MUSÉE ATELIER AUDEMARS PIGUET
200 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATION
Inaugurated in June 2020, the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet invites visitors to plunge into the Swiss manufacturer’s cultural universe past, present and future. Located in Le Brassus, home of Audemars Piguet, this museum presents two centuries of watchmaking history in a space combining contemporary architecture and pioneering scenography. Looking at the past, present and future, it embodies the Manufacture’s free spirit and devotion to the perpetuation of Haute Horlogerie in the Vallée de Joux and beyond.
Echoing the blend of tradition and forward thinking at the heart of Audemars Piguet’s craftsmanship, the Musée Atelier links the historical house, where the brand debuted, to a contemporary spiral supported by curved glazing. Some 300 watches, including masterpieces of miniaturisation, technical complexity and avant-garde design, are exhibited in the spiral, a real feat of architecture designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). The visitors will discover rare timepieces, such as the Universelle, the most complicated watch crafted by Audemars Piguet in 1899—as well as a wide selection of emblematic models including many Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore and Royal Oak Concept.
A BLEND OF TRADITION AND FORWARD THINKING
Conceived as a space of live crafts, the Musée Atelier also reveals some of the manufacturer’s watchmakers and artisans at work in their transparent workshops. By integrating traditional ateliers at the centre of the museum, Audemars Piguet pays tribute to the passionate craftspeople who have given life to Audemars Piguet, generation after generation.
In 2014, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) won the architectural competition Audemars Piguet hosted to expand its historical premises. The firm designed a contemporary spiral-shaped glass pavilion to complement the company’s oldest building, where Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet set their workshop, technically a start-up of the old times, in 1875. This architectural combination symbolises the blend of tradition and forward thinking at the heart of Audemars Piguet’s craftsmanship, while honouring its deep-rooted origins in the Vallée de Joux. BIG’s high-concept spiral, seamlessly rising from the ground, offers a pristine setting for the masterpieces of technicity and design which have taken shape, year after year, in this remote valley of the Swiss Jura Mountains.
Traditional workshops, where some of the Manufacture’s most complicated timepieces are still perfected today, have been included in the museum’s spatial experience to bring visitors in close contact with Audemars Piguet’s craftspeople. The Grandes Complications and Métiers d’Art Ateliers, situated at the heart of the spiral, infuse life into the numerous feats of mechanical mastery and design exhibited throughout the museum.
Today, the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet offers a unique perspective of the Vallée de Joux and of the history of watchmaking—an ambitious architectural and museographical project made possible thanks to the creativity and collaboration of a host of experts, including architects, engineers and local artisans, as well as numerous departments within Audemars Piguet. All individuals involved pushed the limits of their craft to reach new heights. This is just the beginning of an ongoing story, it takes time to create a legacy.
Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Based in Le Brassus since 1875, the company has nurtured generations of talented craftspeople who have continuously developed new skills and techniques, broadening their savoir-faire to set rule-breaking trends. In the Vallée de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, Audemars Piguet has created numerous masterpieces, testament to the Manufacture’s ancestral craftsmanship and forward-thinking spirit. Sharing its passion and savoir-faire with watch enthusiasts worldwide through the language of emotions, Audemars Piguet has established enriching exchanges among fields of creative practices and fostered an inspired community.
Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world
Immerse in the very beutiful Vallée du Joux, in the Swiss Jura, and emerging from the Earth like a bright Diamond, the Musée Atelier Audermars Piguet with its amazing architechture, design and history, welcomes visitors and offers each of them a facinating view into the
origins and traditions of Swiss Watchmaking.
F.G.
MUSÉE ATELIER AUDEMARS PIGUET
200 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATION
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Open to the public,
Children from age 6
Guided tours by reservation only
FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY
2 guided tours per day at 14:00 and 15:00
SATURDAY (starting in 2021)
4 guided tours per day at 09:30, 10:30, 13:30 and 14:30
Duration: 2 hours
Book your ticket on: www.museeatelier-audemarspiguet.com
