Suzanne. Ancestor of the Audemars Piguet families, a woman from the Vallée de Joux, born Piguet, married Audemars. A fighter in a time when life was not easy in the region. She was a lapidary and cut fine stones. Some said she was a healer. In 1792, an epidemic took her husband and three of her children. To overcome this dark period, she initiated her sons into the watchmaking trade. Unknowingly, she founded a dynasty.
But her first name reappears, two centuries later, sung by RAYE. "Suzanne" was born from the collaboration between RAYE and Mark Ronson, as part of the APxMusic program. Written to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet manufacture, it mixes organic instruments and digital textures, intimacy and scale, to tell a story of family, transmission, resilience. Initially, this first name was an obvious choice to RAYE. Mark Ronson accepted without hesitation—it reminded him of a figure from his own past. It was only in post-production that they realized it echoed Suzanne Audemars, a direct ancestor of the founding families of Audemars Piguet, whose courage shaped the origins of the house.
This unpremeditated convergence gives the project a nearly mystical scope, connecting memory and the present through the magic of creativity.
Dancing to the music of time
For several years, Audemars Piguet has been building a bridge between watchmaking and sound creation. APxMusic, launched in 2019, brings together artists from around the world for unique collaborations. The goal: to support talents, explore sound universes, and create authentic experiences, far from commercial formats. The house has also established collaborations with many artists, such as the collective Keinemusik. RAYE, a rising star of the British scene, now joins the AP family.
A classically trained musician and acclaimed songwriter, she marked the BRIT Awards 2024 by winning six trophies. Her voice, both fragile and powerful, gives "Suzanne" a unique depth. Ronson, on the other hand, unfolds his expertise in slow groove, melodic nuance, and refined arrangement. Together, they compose in London, New York, and Los Angeles. The fruit of this alchemy will resonate on July 9th at the Montreux Jazz Festival, co-organized by Audemars Piguet, during a concert on the shores of Lake Geneva. A film, Syncing Sounds 150, directed by Theodor Guelat, documents the entire creative process.
"There is nothing like that precise moment when a piece leaves our hands to find its place in the world," confides Mark Ronson. As for RAYE, she calls it a miracle. A destiny. "I love this piece and I am very proud of it... it's as if everything was written in advance."
At Audemars Piguet, the link between music and watchmaking is always fertile. In past years, special Royal Oak Offshore "Music Edition" editions have been created, but not this year. Here, the vibration is different. The song, like the historical figure, goes beyond its function.
Suzanne Audemars, unknowingly, initiated a trade in a family lineage. RAYE conveys an emotion. Between the two, two centuries of watchmaking and a story that continues to be written.
