At the time of the company’s founding in 1875, Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet were both highly accomplished watchmakers and each brought with him an expertise that served different areas of their new partnership. Audemars oversaw technical research, development, and production, drawing on a solid background in the engineering of complex pocket watch movements for manufacturers such as Tiffany & Co. Piguet, with his indomitable scientific mind, was adept at the regulation of watch movements and also had a charming personality and talents in sales and management. Each man’s individual abilities perfectly complemented the other’s and helped the new company successfully create exciting timepieces with rare complications

In an effort to expand their reach and grow their reputation beyond the valleys and villages of their home country, Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet actively sought out opportunities to showcase their watches on the world stage and participated in Universal Exhibitions, such as the one held in Paris in 1889 (7). With an eye towards being closer and more accessible to their growing number of European clients, the company opened a workshop in Geneva in 1885 which was followed by another branch in London in 1888 and more in New York, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Paris in 1889.

By the late 1930’s when World War II erupted in Europe, AP had restaffed its workshops and built its business back to where it had been a decade earlier. The war years were difficult and sales dropped, but it was nowhere near as tough as the early years of the Depression. The period between 1939 and 1945 turned out to be a productive time when the brand made large leaps in the area of chronographs and high-precision movements. By modifying the ubiquitous Valjoux movements of the day and removing the chronograph function, AP was able to increase the power reserve, improve accuracy, and reduce the overall thickness of the movement and case, creating highly accurate, ultra-thin pieces. The final result of this experimentation was the manual wind caliber 2003 which, developed in conjunction with JLC and Vacheron Constantin, was released in 1953 and remained in production for the next 50 years.

In the 1960’s, the brand continued to push movement technology forward and partnered with Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and JLC to develop the world's thinnest self-winding caliber. Shared equally by all four companies, the caliber 2120 was introduced in 1967. Clocking in at 2.45mm thick, the new movement was only 1.12mm thicker than AP’s existing ultra-thin manual-wind caliber 2003 and, featuring a new shock-protection system, was far more robust and durable than other similarly sized calibers.

Considered to be the first true luxury sports watch, the original ref. 5402 Royal Oak was prototyped and developed over the course of the following year and was presented in the metal at the 1972 Basel Watch Fair. Featuring a stainless steel case and integrated bracelet, the watch utilized the ultra-thin caliber 2121 and had a distinctive octagonal bezel with exposed screws reminiscent of a porthole. The public was not initially excited by the model which was priced at an astronomical 3,300 Swiss Francs (roughly ten times the price of a Rolex Submariner!) and the first 1000 examples took a full three years to sell out. Thankfully though, AP was confident in Genta’s design and continued to produce the model until the public eventually came around. The model remains the brand's most heralded innovation and popular piece to this day.

As an early celebration of the approaching new millennium, the company introduced the Millenary Collection in 1995. Also designed by Emmanuel Gueit, the new model had a distinctive 39mm x 35mm oblong oval case, domed sapphire crystal, luminous indices, and sword hands. Over the years, the line was expanded to include numerous complications including a chronograph, skeleton, and perpetual calendar, and models featuring asymmetric dials and offset time displays.

Continuing their advancement in the haute horlogerie space, Audemars Piguet introduced the Tradition d’Excellence Collection in 1999. Combining innovative complications with traditional AP styling, the collection would consist of 8 models issued in limited editions of 20 pieces each. Only one model would be released per year over the course of 8 years (1999-2006) with the first being a Jules Audemars featuring a tourbillon, minute repeater, and split second chronograph.

Just a few years later in 2002, the brand celebrated another milestone with the 30^thanniversary of the Royal Oak model. To commemorate the occasion, AP introduced the futuristic Royal Oak Concept. The 44mm (and 18mm thick!) case was made of an alloy of cobalt, chromium, and tungsten called Alacrite 602 and was more than two times as hard as traditional stainless steel. Powered by a Renaud & Papi-engineered caliber 2896 movement, the model featured a dynamographe, linear power reserve indicator, an indicator for the crown’s time-setting/neutral/winding modes, and a tourbillon with a unique snake-like bridge which made it extremely resistant to shock. Still an active collection in the AP catalog, the Concept line has served as a way for the brand to test their latest and most innovative technologies before incorporating them into their other pieces.

To mark the 40^th anniversary of the Royal Oak in 2012, AP released the ref. 15202ST, a new version of the iconic model that closely resembled the original design. The new “Jumbo” sported the same 39mm stainless steel case and integrated bracelet as the original, a blue dial with “petite tapisserie” motif, date aperture at 3 o’clock, and AP logo just above the 6 o’clock hour marker, just as it was the original ref. 5402.

The Code 11.59 line includes simple time and date models, a chronograph, tourbillon, minute repeater, and perpetual calendars. In addition to the colored lacquer dials (which were designed by well-known enamel artist Anita Porchet), the model is also offered with a blue aventurine dial and in skeleton form as well. Initially unloved and panned by critics, the model has quickly gained a following and become another popular addition to the AP family of watches.