The History of Audemars Piguet: From Le Brassus to the Royal Oak

Among the great names in Swiss watchmaking, Audemars Piguet occupies an unusual place.

It is one of the oldest major watch manufacturers still controlled by its founding families. It built its reputation on extraordinarily complicated mechanical watches. And in 1972, it introduced a stainless steel watch so unconventional that it redefined what a luxury sports watch could be.

That watch was the Royal Oak. But the story of Audemars Piguet began nearly a century earlier, in a small Swiss village in the mountains of the Vallée de Joux.

The Beginning of Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet traces its beginnings to 1875 in Le Brassus, Switzerland, where watchmakers Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet began working together.

The Vallée de Joux already had a deep watchmaking tradition. Through the region's long winters, generations of local craftsmen specialized in intricate components and complicated movements. Audemars brought the technical expertise, while Piguet led the commercial and financial side of the business. The two formalized their partnership in 1881, and it took effect in 1882 as Audemars, Piguet & Cie.

From the beginning, they chose a difficult path. Instead of large-scale industrial production, they focused on highly complicated watches made in very limited numbers, a decision that would define the company for generations.

Complications From the Beginning

A complication is any mechanical function beyond the basic display of hours, minutes and seconds. Complicated watchmaking was central to Audemars Piguet almost immediately.

In its early decades, the company became known for grande complication pocket watches that combined a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater and a split-seconds chronograph. Each of those mechanisms is sophisticated on its own. Combining them in a single watch requires an extraordinary level of skill. Chronographs, minute repeaters, astronomical complications and perpetual calendars remain a major part of the company's identity today.

Staying Independent

One characteristic sets Audemars Piguet apart from many historic luxury watch brands: it remains independent and controlled by descendants of its founding families. The company describes itself as the oldest watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families.

That independence has given it freedom in its long-term decisions, production philosophy and design. It would matter enormously when the company made one of the biggest design gambles in watchmaking history.

The Royal Oak Changes Everything

By the early 1970s, the Swiss watch industry was entering a difficult period. Quartz watches were beginning to challenge traditional mechanical watchmaking, and changing lifestyles were creating demand for watches that were less formal and more versatile.

In 1970, Audemars Piguet's distributors asked for something unusual: a luxury watch in stainless steel that could be both sporty and elegant. The company turned to designer Gérald Genta, who, according to Audemars Piguet's archives, sketched the initial design overnight.

The result was unlike almost anything else in luxury watchmaking: a large 39 mm case, an octagonal bezel secured by eight visible screws, an integrated steel bracelet and a textured dial that became known as Tapisserie. The Royal Oak officially debuted in 1972.

Making Steel Luxurious

Perhaps the most radical element of the Royal Oak was not its shape. It was the material.

Steel had generally been associated with practical tool watches, while gold and platinum were expected at the highest levels of luxury. Audemars Piguet gave the Royal Oak's steel case and bracelet the same meticulous hand-finishing traditionally reserved for precious metals, alternating brushed surfaces with polished edges.

Audemars Piguet describes the original Royal Oak as the first high-end sports watch in steel. Its success helped create an entirely new category, one that now ranks among the most important in luxury watchmaking. Four years later, Genta would design the Patek Philippe Nautilus, another landmark of the genre.

Why the Royal Oak Was So Different

The Royal Oak broke several conventions at once. It was large for its era. Its bezel was octagonal rather than round. Its screws were deliberately visible instead of hidden. Its bracelet was integrated into the case rather than simply attached. And it was made of steel while being finished, and priced, as a luxury watch.

What first looked risky became Audemars Piguet's defining design, and one of the most recognizable watches ever created.

Complicated Watchmaking Meets the Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet did not abandon its traditional expertise when the Royal Oak succeeded. Over time, it combined the Royal Oak's modern design with the complicated movements on which its reputation was built. Perpetual calendars, chronographs and tourbillons eventually appeared inside Royal Oak cases, creating watches that look bold and sporty while carrying movements rooted in traditional haute horlogerie.

The company's history with perpetual calendars runs especially deep. In 1955, it created the first perpetual calendar wristwatch with a leap-year indication, nine examples of which were sold between 1959 and 1969. Today, perpetual calendar Royal Oaks remain among the clearest expressions of that heritage.

The Royal Oak Offshore

Audemars Piguet challenged the Royal Oak's proportions again in 1993 with the Royal Oak Offshore. At 42 mm, the original Offshore was significantly larger and more muscular than the classic Royal Oak, anticipating the trend toward bigger watches in the decades that followed. It kept the octagonal bezel, exposed screws and integrated design, yet created an identity of its own.

Code 11.59 and a New Direction

The Royal Oak became so closely tied to Audemars Piguet that creating another major design was a challenge in itself. In 2019, the company introduced Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet.

From the front, Code 11.59 looks predominantly round, but its case hides an octagonal middle section, a subtle nod to the company's design heritage. The collection spans everything from simple automatics and chronographs to minute repeaters and perpetual calendars.

It reflects the tension that has defined Audemars Piguet for generations: respect traditional watchmaking, but don't be afraid to make it look different.

Audemars Piguet Watches That Became Icons

• Royal Oak: the Gérald Genta-designed luxury sports watch introduced in 1972.
• Royal Oak Offshore: the larger, bolder interpretation introduced in 1993.
• Royal Oak Concept: introduced in 2002 as a platform for avant-garde design, materials and complications.
• Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet: introduced in 2019, pairing traditional complications with a new case architecture.
• Perpetual Calendars and Grand Complications: watches that connect the modern company directly to the complicated watchmaking of its founders.

More Than the Royal Oak

For many collectors, Audemars Piguet and the Royal Oak are almost inseparable. But the company's history is far broader: complicated mechanical watches made in a small mountain village, independence through enormous changes in the industry, and a design that challenged conventional ideas about luxury.

Like any fine mechanical watch, an Audemars Piguet deserves proper protection when it isn't on the wrist. A well-designed watch roll holds a Royal Oak securely on a soft cushion and keeps it from touching the other watches in your bag, which matters all the more with a finish that shows every mark.

Because an exceptional watch deserves an equally thoughtful way to travel.

Audemars Piguet History FAQ

When was Audemars Piguet founded?

Audemars Piguet traces its origins to 1875, when Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet began working together in Le Brassus, Switzerland. Their formal partnership was signed in 1881 and took effect in 1882.

Who founded Audemars Piguet?

Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. Audemars focused on technical watchmaking, while Piguet led the commercial side of the business.

Is Audemars Piguet still family owned?

Yes. Audemars Piguet remains independent and controlled by descendants of the Audemars and Piguet families. It describes itself as the oldest watchmaking manufacturer still owned by its founding families.

When was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak introduced?

The Royal Oak was introduced in 1972. Designed by Gérald Genta, it combined a hand-finished stainless steel case and integrated bracelet with an octagonal bezel and Tapisserie dial.

Why is the Royal Oak important?

It challenged the idea that the finest watches had to be formal and made of precious metals. Its hand-finished steel construction and integrated design helped establish the modern luxury sports watch category.

What is the difference between the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore?

The original Royal Oak, introduced in 1972, has relatively refined proportions. The Royal Oak Offshore, introduced in 1993, is a larger and more muscular interpretation. The first Offshore measured 42 mm.

How should you protect an Audemars Piguet when traveling?

A quality watch roll or travel case keeps an Audemars Piguet separated from other watches and helps protect it from scratches. Choose one with a soft interior, a secure closure and properly sized cushions, and keep valuable watches in your carry-on.

From complicated pocket watches in Le Brassus to the revolutionary Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet has spent well over a century combining traditional craftsmanship with an unusually independent approach to design. Sometimes respecting tradition means preserving it. And sometimes it means having the confidence to challenge it.

Continue the series with the history of Breitling, or explore Series I, our handmade watch rolls.

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Header image: An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, reference 25860ST. Photo: Magnus26 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Watch photographs are used for editorial purposes; Winsome is not affiliated with the brands discussed.