Gérald Genta

December 2024
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

visiting_le_brassus_audemars_piguet

Straight from sunny Florence I flew to back to snowy Switzerland to visit the manufacture of Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux. Being the oldest fine watchmaker that is still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet), I had the chance to indulge in the brand’s history and to explore the craftsmanship first hand.

sandra_bauknecht_audemars_piguet_manufacture_visit Wearing a work coat and shoe covers for protection at the manufacture.

The modern part of the manufacture.

Since 1875, the company has written some of the finest chapters in the history of Haute Horlogerie, including a number of world firsts. At the heart of the Swiss Jura, numerous masterpieces are created in limited series embodying a remarkable degree of horological perfection, including daring sporty models, classic and traditional timepieces, splendid ladies’ jewellery-watches, as well as one-of-a-kind creations.

worker_audemars_piguet

I was deeply impressed seeing the precision that goes into the assemblage of the 3120 movement that comes also with my favorite watch, the Royal Oak Frosted Gold – 37 mm .

sandra_bauknecht_audemars_piguet_manufacture

audemars_piguet_manufacture-4

sandra_bauknecht_audemars_piguet_manufacture_visit-2

audemars_manufacture_2

The entrance to the museum.

Over the years, Audemars Piguet has collected vintage models that are beautifully presented in the in-house museum that is only open to private tours.

audemars_manufacture_5

audemars_piguet_manufacture_11 audemars_piguet_22 An impressive family history

museum_manufacture-audemars_piguet

montre_musique_audemars_piguet Musical watch, around 1840, Piguet & Meyland

audemars_piguet_museum_11

audemars_repetition-minute Repetition Minutes, 1875, Louis Audemars

audemars_piguet_visit_lebrassus

royal_oak_audemars_piguet The first Royal Oak was designed by Gérald Genta in 1972.

dates_audemars_piguet Until today, all information on sold watches are written down by hand. In the ’30s, customers included Bulgari, Van Cleef and Bucherer.

audemars_piguet_diamond_watch

jewellery_audemars_piguet

audemars_piguet

old_designs_audemars_piguet

couture_pieces_audemars_piguet

At the moment, Audemars Piguet is building a new museum in Le Brassus designed by Danish architectural firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). Incorporating the existing building, the new form of a hairspring will showcase the history of the oldest, family owned watchmaker (see below).

LoL, Sandra

audemars-piguet-museum-big71

Collage and last photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet, all other photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Print this post

This week, I went to Geneva for the 23rd Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie – SIHH 2013. Of course, my first stop had to be the IWC Schaffhausen booth that had been once more the most impressive one seen at the famous watch fair. Do you remember the amazing Italian ’50s/’60s theme for the Portofino watches in 2011 or the aircraft carrier for the Pilot watches in 2012?

Speaking of IWC Schaffhausen, you are talking superlatives which is entirely in keeping with the creative spirit that reigns at the Swiss watchmaking company. After the amazing launches and events of the last years, I had been pretty curious if this could be topped. And yes, they did it! As director Marc Forster said, “arriving at the IWC booth feels like arriving at a film set”. And this time, I arrived at a race track. The booth was filled not only with the most exquisite watches, but with the most stunning race cars you can imagine.

So ladies and gentlem, start your engines. In 2013, IWC Schaffhausen embarks on the Formula One season as the Official Engineering Partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team and relaunches the Ingenieur family that appears in a new, modern and very impressive light.

Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, puts his finger on it when he says: “Three outstanding quality features set the new Ingenieur collection apart: top-quality IWC movements, sophisticated functions and innovative materials.”

The story of the Ingenieur is strongly connected to the rapid progress made during the 1950s when technological progress dramatically increased the presence of magnetic fields. The Ingenieur, a pure and simple man’s watch, became famous as the antimagnetic watch of that time. When in 1976, IWC Schaffhausen unveiled the “Ingenieur SL” designed by Gérald Genta (above on display at the booth), an icon was born.

In 2013, the Ingenieur has become the perfect watch for the racetrack as the set-up of a Formula One™ racing car and the assembly of a high-precision timepiece, both exemplify the art of engineering at the highest-possible level. Materials used in motorsport, such as carbon fibre, ceramics and titanium, are the hallmarks of the new design line.

My favourite model: The Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance (Ref. 3224) features a rubber strap with a textile inlay, which is stitched with signal-yellow or red thread.

Personally speaking, it’s one thing to look at those photos and read all about those new must-have timepieces, but it’s quite another to strap them on your wrist and examine them up close. The new Ingenieur watches will surely be a hit for IWC, so better race to the next IWC dealer and get your hands on them. The pole position will be all yours, at least style-wise.

What a beauty: The Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month (Ref. 3792) features a perpetual calendar together with a digital date display and leap year indicator.

Have fun exploring whom I spotted at the booth and stay tuned for more photos coming up, especially from the amazing IWC Race Night with top celebrities from all over the world.

LoL, Sandra