Formed in 1875 with a partnership between a 23-year old Jules-Louis Audemars and 21-year old Edward-August Piguet. The Audemars Piguet trademark was registered in 1882 and their first outlet opened in Geneva in 1889
Audemars Piguet is a Swiss manufacturer and one of the leading makers of expensive watches.Formed in 1875 in Vallée de Joux with a partnership between a 23-year old Jules-Louis Audemars and 21-year old Edward-August Piguet.
Audemars manufactured the parts and Piguet made the final regulation of the timepiece (a job known as the repasseur). The early firm was called Audemars, Piguet et Cie. A family member has always sat on the board.
The Audemars Piguet trademark was registered in 1882 and their first outlet opened in Geneva in 1889. Even at this point the company was a leading employer of watchmakers and was making parts and assembling watches to very high standards in their own factory. The watches were so complex only just over 200 watches were made per year before 1900.
Tiffany, Cartier and Bulgari rebranded and sold Audemars Piguet watches. Audemars Piguet produced the smallest minute repeater, and in 1925 held the record for the World’s thinnest pocket watch at only 1.32mm. In 1928 they created the first skeleton watch.
In the recessions of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Audemars Piguet sales slowed, as it did for may Swiss watch manufacturers. During World War II sales improved with the launch of the ultra-thin chronograph. Audemars Piguet worked with Jaeger-LeCoultre to design the world’s thinnest automatic movement.
Even today, every timepiece manufactured at their in-house facilities use hand-made techniques. Audemars Piguet employ over 1000 employees and produce about 26,000 timepieces per year.