Audemars Piguet

A. A conversation with Giulio Papi

 

A personal highlight for me in covering Audemars Piguet at SIHH was meeting and speaking with Giulio Papi.  Without question, Giulio is one of the world's finest watchmakers, and from the beginning of his career, he has done things his way.

Giulio started into the field in 1980, when at just 15 years of age he entered a local watchmaking school.  He joked with me that his father had warned him it could be a lonely career.  He proclaimed he always had an interest in how things worked, and frequently found ways to make things work better.  The timing of his entrance into the field coincided with the quartz crisis, in which thousands of workers had lost their jobs.  Still, La Chaux de Fonds remained the heart of watchmaking, and Giulio's career began.  His initial idea was to repair and fix mechanical watches.

He would remain in school for 4 years.  During this time, he would learn the basics of general watchmaking, including service and repairs.  He also learned about watch design and invention.

In 1984, with his apprenticeship completed, Giulio Papi was hired by Audemars Piguet.  Here he would start at the ground level as a watchmaker, working on basic pieces and tasks.  He indicated that this was not challenging for him, and his desires were to become involved with higher end and complicated movements.  When he inquired with AP about when he could work on such watches, such as a Grande Complication, he was informed it would be a minimum of 20 years before being eligible to work on such pieces.  Of course, he would also have to demonstrate his skills to be considered at that time, and there would have to be a need for his services on such pieces.

Needless to say, the idea of spending 20 years before being ready to work on such high complications was not in Giulio's DNA.  In 1986, not even two years into his work at AP, Giulio decided to open his own workshop with Dominic Renaud.  It was very interesting to hear him speak about launching into the new venture now 25+ years later.  "I find it much scarier now... back then I did not know it was impossible".  Let us all imagine, had he not made this brave jump, he would just now being working on the high complications at AP!

The watchmaking workshop of Renaud & Papi was therefore founded in 1986.  It now employs more than 140 people.  There were challenges along the way, and looking for financial backing in the early 90s, R&P partnered with Audemars Piguet in 1992.  This arrangement allowed the firm to explore and develop creative ideas.  The partnership with AP has proven beneficial for both parties over the years.  Dominic Renaud would leave the shop in 2000.  Now called APRP, the company is owned in majority by Audemars Piguet, but Giulio maintains his ownership stake.

Of course, the company has worked with other watchmaking companies as well such as Richard Mille and Harry Winston.  Giulio explained he loves the challenge of creating new designs and new ways to accomplish things in the field of watchmaking.  He also explained the importance of understanding and getting all of the details right in a new movement.  Something as simple as the diameter and size of a watch movement crown, and the amount of torgue it will transfer.  It was readily apparent that he enjoys the technical aspects of movements, and thrives on the design aspects to create them.

I asked Giulio his personal thoughts on the relevance of many brands now developing their own "in-house" movements.  He felt it is most appropriate when it accomplishes something new, but as he pointed out, many of the now branded movements are simply clones of others, and really offer nothing revolutionary.  He acknowledged the importance of brand's having their own movements for marketing purposes, but as one of the top minds in the field, it was clear it takes something more than re-doing another brand's design to get him excited.

Out of personal interest, I asked him to speak to me about Dr. Ludwig Oechslin.  Giulio of course knows him, and in fact worked for him in the past.  He has nothing but respect for Ludwig, agreeing that his mastery of adding simplicity to high complications is incredible.

My last question pertained to his current relationship on projects with AP.  Things are definitely in the works.  It came as no surprise to hear him say how dear Audemars Piguet is and will always be to him.

Giulio is certainly a man of character.  Very humble too.  As he put it,  "I am lucky to have never felt like I work; watchmaking is a passion for me".

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