LE BRASSUS, Switzerland — While Audemars Piguet’s official founding dates to 1875, the luxury watchmaker revealed an untold chapter of its heritage during recent 150th-anniversary celebrations: the story of Susanne Audemars, an 18th-century widow whose determination laid the groundwork for the brand’s creation.
At an elaborate presentation in the brand’s new Arc manufacture building, CEO Ilaria Resta and Heritage Director Sébastian Vivas recounted how Susanne, after losing her husband and three children in 1792, taught watchmaking to her surviving children in the isolated Vallée de Joux. Her son Louis Benjamin Audemars later established a workshop that became pivotal to Swiss horology—and trained AP’s eventual founders.
“This is about family, and families,” Vivas told an audience of 50 international watch editors. “Without Susanne Audemars, we likely wouldn’t be here today.” The tribute, accompanied by a theatrical reenactment of the brand’s history, marked AP’s first public acknowledgment of its matriarchal origins.
Dual Growth Strategies: Women and Complications
Resta later confirmed to Robb Report that female consumers and technical “complications” represent AP’s twin growth priorities. The emphasis coincided with the debut of Calibre 7138, a five-year-developed perpetual calendar movement that simplifies adjustments via a single crown.
“Everyone can now set and enjoy these watches without tools or complexity,” Resta said while wearing a new 38mm sand gold Code 11.59 with flying tourbillon—one of several anniversary releases priced up to 130,000 CHF ($144,800). Limited editions of 150 pieces feature design nods to the brand’s sesquicentennial.
Market Dominance Continues
The innovations arrive as AP solidifies its position among Switzerland’s “Big Four” watchmakers. Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult estimate AP’s 2024 revenue at 2.38 billion CHF ($2.76 billion), with Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille collectively claiming 47% of the luxury watch market—up from 36.8% pre-pandemic.
As Resta noted during the forest-set gala near Susanne Audemars’ historic home: “Time and nature, past and present, are forever connected.” For AP, that connection now drives both its heritage narrative and its future ambitions.
