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Le Brassus

Vallée de Joux village that has been Audemars Piguet HQ since 1875; also home to APRP movement development.

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Audemars Piguet Inaugurates The Arc - A New Site In Le Brassus Bringing Different Watchmaking Crafts Under One Roof Fratello
Audemars Piguet Inaugurates Jan 27, 2026

Audemars Piguet Inaugurates The Arc - A New Site In Le Brassus Bringing Different Watchmaking Crafts Under One Roof

Although its 150th anniversary technically ended in 2025, Audemars Piguet inaugurates the Arc manufacture to celebrate the brand’s one-and-a-half-century existence. This 23,700m² facility brings local production teams together under one roof, and it is a clear indication that AP is proud to be from the Vallée de Joux and wants the region to thrive and […] Visit Audemars Piguet Inaugurates The Arc - A New Site In Le Brassus Bringing Different Watchmaking Crafts Under One Roof to read the full article.

Audemars Piguet Inaugurates Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Inaugurates Arc Manufacture Jan 26, 2026

Audemars Piguet Inaugurates Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus

Audemars Piguet (AP) has formally inaugurated the Arc Manufacture in its historical home of Le Brassus. Designed by de Giuli & Portier of Geneva, the 23,700-square metre building will accommodate 700 employees under one roof - a number that would have been almost unheard of in the days of the historical établissage system. It connects to, and partially wraps around, the existing Manufacture des Forges, which was completed in 2008 and housed around 300 employees - an impressive figure for its time. The expanded manufacture should ultimately help boost production, especially considering it was designed with Industry 4.0 in mind. In other words, it’s a smart factory. This includes a Goods-to-Person (GTP) automated sort and retrieval system which uses 66 robots to pick the needed components, which are then delivered by robotic shuttle. While such systems are already used by high-volume luxury watch brands like Rolex and Omega, few haute horlogerie brands have the volumes to justify such an investment. According to AP, the GTP system saves an average of 15 seconds per operation. But more than scale, the new manufacture should deliver higher quality of product – namely superior reliability and less defects – across AP’s offerings. Like other new manufactures of its type, the Arc is extremely energy efficient as well thanks to 321 metres of electrochromic glass, which can automatically change opacity to regulate the amount of light, and heat, allowed in. The building...

Craft at Scale: Audemars Piguet’s Industrial Strategy SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet s Industrial Strategy Audemars Mar 6, 2026

Craft at Scale: Audemars Piguet’s Industrial Strategy

Audemars Piguet (AP) is a storied name in haute horlogerie, and has long been the public face of the Vallée de Joux, the cradle of high complications in Switzerland. It’s also the only brand in the so-called ‘holy trinity’ to employ a Chief Industrial Officer (CIO). We sat down with Lucas Raggi to understand his role in shaping AP’s industrial strategy. The historical home of Audemars Piguet. Image – Audemars Piguet The context Having closed the chapter on the brand’s first 150 years, AP is flying high. According to Vontobel estimates, the brand generated more than CHF2.4 billion in 2025, making it the third-largest brand by revenue after mass market masters Rolex and Cartier. The brand is estimated to have produced more than 50,000 watches in 2025, up from 30,000 just a few years ago. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of AP’s new Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus. Image – Audemars Piguet The new Arc Manufacture, which just came online, might raise the ceiling further. In a 2022 interview then-chief executive François-Henry Bennahmias suggested AP would be capable of making up to 65,000 watches annually by 2027. These numbers represent extraordinary growth for a century-old family owned brand that makes complicated watches. So how does a brand like AP (nearly) double its output in less than a generation without sacrificing small-scale craftsmanship? In short, thoughtful industrialisation. The recently opened Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus. Image – A...

Introducing: The Mind-Blowing Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage Pocket Watch Fratello
Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage Pocket Watch Feb 5, 2026

Introducing: The Mind-Blowing Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage Pocket Watch

We have seen quite a lot of news from Le Brassus this week, haven’t we? If you thought we were done, think again! In fact, we’re barely getting warmed up. Today, I get to introduce you to possibly the most impressive of all the new releases, the Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage pocket watch. Now, before […] Visit Introducing: The Mind-Blowing Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage Pocket Watch to read the full article.

Introducing – A Duo of Audemars Piguet´s Openworked Perpetual Calendars, Powered by the Latest Calibre 7139 Monochrome
Audemars Piguet ´s Openworked Perpetual Calendars Feb 3, 2026

Introducing – A Duo of Audemars Piguet´s Openworked Perpetual Calendars, Powered by the Latest Calibre 7139

A perpetual calendar is a complication very much dear to Audemars Piguet. Since the mid-20th century, the manufacture in Le Brassus has offered many variations on how this “celestial” mechanism could be presented, displayed and used. From the world’s first leap-year perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1955, to the ultra-thin automatic QPs of the late 1970s, […]

Hands-On With The New Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie Fratello
Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie When Nov 24, 2025

Hands-On With The New Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie

When you think of Blancpain, you probably see a mental image of the Fifty Fathoms, Bathyscaphe, or perhaps even a Villeret model. At least, those were the watches I had in mind when the folks at Blancpain invited us over to Le Brassus and see their latest creation a few weeks ago. This video is […] Visit Hands-On With The New Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie to read the full article.

In-Depth: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie SJX Watches
Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie Blancpain Nov 24, 2025

In-Depth: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie

Blancpain has just unveiled its most complex modern-day watch, the Grande Double Sonnerie, to mark its 190th anniversary. This CHF1.7 million grand complication signals Blancpain’s return to the highest tier of haute horlogerie. One of the most technically ambitious chiming wristwatches ever made, the Grande Double Sonnerie incorporates traditional complications: grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, flying tourbillon, and retrograde perpetual calendar, but also offers an unexpected twist with two distinct chiming melodies, a Westminster chime plus a a bespoke sequence composed for Blancpain by Eric Singer of rock band Kiss. Initial thoughts It has been some time since Blancpain unveiled a truly headline-grabbing complication. The manufacture made its name in this arena with the 1735 of 1991, but in the decades since, its output has leaned toward more conventional high-end offerings - perpetual calendars, tourbillons, carrousels, and chiming watches - while its commercial momentum has come largely from the Fifty Fathoms and Villeret triple calendar. The unexpected Grande Double Sonnerie is therefore a reminder of what Blancpain can do at the very top level of watchmaking. The Le Brassus-based manufacture tends to be overlooked when speaking of high horology today, but the Grande Double Sonnerie should remind enthusiasts how sure-footed Blancpain is in this regard. Even before considering the many complexities of the timepiece, the watch impresses from the fir...

Audemars Piguet Has Reinvented The Chronograph: What Does It Mean To The Watch World? Fratello
Audemars Piguet Has Reinvented Oct 9, 2025

Audemars Piguet Has Reinvented The Chronograph: What Does It Mean To The Watch World?

Audemars Piguet is celebrating its 150th anniversary by introducing plenty of novelties, and they’re not watches. The brand from Le Brassus is also presenting new movements. The latest perpetual calendars now feature an ingenious crown, for instance, but the biggest news of the year is undoubtedly the launch of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding […] Visit Audemars Piguet Has Reinvented The Chronograph: What Does It Mean To The Watch World? to read the full article.

Introducing – Audemars Piguet Releases its First 38mm Perpetual Calendar Royal Oak and Code 11.59 Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Releases Sep 11, 2025

Introducing – Audemars Piguet Releases its First 38mm Perpetual Calendar Royal Oak and Code 11.59

To say that the perpetual calendar complication reverts great importance to Audemars Piguet, specifically in the context of the Royal Oak, would be an understatement. Earlier this year, in the frame of its 150th anniversary, the Le Brassus-based brand released two important new models, built around an unprecedented movement (calibre 7138): the new generation of […]

Business News: Audemars Piguet Advances Vertical Integration with Inhotec SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Advances Vertical Integration Aug 14, 2025

Business News: Audemars Piguet Advances Vertical Integration with Inhotec

Audemars Piguet (AP) has just announced a majority stake in Inhotec, a supplier of components for high-end mechanical movements. Long a supplier to AP, Inhotec produces parts ranging from base plates to springs, in both raw and fully decorated states. The value of the deal was not revealed, but founder Alexandre Eme will retain a minority stake and continue to serve as chief executive of Inhotec, which was founded in 2011. According to the announcement, AP will “provide strategic and financial support” while leaving Inhotec to retain “operational autonomy” over “managerial decisions, industrial activities and commercial relationships”. Lucas Raggi, the chief industrial officer of AP, explains the acquisition “is about consolidating key strategic skills and supporting the continuity of an expertise that is essential to the future of haute horlogerie“. AP’s acquisition of Inhotec reflects two trends. One is the longstanding and continued development of AP’s production capabilities, exemplified by the recent inauguration of the expansive Arc manufacture in Le Brassus. The other is macro, a slowdown in business for specialised suppliers across the watchmaking value chain.  

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain Jun 17, 2025

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

[This feature article has been updated to incorporate the newest models – including the new 42mm and 38mm sizes – in the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms collection as of 2025. Prices listed are current as of this article's posting but subject to change.] Founded in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland, Blancpain is the oldest luxury watchmaker in the world, full stop. The 287-year-old manufacture, now headquartered in Le Brassus in the Swiss Vallée de Joux, has an uninterrupted history of producing horological complications but its most iconic timepiece in this modern era began its life as a tool watch for military divers in the (relatively) recent year of 1953. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, however, is not just any tool watch; it’s recognized as one of the foundational examples of the modern dive watch, helping to establish a template that many others would follow. Today, it’s the foundation for a vast and versatile collection within the Blancpain portfolio - despite the fact that the watch almost didn’t make it out of the 1970s.  DIVING INTO HISTORY The quest to make a watch water-resistant enough for diving was already well underway when Jean-Jacques Fiechter, then-CEO of Blancpain, began working on the watch that would become the Fifty Fathoms. Rolex had developed the water-resistant Oyster case in 1926, which paved the way for watches such as Panerai’s Radiomir in 1936, which combined a waterproof case with a luminous dial for the underwater missions of the Italian n...

Interview: Ilaria Resta, Chief Executive of Audemars Piguet SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Mar 26, 2025

Interview: Ilaria Resta, Chief Executive of Audemars Piguet

The chief executive of Audemars Piguet for just over a year now, Ilaria Resta leads the storied brand into its 150th year. In her short time at the helm, she has already overseen the opening of the expansive, vertically integrated Arc manufacture in Le Brassus as well as the first instalment of the brand’s anniversary celebrations. Prior to AP, she spent over 25 years in fast-moving consumer goods, first at Proctor & Gamble and then at Swiss fragrance and flavour specialist Firmenich, making her one of the rare outsiders at the top of Swiss watchmaking, a traditionally insular industry. We recently spoke to Ms Resta about balancing tradition and technology, collaborations, and why there will never be a Royal Oak Star Wheel. Along the way, she dropped a few tantalising hints as to what’s in store for the future, Ms Resta (right) at the recent opening of AP House Singapore, with member of the brand’s board of directors, Oliverio Bottinelli. Image – Audemars Piguet This interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: Audemars Piguet is in Le Brassus, a town that’s in the historical heart of watchmaking. It’s the only brand of watchmaking’s “Holy Trinity” that’s not in Geneva. How do you think that makes AP special? Ilaria Resta (IR): First of all, we are there because we were born there. We decided not to move, and we will never move from our birthplace. It is a choice of being true to our legacy and to stay close to the manufacturing. For me, it’s ext...

Introducing – Unique, Striking Code 11.59 Grande Sonnerie Models for AP’s 150th Anniversary Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Mar 4, 2025

Introducing – Unique, Striking Code 11.59 Grande Sonnerie Models for AP’s 150th Anniversary

As you probably know by now, Audemars Piguet is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Last week, the Le Brassus-based brand released an array of new watches, predominantly focused on a new, clever and technically advanced perpetual calendar movement getting rid of recessed correctors (it is far more complex than you might imagine…) But that […]

Fratello Talks: Audemars Piguet In 2025 Fratello
Audemars Piguet Feb 27, 2025

Fratello Talks: Audemars Piguet In 2025

Today, on Fratello Talks, we’re discussing Audemars Piguet. The brand is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025 and has kicked things off by introducing a selection of new models earlier this week. Lex was in Le Brassus to report on the novelties, and Nacho and RJ now join him for this week’s discussion. They begin by looking […] Visit Fratello Talks: Audemars Piguet In 2025 to read the full article.

Audemars Piguet Opens AP House Singapore SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Opens AP House Singapore Jan 22, 2025

Audemars Piguet Opens AP House Singapore

Audemars Piguet has just opened the doors of the first AP House in Singapore, situated in the Bar and Billiard Room of the historic Raffles Hotel. Opened in 1887, the Raffles is one of the grand hotels of Asia, having reopened in 2019 with only suites. Part of the hotel since the 19th century, the Bar and Billiard Room was until recently a restaurant, but its 1,000 m2, or almost 11,000 ft², is now home to an AP boutique, lounge, restaurant, and cafe all rolled into one. The latest AP House brings the total number of “houses” around the world to over 20, with other locations including Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Drawing inspiration from the brand’s home in Le Brassus and its surrounding natural beauty, the space also incorporates the distinctive flair of Singapore, including large panels made from trunks of the rain tree, a familiar sight around Singapore. Notably, AP House Singapore is home to the first-ever AP Café, which serves a menu that is Swiss but “reimagined through a Singaporean lens”, including Chicken Rice Club Sandwich and Gula Melaka Pain Suisse. “Designed to feel like a refined home, [AP House Singapore is] a haven where watch enthusiasts, newcomers, travellers, and anyone seeking a distinctive experience can gather, says Stefanie Ng, chief executive of Audemars Piguet South-East Asia, “Our doors are always open.” The AP Cafe Panels of rain tree wood decorate the walls AP House Singapore is also a sh...

Introducing: New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked Variations Fratello
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Jul 5, 2024

Introducing: New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked Variations

Some watches are more emblematic of their manufacturers than others. The Royal Oak is certainly the brand hero for Audemars Piguet. The opening of calibers, however, is equally characteristic of the Maison from Le Brassus. So it is no exaggeration to say that an openworked Royal Oak is about as AP as it gets. The […] Visit Introducing: New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked Variations to read the full article.

What Will I Pay for an Entry-Level Audemars Piguet? Teddy Baldassarre
Audemars Piguet Jun 20, 2023

What Will I Pay for an Entry-Level Audemars Piguet?

If you are on a quest for the “cheapest” Audemars Piguet watch, it’s best to accept one truism right up front: that the cheapest AP is still going to be, for most, a major investment. When it comes to the most desirable Audemars Piguet watches, you can expect to lay out no less than five figures even for a pre-owned model, and new models are so highly in demand that even their already pricey MSRPs will prove to be a frustrating mirage for many prospective buyers, as those watches will regularly be marked up even higher on the secondary market. Nevertheless, in keeping with our previous guides covering Rolex and Patek Philippe, and in the spirit of every Audemars Piguet owner/collector needing to start somewhere, here are three entry-level options from three AP collections, with some details on what makes each one distinctive. (Whether those distinctions are enough to move you to buy one will be up to you and, perhaps, your financial advisor.) Audemars Piguet began making watches in 1875, when founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet first registered the brand in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux. Now headquartered in the town of Le Brassus, it remains one of the very few privately owned firms in the watchmaking industry, still in the hands of the Audemars family. Renamed Audemars Piguet & Cie in 1881, the company primarily manufactured movements for other firms in its earliest days, including Tiffany and Co., but later gained renown for milestones like t...

Business News: Audemars Piguet Names Ilaria Resta CEO SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Names Ilaria Resta CEO May 22, 2023

Business News: Audemars Piguet Names Ilaria Resta CEO

Ending months of speculation, Audemars Piguet (AP) has finally filled the role of chief executive officer after outgoing boss Francois-Henry Bennahmias revealed his intention to depart last year. The Le Brassus watchmaker famous for the Royal Oak just announced that the top job will go to Ilaria Resta, formerly the president at a privately-held fragrances giant headquartered in Geneva. According to the announcement, Ms Resta joins AP in August this year and officially assumes the chief executive role on January 1, 2024. Mr Bennahmias will remain to assist with the transition until the end of 2023. A thirty-year veteran of the brand, the flamboyant Mr Bennahmias quadrupled AP’s annual revenue during his tenure, with its sales last year hitting the CHF2 billion mark. His successor’s résumé, however, suggests the board might be looking for someone who understands branding on a global and mass-market scale. With a long and accomplished career in fast-moving consumer goods, Ms Resta’s background is unusual for the leader of a major luxury watch brand. She was most recently President of Global Perfumery & Beauty President at Firmenich, a Swiss firm that is one of the world’s largest fragrances companies and, like AP, family controlled. For over two decades until 2020, Ms Resta held a range of roles at Procter & Gamble, covering sectors ranging from laundry to hair care. “Her proven record of delivering results through a clear strategic thinking based on deep consumer...