Arguably one of the most impressive things about Audemars Piguet is that it remains a family brand – something that boutique resellers like ours lean on when connecting with the brand and its vision.
The fact that Audemars Piguet is still being run by the families of the original founders is an impressive feat and pays homage to the undying dedication to both tradition and innovation. When the brand was first launched back in the 1870s, the aim was to design and create watches with a commitment to both new ideas and traditional designs.
This remains the hallmark of the brand and its designs today.
4) Audemars Piguet Is No Stranger to Change
There are some aspects of the Audemars Piguet history that remain unchanged, while other aspects of the brand have been adapted for a modern audience.
The first Royal Oak was designed by Gerald Genta, while the 20th anniversary piece was brought to life by designer Emmanual Gueit. While a great designer, Gueit was no fan of men’s watches being worn by women, which is why he created the Offshore anniversary model to be masculine and chunky in design. Over time, future iterations of the Royal Oak have included feminine designs and structures – though the Offshore remains a masculine, men’s watch.
Of course, the Royal Oak is not Audemars Piguet’s only notable innovation. The brand released the world’s first skeletonised pocket watch in 1934 and launched the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in the 1950s.
Investing in Audemars Piguet
Suffice to say, history remains as much a part of the Audemars Piguet brand as its timepieces. So much so that, when you buy an authentic Audemars Piguet watch, you are also buying a small piece of the brand’s history and story.
To invest in your own Audemars Piguet watch and become a part of the family-run business, visit your local boutique reseller. But prepare to be open-minded – because, with such high demand, the plethora of available models changes on a daily basis.
