Audemars Piguet has a great reputation in the watchmaking industry due to a variety of reasons including its uniqueness and superior quality. It utilizes impressive materials which require a huge amount of labor and attention for the assembling process. To ensure that the timepieces it offers to the public are timeless and personalized, it hires only highly trained watchmakers. It usually takes them several months to years before they can manufacture one piece.
The history of Audemars Piguet
A lot of historic Swiss luxury watch brands are now part of giant corporations but Audemars Piguet is one of the few watch manufacturers who remained family-owned. The journey of the company to success was not easy ever since its establishment in 1875. The founders were Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet who were childhood friends. Both of them had a good background in watchmaking and they were responsible for the production and sales of the company until the end of the 19th century. During that time, they developed some of the horological firsts and expanded their operations in Europe and America.
The early years of the 20th century
The company faced a lot of challenges during the early years of the 20th century. The New York Exchange experienced a free fall which greatly affected the overseas sales of the company. Two years later, the founders died and left the company to their descendants. In 1914, the First World War happened, leading to the fall of Tsar Nicholas II and the disappearance of the Russian market. The challenges did not stop there because, in 1920, the Wall Street Crash occurred which allowed it to produce only two watches in 1932.
Company survival in the 1950s
Audemars Piguet survived the challenges during the early years of the 20th century when it loaned 15 000 Swiss Francs from the local chamber of trade. But it was in the 1950s when the company gained a special place in the watchmaking industry again. Thanks to the restructuring plan of Georges Golay, a renowned businessman. He pushed the company to launch new important models including the grand complications. It led to the expansion of the company’s operations.
Iconic models of Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak 26320OR.OO.1220OR.02
The company released the Royal Oak 26320OR.OO.1220OR.02 model in 2012 with men as its target market. It is the perfect watch to use for elegant celebrations like graduation, promotion, and parties. It has a classy silver dial with rose gold-tone hands and sticks indexes. To match the dial, the company manufactured the case using pink gold materials. This octagon case measures 41 mm in diameter with a height of 10.90 mm. In terms of movement, it contains the caliber AP 2385 with a diameter of 26.20 mm. Because of its presence, the watch can function for 40 hours with a frequency of 21600 BPH after completely winding it. There are three sub-dials displaying hours, minutes, and small seconds. If you love spending your free time engaging in underwater activities, you should not wear this watch. It is prone to damage as it only has a water resistance of 50 m. To own this watch, you have to spend $72 300.
Royal Oak Offshore 26401RO.OO.A002CA.01
The Royal Oak Offshore 26401RO.OO.A002CA.01 is a great addition to your collection if you want a sports to watch that you can also use as an everyday timepiece. It has a robust appearance made possible by its black analog dial with gold-tone hands and indexes. To add a touch of elegance, it has a pink gold 44 mm case with transparent sapphire back. For the movement, it has the AP 3126/3840 with a diameter of 29.92 mm and 59 jewels. It has a power reserve of 50 hours after one complete winding and a frequency of 21 600 BPH. Just like the previous model, it has three sub-dials but with a different layout. Each of them has a different function, one for displaying the hours, while the other two show the minutes and small seconds respectively. You can have this for $49 700.
Royal Oak 15500ST.OO.1220ST.04
If you prefer simple watches, then get this Royal Oak 15500ST.OO.1220ST.04. It has a silver-tone dial with a polished finish. The manufacturer used stainless steel materials for the 41 mm octagon case and bracelet. It has a transparent back allowing you to see its intricate interior. It is an automatic watch with a power reserve of 70 hours. The downside of this watch is its low water resistance so you can’t wear it when swimming or snorkeling. Get it now for only $48 600.
In Conclusion
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