Audemars Piguet is a Swiss luxury watch brand in the greatest and most prestigious category called haute horlogerie or super premium. There are a few manufacturers in this category, and Audemars Piguet watches are on a par with Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe in terms of quality and luxury.
Audemars Piguet is one of the oldest watch companies that is run by descendants of original founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet who united for the watch business in 1874. On the one hand, this fact has no practical use. On the other hand, this indicates the brand’s focus on stability and a serious attitude. In addition, the idea that Audemars Piguet has such a long and rich history and is still inherited is a purely aesthetic pleasure.
There are four major things that differ Audemars Piguet from the rest of Swiss watch manufacturers. First of all, their watches are 100% manually assembled. Most watch manufacturers even from the top categories just partially use manual production for the most complex and delicate operations only. Audemars Piguet, however, are very conservative in the field of assembly: only the skill of the watchmaker and only traditional technologies honed in before last century.
Audemars Piguet fully supplies their models with own in-house manufactured calibres. The brand never comes to help of side movements which is rare even for large watch manufactures in Switzerland.
Third difference is the design of watches. Audemars Piguet is the only brand among the haute horology watches category that adheres sport design. The most models have a large octagonal case, screws on a wide bezel, a massive bracelet or a thick strap. The brand also has classic collections, but they are less popular and recognizable.
Versatility of the watches is the fourth thing that differs Audemars Piguet from other brands. Nevertheless they have a sporty attitude, any Audemars Piguet watch model is wearable with a classic suite. Designers of these watches manage to harmoniously combine elements of sports style - a steel case, massive details, an octagonal bezel, a bracelet integrated into the case - into a single, unexpected elegant design. Audemars Piguet watches are worn for work, for night activities, for travelling, outdoor activities and sports.
Even though Audemars Piguet watches are noticeable and recognizable, they are not fancy. There is no pretentiousness, showiness and unjustified expensiveness, peculiar to many other brands of the highest watch categories. This is a practical, stylish and worthy choice of wealthy people with well-established, not conservative, but not revolutionary tastes.
When it comes to choosing an Audemars Piguet watch, decide the main design direction first and choose a proper collection. After that focus your attention on other specifications such as materials, sizes, shapes and functions.
Audemars Piguet release several main watch lines. However, to keep it simple, it is easier to divide all AP watches into 2 parts — Royal Oak watches and non-Royal Oak. Before thinking what functions do you need, it is better to think if you need Royal Oak or not.
The Royal Oak line was created in 1971 by the most famous watchmaker Gerald Genta. The octagonal steel watches with noticeable screws on the bezel and the bracelet integrated into the case entered the foundation of world watchmaking. Since then, Audemars Piguet is associated with Royal Oak and most of the watches are based on this concept.
If original sporty character of the famous model attracts you, and if brand awareness plays a big role to you, then you should choose Royal Oak. Otherwise, take a look at the watches from the classic Audemars Piguet collections.
Audemars Piguet were the first who started producing steel watches in the same row with the traditional luxury gold watch models. Since then, stainless steel and gold remain main materials for production of watches. The brand uses high quality steel alloy with improved durability and wear resistance.
If you have to choose between gold and steel Audemars Piguet watches, do not consider prestige or economy. This brand managed to make steel as valuable as precious metals. Steel Audemars Piguet watches look no less stylish and luxurious than gold. More than that, steel looks more natural when combined with sporty details.
When choosing among gold models, pay attention to the pink alloys that are equally widely used in men’s and women’s collections. Audemars Piguet can create beautiful combinations of rose gold with dark shades of a strap or dial. White gold models of this brand are modest and elegant, they attract less attention. A less obvious choice is yellow gold. This is the most ambiguous watch from Audemars Piguet: luxury and a bright golden hue combined with a sporty design which is an option for bright and ambiguous personalities.
In women's collections, the choice is mainly limited to the options listed above, the men’s lines, however, widely use non-classic materials. Audemars Piguet produce platinum, ceramic, titanium, carbon watches, there are also some models of tantalum and carbon fiber. Such options look unusual, but have their own advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when choosing. For example, large case of ceramic Audemars Piguet models if quite heavy.
The flagship of the brand is Royal Oak, these watches and collections based on this line have a specific octagonal case with clear edges in men’s lines and slightly smoothed in ladies’ lines.
There are models with round, oval and barrel-shaped cases among Audemars Piguet watches. All of them are offered on classic collections such as Tradition, Millenary, Classique. They look more traditional and attract less attention. It is harder to recognize the brand — this much is Audemars Piguet is associated with octagonal case.
Audemars Piguet are considered to be large watches. In the 70’s, the new revolutionary model Royal Oak was very large for its time, even though it’s case was 39mm. Today, the average size of Royal Oak watch is 39-44 mm. On the one hand, this diameter no longer seems large in modern terms, especially when compared with sport watches.
On the other hand, it is necessary to take into account that the wide bezel, the faceted shape of the steel case, massive buttons and side protective design for the crown make watch look larger that it is. Classic Royal Oak 44 mm on the wrist looks massive. It is difficult to leave it unnoticed from afar. If brand awareness is important to you, you should use this feature. Go for large models, Audemars Piguet has a wide selection of large sizes up to 59 mm.
There are not many small elegant watches in men’s collections of the brand: several models in sizes 33-37 mm, so the choice is very limited. Audemars Piguet watches are not designed for thin wrists and narrow cuffs.
There are medium sizes in women’s Audemars Piguet lines. The brand offers a wide selection of diameter options within 30-40 mm and several non-standard sizes models — 27-28 mm or 41-45 mm.
Watches with mechanical calibres produced by Audemars Piguet are entirely assembled in their own manufactures. The brand has a good selection of models with both automatic and manual winding. The movements of Audemars Piguet watches are so complex and spectacular that the case back of the watch is often made of transparent glass so that they can be admired.
There are single men’s quartz models appeared in recent years as an experiment. However, quartz based watches are more common in women’s lines. Such models demonstrate not the skill of watchmaker but the skills of jewelers and watch designers.
As a manufacturer of haute horology field watches, Audemars Piguet create models with all sorts of complications: a repeater, a tourbillon, a jumping hour, a perpetual calendar. Such models are in classic collections as well as in the sports lines.
Audemars Piguet watches, or rather, Royal Oak models, are very often counterfeited due to their popularity and recognizable design. It is easy to differ cheap imitations: the second hand movement is not smooth, rather abrupted; the inscriptions and marks on the dial are uneven, the bezel is carelessly polished, the screws are arranged asymmetrically. The knowledge of general rules for determining fake watches might help in such situation.
However, there are also high-quality fakes. They reproduce the appearance of the watch so preciously that even the experts find it difficult to at first glance to distinguish the original Audemars Piguet from a fake. There might even be mechanical caliber installed inside the watch, so the second hand movement cannot be distinguished from the original.
There are several details that will help spotting a high-quality fake watch of this brand. The good eye is required to do so. First of all, look at the dial. it is difficult to identify a fake by inscriptions, marks, numbers, however the AP logo in non-authenctic watches is often painted incorrectly — the letters are evenly placed, the inscription looks symmetrical. The original logo has letter A placed a little bit lower than letter P, therefore the logo looks a bit asymmetrical. Pay attention to the date windows — the numbers have to be smooth and take up all the space of the window, staying steel without movement up or down at that time.
Turn the watch over and take a close look at the back cover while referring to the original or looking at the photo of Audemars Piguet watch on the official website. The case back of this brank watches is quite complex: there are engravings, transparent glass, long inscriptions, screws and other elements. All details must be on their place and be exactly similar to the original.
If you have not noticed anything questionable in the watch, this is not a guarantee of its authenticity. Remember that the only reliable wat to verify the authenticity of watches is to show them to an experienced watchmaker from a proven salon.
Audemars Piguet belongs to the top category of Swiss watches. This brand produces ones of the most expensive watches along with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
Prices for authentic Audemars Piguet watches start from $10,000 for the simplest, often quartz models. The average price of Audemars Piguet is 15-30 thousand dollars: great choice of mechanical movement models with a quite interestin design is offered in this price range.
The price of most expensive Audemars Piguet watches varies in the range of $50,000-100,000. These include decorative models, studded with many diamonds and decorated with hand-painted as well as functional skeletons with sophisticated mechanisms and improved tourbillon.
The most famous models of the brand with an exceedingly high price are Edward Piguet Tourbillon Skeleton in rose gold case, limited edition of Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar with perpetual calendar and extremely thin case, women's mechanical watches with diamonds from the Lady Royal Oak series, Haute Joaillerie Diamond jewelry watches.
The lowest price for a new original Audemars Piguet watch is 8-10 thousand dollars. At this price, you have a choice of quartz models from women's collections, classic watches from the Millenary or Classique series, individual pieces and Royal Oak, released in the past years. If you are looking for Royal Oak or Royal Oak Offshore, it is better to expect the price of 15-20 thousand dollars: then the choice will be more and more interesting.
There are many official retailers and distributors of Audemars Piguet watches in Russia as well as watch salons have the models of this brand in stock. The prices, delivery terms and choice of watches may vary significantly, so instead of wasting time on searching the best option that fits all parameters, just contact us.
Any desired Audemars Piguet watch can be bought with 12-24.com portal at the price and parameters that suit you personally. We have dozens of watch stores as partners therefore we help you choose the best deal. You are always welcomed to come to our office as well as to leave a request on the website.
12-24.com portal can also be used for selling your Audemars Piguet watches. It is faster, more profitable and more convenient than through the pawnshop or watch forums. We respond to applications immediately, fairly evaluate your watch and pay the money on the same day.
We offer several ways of selling your watch: on the website with the use of application form, via messengers or personally in our office in Moscow or with our representative in Saint-Petersburg.