Audemars Piguet's story begins in 1875 in the small village of Le Brassus, deep in the Vallée de Joux of the Swiss Jura. Two young watchmakers, 24-year-old Jules-Louis Audemars and 22-year-old Edward-Auguste Piguet, set up a partnership in the workshop of Audemars's family home. In the early years they produced complicated pocket watches and minute repeaters, the most sophisticated timepieces of the era. Audemars designed and produced the movements (ébauches and complications), while Piguet handled regulation, sales, and client relationships. In 1881 the two formally registered the company as "Audemars Piguet & Cie."
The Vallée de Joux is the cradle of Swiss complication watchmaking. For centuries, long winter months pushed local farmers to produce watch components in their spare time, and Audemars Piguet was a natural heir to that tradition. In the late 19th century the brand produced the world's smallest minute repeater (1892), the first wristwatch with a minute repeater (1892), and a pocket watch with a jumping seconds indicator. In 1899 Audemars Piguet's Grande Complication pocket watch contained 19 separate complications, the technical pinnacle of its time.
Throughout the 20th century, despite small production volumes, Audemars Piguet maintained a respected position in haute horlogerie. Then, in 1972, the brand released what may be the boldest and most industry-changing watch ever introduced: the Royal Oak. AP commissioned Geneva designer Gérald Genta, who would later design the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Vacheron Constantin 222, to create a new watch for the Italian market. Genta completed the design in a single night. The result: an octagonal bezel inspired by a diver's helmet, secured by eight white-gold screws, an integrated steel bracelet, and a signature "Petite Tapisserie" guilloché dial. The Royal Oak (Ref. 5402) was the world's first luxury steel sports watch, and its price exceeded that of solid-gold dress watches of the era. Initially met with skepticism by the industry, the Royal Oak ultimately rewrote the rules of modern luxury watchmaking.
In 1993, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore for collectors seeking a larger and more aggressive watch. With its 42mm case, thick rubber-gasketed bezel, and bolder design, the Offshore became the watch of choice from hip-hop culture to Formula 1 drivers. Associated with figures like Schwarzenegger, Shaquille O'Neal, and LeBron James, the Offshore carried the brand to global scale.
In 2019, AP launched Code 11.59, its first new collection family since the Royal Oak. With a round case, octagonal middle case, and double-curved sapphire crystal, it offered a contemporary take on traditional haute horlogerie. Despite a polarizing initial reception, Code 11.59 forms the basis of the brand's strategy to reduce its dependence on the Royal Oak.
Today, Audemars Piguet remains independent; descendants of the founding Audemars and Piguet families still control the majority of shares. Annual production is approximately 40,000 to 50,000 watches, and authorized-dealer waiting lists for Royal Oak references (especially 15500ST, 15202 "Jumbo," and 26240) stretch for years. This scarcity has made the pre-owned Audemars Piguet market one of the most active luxury watch markets in the world. Bedesten Watches has served Istanbul collectors since 1999; Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, and Code 11.59 references are available in our Suadiye showroom.
