Audemars Piguet
The story of celebrated family-owned manufacturer Audemars Piguet and its universally acclaimed, widely coveted luxury watches begins deep in the Jura Mountains in western Switzerland.
The Vallée de Joux has been a haven of watchmaking since the late 18th century, when the residents of farming communities began creating timepieces during the winter months.
Jules Louis Audemars (1851–1918) and Edward Auguste Piguet (1853–1919), both natives of the region, were already deeply entrenched in the world of watchmaking when they joined forces to form a new house of horology near the end of the 19th century, an alliance that would be the start of a multigenerational family company. With complementary specialties within the field, Audemars and Piguet made the perfect pair in 1875: Audemars, the more technically minded of the two, oversaw production, while Piguet specialized in quality control and led the business and marketing parts of the outfit.
Audemars Piguet’s first major milestone came in 1892, when it created the world’s first minute-repeating movement for a wristwatch. (It was sold to Omega, whose origins date to 1848.) That was soon followed in 1899 with the Universelle pocket watch, a masterpiece of horology that boasted a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, alarm and chronograph with jumping seconds. It is still said to be the most complicated timepiece that Audemars Piguet has ever designed.
Between 1918 and 1919, both founders of Audemars Piguet had died and were replaced by their respective sons, incidentally both named Paul. Under the leadership of Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet, the watchmaker continued to innovate. It retained an ever-evolving technical focus and found new praise for its efforts, producing the world’s thinnest pocket-watch caliber in 1925, the first skeletonized pocket watch in 1934 and the world’s thinnest wristwatch in 1946.
When the quartz crisis of the 1970s left many watchmakers in the lurch, Audemars and Piguet found a creative solution, tapping the Geneva-born Gérald Genta to conceive the first-ever luxury watch in stainless steel. Launched at what would become the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair in 1972, the Royal Oak, with its octagonal face and integrated bracelet, would come to define the look of Audemars Piguet and revolutionize the luxury wristwatch industry, setting a standard that continues to this day.
Find a collection of vintage Audemars Piguet wristwatches and pocket watches on 1stDibs.
2010s Audemars Piguet
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Steel, Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Titanium
2010s European Audemars Piguet
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Rose Gold
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
2010s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
2010s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, 18k Gold, Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Rose Gold
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, 18k Gold, Stainless Steel
2010s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Rose Gold
Early 2000s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
2010s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
2010s European Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
Early 2000s Audemars Piguet
Yellow Gold, Steel
1980s Swiss Modern Vintage Audemars Piguet
Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Audemars Piguet
Steel
1990s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Yellow Gold
20th Century Audemars Piguet
White Gold
Early 2000s Audemars Piguet
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Audemars Piguet
Steel, Yellow Gold
1990s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, White Gold
Early 2000s Audemars Piguet
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
1970s Vintage Audemars Piguet
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Swiss Audemars Piguet
Rose Gold, Other
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
20th Century Audemars Piguet
White Gold
Early 2000s Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
1960s Swiss Vintage Audemars Piguet
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Audemars Piguet
Silver, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Audemars Piguet
Rose Gold, 18k Gold
Audemars Piguet jewelry & watches for sale on 1stDibs
Creators Similar to Audemars Piguet
- Who owns Audemars Piguet?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Descendants of founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet own Audemars Piguet as of January 2020. The partners started the Swiss watchmaker in 1875. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Audemars Piguet watches from some of the world’s top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, Audemars Piguet is a luxury brand. The term refers to brands that produce non-essential items with fine materials and sell them at aspirational prices. With their range of Swiss-made watches and clocks, Audemars Piguet fits the definition. Find a variety of Audemars Piguet watches on 1stDibs.