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Founded	1875
HQ	Le Brassus, Switzerland
Employees	~1,858
Revenue	CHF 2.38B (2024)
Positioning	Independent luxury manufacture, sports watch pioneer

Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875 by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in Le Brassus, Vallée de Joux. The company remains family-owned — one of the few major Swiss watchmakers never acquired by a luxury conglomerate.

In 1972, Gérald Genta designed the Royal Oak: an octagonal bezel with exposed screws, integrated bracelet, and a luxury sports watch made from steel. It was a break from convention — high-end watches at the time were expected to be gold and thin. The Royal Oak Offshore followed in 1993, pushing the design larger and bolder.

AP produces limited quantities per year and maintains high in-house manufacturing. The signature Tapisserie dial pattern (a grid of small squares) and the octagonal bezel with hexagonal screws are the brand's visual trademarks.

Entry-level Royal Oak in steel starts around €28,000. Complications, precious metals, and limited editions run well into six figures. AP competes directly with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin at the top of Swiss watchmaking.

Watches

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatik
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatik White