Entering the Audemars Piguet restoration workshop is like stepping fully into the craftsmanship of this century-old company. Here, they maintain pieces from the private collection, but they also handle requests from clients. When a watch arrives at the restoration workshop, the restorer often has to remake parts using the same tools that were used by the watchmakers of the time - an era when everything was done by hand.
Francisco has been working at Audemars Piguet for 43 years. Initially a watchmaker, he joined the Audemars Piguet restoration workshop in 2012. Listen to him talk about his work. The years have flown by for this watch enthusiast.
For many of its historical movements, Audemars Piguet keeps a supply box containing the caliber, spare parts, and sometimes even handwritten documents. If the supply is preserved, the restorer sketches the part and fabricates it using traditional tools, such as the rounding lathe or the bow lathe.
The company was founded in 1875, at a time when the watchmaking industry was beginning to mechanize. However, the two founders were determined to preserve the traditional craftsmanship that had made the Vallée de Joux renowned since the 17th and 18th centuries. Almost all watches with ultra-complicated movements were designed here.
Much later, in 1972, the Royal Oak made history for Audemars Piguet. It introduced steel - then considered a non-precious material - into luxury watchmaking. This was, in fact, a revolution for the entire watchmaking industry. Today, the Musée Atelier embodies the spirit of the brand, firmly rooted in tradition while also looking boldly to the future.
