Last month, you took to the GPHG stage to receive the Iconic Watch Prize. How did you experience that moment?
It was a very special moment, as this award crowns our 150th anniversary and an exceptional year. Receiving the Iconic Watch Prize for the Royal Oak is a significant tribute. This model is a true icon, both in terms of design and ergonomics. This particular version is especially important for Audemars Piguet, as it is powered by calibre 7138: a perpetual calendar protected by five patents, offering a completely new level of ergonomics, with all QP functions operated solely via the crown. This watch perfectly embodies our commemorative year: the celebrations began in February with its launch and conclude today with this major distinction at the end of the year, on the eve of Dubai Watch Week. A moment of great pride for our Manufacture.
You therefore chose to share this moment with your Industrial Director, Lucas Raggi, whom you asked to join you on stage…
It is essential and important to me to highlight everyone who contributes to our projects and to their successful completion. As Head of Industrial Operations, Lucas represented that evening all the incredible teams who worked tirelessly to bring this remarkable project to life. Throughout this anniversary year, our watchmakers and engineers designed mechanical treasures, developed new alloys and invented new systems to make our timepieces even more high-performing. It was an emotional moment—truly very moving.
Especially as Audemars Piguet was nominated in six different categories
Yes, this recognition means a great deal to us, and it was important for me that our Industrial Director be on stage to represent the driving forces of our Manufacture. While I represent the company, the technical challenges that had to be overcome go far beyond my own role, and I wanted him by my side to share this success. That’s my spontaneous side—the team knows it well; you have to be able to adapt constantly. And I was very happy to receive the trophy from your hands!*
You then went straight on to Dubai Watch Week. What were your impressions of this edition?
The energy at Dubai Watch Week is incredible—contagious and deeply positive. The organisers have taken things to the next level compared to the previous edition, which I also attended. The event was impeccably run, with remarkable organisation throughout. You really feel a strong spirit of discovery, a desire to move forward and to share, driven by particularly stimulating ideas. The audience is very diverse, spanning all age groups—including many young attendees—with an impressive thirst for learning. Overall, it is extremely positive for watchmaking as a whole. I particularly appreciate the omnipresent edutainment aspect of Dubai Watch Week: the transmission of watchmaking culture combined with a playful approach. This combination helps keep watchmaking alive. Thanks to the Seddiqi family, and also to the commitment of all of us—brands, journalists and the wider community—the watch industry continues to thrive and shine.
What assessment do you draw from your anniversary year?
This year has been exceptional—emotional, positive and profoundly meaningful. It marked 150 years of innovation and authenticity, carried forward by generations of collaborators to whom we owe where we stand today. We chose to celebrate this milestone not with nostalgia, but by looking firmly to the future, staying true to our pioneering spirit. 2025 was thus punctuated by numerous launches, including the RD#5, which stands out for its major innovations designed to serve our clients, with revolutionary ergonomics made possible by newly patented pushers. We are not pursuing hyperbole in mechanical performance, but rather intuitive ergonomics, whose exceptional nature can only truly be appreciated by understanding the technical feat within the movement.
In parallel, our travelling exhibition— a first for Audemars Piguet — made it possible to share the savoir-faire of our watchmakers from Le Brassus around the world, through a mobile, interactive and educational museum designed to convey our culture in a playful and accessible way.
How do you build on such a year as you move into 2026?
That’s a good question! But we still have many stories left to tell. In January, we will inaugurate our new manufacture, and we will unlock the full potential of our Fab Labs—our workshops dedicated to innovation. Watchmaking remains at the heart of everything we do; our innovation-driven philosophy will bring all our métiers together, fostering greater interconnectivity between movements, materials and finishing. The decoration of our calibres, dials, cases and bracelets will enter a new dimension, becoming an even more integral part of the original concept of our timepieces.
At the same time, we are undertaking in-depth reflections on our relationships with clients and will introduce new boutique concepts, including museum or discovery spaces. All 85 of our points of sale will be completely reimagined.
What about the AP House in Geneva?
It will enjoy a magnificent view over Lake Geneva! Of course, it will feature the discovery area that we are rolling out worldwide, designed to offer insight into the history of Audemars Piguet—particularly through vintage collections and masterclasses. It is scheduled to open next November. Not only are we allowing the Museum’s heritage to travel, but we are also giving our clients the opportunity to exhibit their own collections, as has already been done in Singapore and Tokyo. These private exhibitions highlight our heritage with its local specificities, as they often include limited editions created for different countries. Clients appreciate being able to admire their collections as a whole, in complete security, and to share them with friends or even a wider circle. This approach perfectly reflects our philosophy of sharing and discovery.
Editor’s note: As a member of the 2025 jury, Brice Lechevalier presented the Iconic Watch Prize.
