The year 2025 is a big one for anniversaries with many important watch industry leaders notching milestone celebrations. At Dubai Watch Week, a few of these festivities will collide including the 75th anniversary of Seddiqi and the 150th anniversary of Audemars Piguet.
Audemars Piguet kicked off the milestone at its headquarters in Le Brassus at the start of the year with a slew of new models. Now, at Dubai Watch Week, we get a 150th anniversary exhibition called House of Wonders and the debut of a new intelligent watch box that automatically sets and winds the brand’s latest 41 mm Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar co-developed with the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF).
The House of Wonders
At the House of Wonders, collectors, enthusiasts, and industry veterans alike can immerse themselves in the heritage, craftsmanship, and collaborative spirit that have shaped Audemars Piguet since 1875. The anniversary exhibit spans over 1,000 square meters of the prestigious Dubai Mall, Burj Park, allowing visitors a taste of the Vallée de Joux right in the UAE. Guests enter through a reinterpretation of the company’s historic headquarters where its first workshops were established in 1875. Inside, a series of thematic chambers unveil new chapters of the brand’s history, brought to life through archival documents, rare timepieces, and contemporary creations.
The journey begins in the Clock Room, where the concept of time is introduced before transporting visitors into the snowy landscapes of the Swiss Jura. As visitors move successively through the Gallery of Time, Mechanical Secrets, the Vault of Design, and the Astronomical Observatory, they can discover the intricate craftsmanship behind the Maison’s iconic movements and timepieces, trace the evolution of materials and designs, and witness the convergence of ancestral skills with cutting-edge innovation. The experience culminates in the Lab, offering a glimpse into the future of watchmaking and the pioneering spirit that continues to propel the brand’s vision. Finally, the Cabinet of Curiosities celebrates Audemars Piguet’s enduring spirit of collaboration
Speaking of collaboration, the Maison further exemplifies the importance of co-creation with the unveiling of a special intelligent watch box that automatically sets and winds the brand’s latest 41 mm Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar co-developed with the DFF. Thanks to the DFF’s applied research and robotics initiative (Dubai Future Labs), the pair has designed a revolutionary tool that seamlessly combines mechanical precision, robotics, and artificial intelligence, marking a new initiative in Audemars Piguet’s commitment to making complications more user-friendly and accessible.
Perpetual calendars have long been admired for their complexity, yet often require advanced watchmaking knowledge and specialized tools to set. Earlier this year, the introduction of the Calibre 7138 and 7136 marked a turning point, enabling all corrections via the crown and placing ergonomics at the forefront of innovation. Audemars Piguet’s new device builds on this breakthrough, offering an automated solution that sets and winds the perpetual calendar movement, allowing the once technical task to become intuitive and clear.
By making complications more user-friendly, the brand continues to open the doors of Haute Horlogerie to a broader audience. The intelligent watch box embodies this approach, offering a simple and functional solution. Upon placing the Perpetual Calendar inside the box with the lid closed, the fully automated setting process begins thanks to a mechanical module that replicates the precision and gesture of the human hand, engaging with the wristwatch’s “all-in-one” crown and ensuring each adjustment is made safely and precisely. In approximately five minutes, the system identifies which calendar indications require adjustment and performs the corrections without the need for user intervention. For more information, including pricing, visit the Audemars Piguet website.
