Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet.

2025 marks Audemars Piguet's 150th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the brand recounts its evolution into one of the biggest names in the global watch industry, highlighting its market expansion, crisis navigation, and continuous innovation. Audemars Piguet's story blends Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship with long-term business vision. For over a century and a half, the company has remained independent, developing high-tech designs and shaping haute horlogerie trends.

In 1875, two young watchmakers, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, founded their first workshop in Le Brassus, a small village in the Vallee de Joux, Switzerland, known as the cradle of fine watchmaking.

The Royal Oak Offshore launched in 1993.

Initially, Jules Audemars focused on producing complex watch movements, while Edward Piguet concentrated on finishing and regulating the mechanisms. This combination of precise craftsmanship and strategic business thinking laid the foundation for the brand's enduring success.

In 1881, they officially registered the company as "Audemars Piguet & Cie" and quickly gained recognition for producing watches with complex mechanisms, such as perpetual calendars and chronographs. In 1892, the brand introduced the world's first wristwatch with a minute repeater, marking a significant advancement in watchmaking.

Seven years later, Audemars Piguet launched the "Grand Complication" pocket watch, incorporating seven complex functions and becoming one of the most sophisticated "time machines" of the 19th century.

The first workshop where the founders began their careers.

The first Audemars Piguet factory in Le Brassus.

During the first half of the 20th century, Audemars Piguet focused on specialization while expanding its business. In 1907, the brand's first Le Brassus factory was built with specialized machinery and production systems, demonstrating a significant investment and long-term vision.

The first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, launched in 1972 under the guidance of designer Gerald Genta.

During this period, Audemars Piguet launched the world's first jumping-hour wristwatch movement (1921) and achieved numerous design and technical accomplishments. After the difficulties of World War II, the company continued to refine its craftsmanship, introducing the world's first skeleton wristwatch (1934), paving the way for later openworked versions.

The Swiss watch industry faced challenges, particularly the quartz crisis of the 1970s. To address this, Audemars Piguet collaborated with designer Gerald Genta to create the Royal Oak in 1972. This stainless steel sports watch featured an octagonal case and the signature "Tapisserie" dial.

The first Royal Oak was unique, elevating steel to the same level as gold, the luxury material typically used for watch cases at the time. Despite initial difficulties, the Royal Oak gained popularity among collectors. By the end of 1972, it became Audemars Piguet's most successful model since its founding in 1875, selling 490 pieces in under eight months.

In 1993, the brand surprised the market again by partnering with designer Emmanuel Gueit to launch the 42 mm Royal Oak Offshore, a then-uncommon size. This large, robust watch helped open new possibilities for the watchmaking industry.

The Royal Oak established the concept of steel "sports watches", while the Royal Oak Offshore paved the way for larger sports watch designs.

In the 21st century, Audemars Piguet continued to demonstrate innovation and design creativity. In 2015, it launched the Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher, the first mechanical chronograph with independent column-wheel split-seconds chronograph allowing dual timing of motorsports races.

Four years later, the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection debuted with a distinct design, aiming to bring a fresh perspective to the watch market and the brand.

The Offshore and CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet embrace contemporary design within a traditional round watch shape. Instead of continuing with iconic angular designs, the brand pursued a more elegant style.

In 2023, Audemars Piguet introduced the CODE 11.59 Universelle RD#4, integrating 23 complications into a 42 mm design. Beyond design and movements, the brand focuses on developing diverse materials: stainless steel, titanium, tantalum, forged carbon, ceramic, and gold.

To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Audemars Piguet unveiled a series of creations with notable features and designs, including the Calibre 7138 perpetual calendar movement, allowing users to adjust all functions through a single crown.

Traditional perpetual calendar watches typically have correctors on the case sides, requiring specialized tools for adjustments. This system can be inconvenient, especially if the watch stops for an extended period.

To enhance user experience and create a seamless case design, Audemars Piguet engineers developed a new, intuitive system allowing all calendar adjustments via a single crown. Users can now adjust perpetual calendar functions anywhere without tools or risk of damage.

The brand also introduced the limited-edition Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked "150th Anniversary", marking the final appearance of the Calibre 5135, a movement that has accompanied Audemars Piguet throughout its journey.

Connecting past and present, the limited edition's dial design draws inspiration from the openworked perpetual calendar pocket watch (ref. 25729), currently displayed at the Musee Atelier Audemars Piguet.

The 41 mm Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked "150th Anniversary" combines titanium with highly durable and corrosion-resistant Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG), offering a polished finish. It features a sapphire dial, showcasing the inner workings of the openworked movement. The inner bezel and sub-dial rims have a deep blue hue inspired by the original pocket watch's contrast, while the 18-carat white gold hands are coated with luminescent material for optimal visibility.

Honoring the night sky of the Vallee de Joux, the birthplace of generations of Audemars Piguet artisans, the brand launched Royal Oak Offshore versions with ceramic shades inspired by the iconic "Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50" blue.

Applying "Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50" to ceramic involved years of research to ensure consistent color and accurate reproduction. Each watch component undergoes complex machining, sintering, and finishing processes. The final stage is entirely handcrafted, requiring the skill and precision of Audemars Piguet artisans due to ceramic's hardness and fragility.

The color harmony is emphasized by eight stainless steel hexagonal screws on the bezel, along with a titanium crown and case back. The AP logo on the dial, chronograph indicators, tachymeter scale, and date display are sharp against the blue background with white lettering.

All these watches will be available in Vietnam as part of the brand's 150th-anniversary celebrations. This milestone is part of a series of global events by Audemars Piguet honoring its journey of creativity, watchmaking heritage, and enduring values.

Nhat Le