Audemars Piguet royal oak offshore alinghi polaris Instructions For Use Manual - page 4
1. THE MANUFACTURE AUDEMARS PIGUET
T
he Vallée de Joux : cradle of the watchmaker’s art
In the heart of the Swiss Jura, around 50 kilometres
miles north Geneva, nestles a landscape which has retained its
natural charm to this day : the Vallée de Joux. Around the mid-
18th century, the harsh climate of this mountainous region and
soil depletion drove the farming community settled there to
seek other sources of income. With their high degree of manual
dexterity, inexhaustible creativity and enormous determination,
the inhabitants of the valley, known as Combiers, were naturally
drawn to watchmaking.
Due to their high quality, the movements they produced acquired
great popularity with the Geneva firms which used them to create
complete watches.
From 1740 onwards, watchmaking developed into the principal
industry of the Vallée de Joux. Thus, this region was transformed,
as an 1881 chronicle put it, «into a land of milk and honey, in
which poverty has rapidly disappeared».
T
wo names for a great adventure
After working together closely from 1875, the two young
and highly talented watchmakers Jules-Louis Audemars and
Edward-Auguste Piguet
founded their own company on
17 December 1881 at Le Brassus, to which they gave the name
“La Manufacture d’horlogerie Audemars Piguet et Cie”
. The
former had Huguenot roots and the latter came from one of the
oldest families in the Vallée de Joux. Seldom does one witness
an encounter between two such promising individuals as these
exceptionally talented young watchmakers. From the beginning,
Jules-Louis Audemars
took on the role of technical manager,
whilst Edward-Auguste Piguet dealt mainly with the financial
side of the business. Dividing responsibilities in this way worked
so well that it is the system which has been used by virtually every
succeeding generation, up to the present day.
As early as 1889, the young firm was able to provide a spectacular
demonstration of its abilities at the tenth Paris Exhibition : for
the first time, a Grande-Complication watch was on show. From
the outset, it earned Audemars Piguet distinction and recogni-
tion, and even today is regarded as one of the company’s best
products. Besides the display for hours, minutes and seconds, this
amazingly intricate pocket-watch also features a minute-repeater
striking mechanism, a chronograph with dragging hand and a
perpetual calendar.
Subsequently, the relatively young name began to establish itself
astonishingly quickly on the demanding market for complica-
tion watches. As well as the regional agencies already founded in
London and Paris, more were soon opened in Berlin, New York
and Buenos Aires.
By 1907, the steady growth rate necessitated the construction of
a second building. In 2000, coinciding with the company’s 125th
anniversary, another modern production building was built in
line with current quality criteria. Both buildings are located right
next to the original building, which today houses the Audemars
Piguet Museum
.
In the early years of the 20th century, the company’s founders
embarked in earnest upon a quest for a completely new type
of watch, which despite considerable resistance began to gain
ground : the wristwatch. Once again, it was the complex models
that earned Audemars Piguet particular recognition. Ultra-
thin
or extra small minute repeater movements made their
appearance, as well as calendar and chronograph movements.
This created a wealth of experience, which today still leaves its
mark on all watches produced at Audemars Piguet. In workshops
flooded with light, the inspiration from this unrivalled landscape
continues to encourage traditional craftsmanship. Calm and
concentration are invariably what shape events there. Today as
in the past, everything is done to achieve the utmost perfection ;
absolute quality always takes precedence over quantity, as if time
at Audemars Piguet had stood still. Producing the most refined