Audemars Piguet

The year was 1875. At that time, aged 24 and 22 respectively, Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet – who had been friends since their school days and shared a common interest in watchmaking – began to produce complicated watches at their parents' homes in Le Brassus, Switzerland. In 1881, after six years of working together, they registered the company as “Audemars Piguet & Cie”.

Thanks to their technical prowess, they were quickly successful, and by 1888 they already had agents representing them all over the world. The following year, the manufacture became the third-largest employer in the region.

In 1892, Audemars Piguet created the first minute-repeating movement for a wristwatch, and in 1921 it made the smallest minute-repeater movement of its time, just 15.8mm across.

Between its founding and 1912, Audemars Piguet delivered 35 complications to Glashütte, the German watchmaking capital in the state of Saxony.

The founders died in 1918 and 1919, shortly after the First World War. Their sons inherited the family business and Audemars Piguet thus became a specialist in grand complications. At that time, the company had over one hundred employees and carried on its mission, even throughout the Great Depression of 1929-1939.

In 1972, Audemars Piguet launched the iconic Royal Oak watch, designed by Gérald Genta and the first high-end stainless-steel luxury sports watch. It was followed by the Royal Oak Offshore in 1993, the Royal Oak Concept in 2002, and CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in 2019.

Today, the manufacture has more than 3,000 employees. Audemars Piguet is now the oldest watchmaking manufacture that is still in the hands of its founding family. Browse every Audemars Piguet watch in the WorldTempus Watch Library, or follow the latest Audemars Piguet news, new releases and interviews from our editorial team below.

Audemars Piguet History: Swiss Roots in the Vallée de Joux

The historic Vallée de Joux in Switzerland, less than an hour’s drive from Geneva, is a must-see destination for any watch enthusiast. The region is notably home to the innovative, boundary-pushing house Audemars Piguet, the first maison to greet you as you wind through the Valley’s main road. It’s here that, back in 1875, watchmakers Jules Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet joined forces, the former taking the reins of mechanics and production, while Edward Piguet oversaw sales and management. The house today remains one of the few family-owned, independent watchmakers - with a daring, free spirit to match - and a full portfolio of timepieces, from chronographs and automatic watches to quartz models.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: The Original Luxury Sports Watch

For the chronograph enthusiast, the Audemars Piguet watch selection offers plenty to explore. Its most famous icon and best-selling model is the Royal Oak, created in 1972 by the legendary designer Gérald Genta, who based its octagonal bezel on a traditional diving helmet. The watch caused a sensation, notably breaking free from the gold standard at the time into more robust steel, and continues to spawn new iterations and special editions. Take 2016, for example, when an entire collection was themed around yellow gold, which had a punchy 1980s retro vibe. The line ranged from complicated pieces such as a 41mm perpetual calendar and chronograph, to more classic 37mm automatic and 33mm quartz versions, and – in eye-catching silver or blue dials paired with the luminous yellow gold – they instantly marked a new chapter for the Royal Oak. No surprise the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is among the most coveted watches today, and is frequently cited among the most iconic watches ever made. Getting your hands on one is another story, however - something that even a retailer or vintage seller will also confirm.

Audemars Piguet Watch Collections

Six families make up the current Audemars Piguet catalogue, and most Audemars Piguet men’s watches sit in the 39mm to 43mm range across the first four.

ROYAL OAK: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak spans ultra-thin “Jumbo” models, 41mm self-winding pieces, perpetual calendars and tourbillons. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chronograph now uses the in-house flyback Calibre 4401 in a 41mm case, and the collection also covers 33mm, 34mm and 37mm sizes.

ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE: Launched in 1993 and designed by Emmanuel Gueit, the Royal Oak Offshore takes the Royal Oak codes into a larger, bolder case with rubber gaskets, ceramic and forged carbon. See how its latest Selfwinding Chronograph handles its size.

ROYAL OAK CONCEPT: Introduced in 2002, the Royal Oak Concept is the house’s laboratory for avant-garde cases and complications, from flying tourbillons to the limited edition created with Yoon and Verbal.

CODE 11.59: Launched in 2019, CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet pairs a round case with an octagonal middle case and a double-curved sapphire crystal, and now carries complications up to the Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie.

[RE]MASTER: The [RE]Master series reinterprets historic Audemars Piguet watches from the archives in small limited runs.

THE ATELIER DES ÉTABLISSEURS: Unveiled in 2026 in the brand’s historic headquarters in Le Brassus, the Atelier des Établisseurs creates timepieces with independent artisans, reviving the Vallée de Joux établissage tradition.

Audemars Piguet Watches for Women

Upon seeing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak’s sporty, octagonal form, you’d be forgiven for immediately thinking men’s watches. But the house has long created timepieces for women, from chronograph enthusiasts choosing a watch for themselves to those looking for a timepiece to complement their partner’s. The Royal Oak quartz models come in 33mm, and the Royal Oak Mini, reintroduced in 2024, measures just 23mm, with pieces ranging from diamond encrusted versions to a divine frosted gold finish that was created in tandem with jeweller Carolina Bucci to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Royal Oak for a lady. Beyond the Royal Oak best seller - for which a waiting list applies for many models – the house also has its feminine, elliptical-case Millenary line alongside its bolder haute joaillerie secret watches, equipped with quartz movements, that have been worn on the red carpet by the likes of Serena Williams. Her own Royal Oak Self-winding Chronograph “Serena Williams” Limited Edition followed in 2026.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak at Auction

Vintage Rolex and Patek Philippe watches may dominate the auction sales, but Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks have been turning their share of heads in the auction game, too. At Sotheby’s in Geneva in 2017, a black-dialled automatic model hammered for an impressive CHF 41,250 (against an estimate price of CHF 15,000-30,000). The watch was produced in 1972, the year the Royal Oak was first launched, making it an early example of the iconic model. Also in the sale was a limited-edition pink gold automatic perpetual calendar with moon phase, leap year and week indicator, and which achieved an extraordinary price of CHF 52,500, far exceeding its CHF 12,000-18,000 estimate price. From chronographs to understated three-hand models, the Royal Oak continues to attract interest on the secondary market. Finding one, however, can be another story — particularly for collectors reluctant to part with such an iconic timepiece.