The Finest Watches of Luxury
Gone are the days when high class designer watches were just one thing the person looked at from time to time to see time of day. Today designer watches are a stylish accessory, a treasure to be passed from father to son and mother to daughter and one of the most regarded and finest among luxury watch producers are Audemars Piguet.
Audemars Piguet & Cie were set up in 1885, the company experienced good times and bad times, such as the First and Second World War, however they persisted to release luxury innovative watches in the form of pocket, fashion watches and chronographs. After re-organisation inside the company at the end of the Second World War, Audemars Piguet turned their attention to the design of luxury elegant ultra-thin watches. Some of the most superb of ultra-thin watches are available in the Jules Audemars classic collection, the luxury collection features wrist watches with minute repeater and precision of the chronograph, they pay tribute towards the very greatest traditions in watchmaking.
In 1962, Georges Golay took over Audemars Piguet as business manager before ultimately becoming Managing Director and CEO from the company. Audemars Piguet prospered, planning some of the most complex watches ever to be seen. Audemars Piguet turned their attentions to the sporting industry in 1972, designing the “Royal Oak”, a superb high-end steel sports watch; it might be a revolution in watchmaking. The Royal Oak overturned conventional methods of luxury watchmaking and would give birth towards the “Royal Oak Offshore” using its famous octagonal shape, a more extreme sports version of the now classic Royal Oak.
In 1999, Audemars Piguet set themselves challenging, “The Tradition of Excellence Collection”. The collection made up of eight vintage works of art, which were restricted to twenty pieces each. Every one of the luxury pieces took the watchmaking industry to new heights, the result of some of the very best technology and creativity from the designers of Audemars Piguet. Audemars Piguet went into 2000 enjoying their 125th anniversary getting excited about the future, which may start with the construction of their new working area in Le Brassus, where the Jules Audemars dynamograph was made, the first luxury watch to feature a dynamograph and three-tone carillon grand strike. Audemars Piguet dedicated 2004 to “Femmes du Monde” releasing several lines for women including, the “Deva” enhanced by sapphires developed in vivid colours in the Myriade, the “Danae” concealing time under its cover and the classic “Promesse” type of wrist watches in stainless, having a lacquered dial and gemstone motifs. This year Audemars Piguet celebrated the opening of their 57th Street Flagship Boutique in Ny by inviting the most effective from Broadway, such as Hugh Jackson, Meryl Streep and Scarlett Johansson, to personalise 27 luxury watches with the stars signature. Timepieces, one-of-a-kind wrist watches, is going to be auctioned over the 3rd to 24th May 2010 with the proceeds going to charity.
Audemars Piguet has stood the test of time, they’ve given the planet a few of the very best and far treasured timepieces, and they have proved that classic luxury timepieces are certainly timeless.
Danika Brockmann is an authority when it comes to the world’s Very Best Products and Luxury Lifestyle