Audemars Piguet

As this is my first post on Purists let me introduce myself.  Having just shared a wonderful trip to Le Brassus with your moderator MichaelC I felt it appropriate to finally post here as I have been a long time lurker.  I am active on the Time Zone forum under "MOM3NTM" and my name is Noah.  Michael was an ideal person to share this trip with and his passion for AP was evident at every turn.  I will leave the pictures to Michael (in his upcoming post of our trip) as his are likely much better than mine and I don't feel like figuring out how to upload right now.  I look forward to participating in this forum and thank everybody for all that I have learned by reading your posts in the past

Now to my second point, what makes AP so special?

Prior to my recent trip to Le Brassus I would have said it was it's long and storied horologic history and the wonderful timepieces it has and continues to produce.  After my trip to visit AP's various facilities I would have to change my answer.  It's actually the people who make up the company.  I will post some pictures of my trip and the pieces I was able to see over the coming weeks but my big take away is that this company has attracted a special group of passionate craftsmen and equally passionate representatives.   

AP North America Boutiques are led by Jasmine who was a most excellent host for our trip.  Aside from being a wonderful person she has a great perspective on the watch industry and the high quality of the US boutiques are a direct reflection on how well she manages them.  In my opinion AP is fortunate to have her in that role.   Goly the new NY boutique manager joined us on our visit to Le Brassus and she was a joy to be around.  She has a great background in luxury brands and is building her knowledge base in the watch industry.  I expect she will flourish in her new role.  Both Jasmine and Goly made all of us feel welcome and were a lot of fun to travel with.  David my contact in Bal Harbour was not on the trip but he always has my thanks for all of the assistance he has provided me. 

We were able to visit both AP's facilities in Le Brassus and Renaud and Papi.  Every watchmaker we passed greeted us with a smile and was happy to show us what they were doing.  They obviously took much pride in their craftsmanship.  The more interest you showed in what they were doing the more they lit up and were enthused to educate you on what they were doing.  It was mesmerizing to see the craftsmanship that goes into both finishing the movement and case as well as the skill involved in assembling the components.  The factory looked to be a great work environment.  

Our guide was Michel Golay who has had a long career with AP.  As he approaches his retirement in February he proves to be an ideal historian for the brand and possesses a deep knowledge base.  First off Michel is hilarious.  There were many a one liner he came out with that amused me to no end.  He is passionate about his brand and it was a treat to hear about AP's pieces from various decades from somebody was there at the time.  I feel fortunate to have met him and learn so much from his unique perspective.   It was a joy to break bread with him and hear his stories.  I wish him the best in his next stage of life.

We were fortunate to have lunch one day with Octavio Garcia and the next with Giulio Papi.   Both men surprised me in being completely approachable to talk with and having a wide range of interests outside of the watch world.  I could easily have beer with either and talk about many things having nothing to do with watches.   Beyond their many accomplishments and talents they are both at base good normal guys.  Octavio's role in leading the design language of the brand is well earned.   He is beyond talented and I really respect his design direction.  It was apparent he remains introspective of his own design choices and is interested in the end users view on his designs.  Down to earth and approachable, I can see him open to the ideas of others and not simple locked into any preconceived notions.  He was kind enough to ask each of us our thoughts on what we might like to see.  So if AP should ever release an all titanium Diver on bracelet with a blue dial I'll be first in line.  Giulio exudes passion and intelligence.  Talking with him is inspirational.  His elegant solutions for many mechanical questions might be unrivaled in modern watchmaking.  Giulio is humble beyond his talent and is always pushing the boundaries.  Both men have my respect and admiration.  It was my honor to meet them.

It was my great fortune to be included on this trip and I count it among my most memorable life experiences.  My passion for this brand has deepened as has my appreciation for what goes into these wearable engineering marvels and works of art.  Until you visit Le Brassus and Renaud and Papi all you may see is a lovely crafted time piece, going forward I will see that as well.  However, I now also understand the human element that goes into this brand and my appreciation is that much deeper for it.   It still amazes me how approachable every person I met was.  

Octavio made each of the 3 members of our tour a sketch of an AP that had special meaning to them.  For Michael C it was one of his Survivor.  For Barry it was the skeleton tourbillion.  For me it was of my beloved Ti Schumacher.

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