Oh, let me tell you about this fancy watch company called Audemars Piguet. It’s a real old one, been around since 1875, way before most of us even thought about getting fancy watches! The story goes that two fellas, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, they started this company over in a little place called Le Brassus, way out in Switzerland. Now, don’t get me wrong, I ain’t one to talk all highfalutin about these things, but I reckon they knew what they were doing with them watches.
Now, I don’t know much about fancy French names, but this Audemars Piguet, well, that’s a name that stuck with time. The two of ’em – Jules and Edward – they went way back, knew each other when they was kids. But it wasn’t ’til 1874 when they hooked up again, this time to make some real fancy watches. They didn’t just slap together a timepiece; no sir, they were aiming for something special. By 1881, they made it official and called their company Audemars Piguet Cie, which is just a fancy way of saying “company,” I guess.
From there, things just took off for ’em. In the very next year, 1882, they started getting known all over the place. People started buying their watches, and I reckon that’s when the name Audemars Piguet really started to mean something. Now, don’t be thinking these were just your run-of-the-mill watches. Oh no, they were luxury, and folks knew it.
And listen here, you won’t believe this, but in 1892, Audemars Piguet made the first ever wristwatch with a minute-repeating movement. That means you could hear the watch ding when the minutes passed! Fancy, right? This was so special that even the big Omega company, they came asking for one of these watches. I reckon that’s what made Audemars Piguet stand out even more in the watchmaking world.
But now, don’t get me wrong, we ain’t just talking about old-timey watches here. Today, Audemars Piguet is still making waves. You got all sorts of fancy collections like the Royal Oak, the Millenary, and the Code 11.59. These names might sound a little funny to you, but I reckon they sure do sell some watches that cost more than a small house!
And let me tell you something, folks talk about the “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking. You ever heard of that? Well, Audemars Piguet is right there with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. That’s some high company, I’ll tell you that much. Only the best of the best are in that crowd.
Now, here’s something that’ll surprise you even more. Audemars Piguet is still a family business, even after all these years. Can you imagine? A company that’s been around since 1875 and it’s still in the hands of the same family. That’s some good ol’ fashioned tradition right there. Most companies, they get sold off or changed hands, but not Audemars Piguet. It’s still got that family touch.
In China, folks got a different way of saying it. They call it 爱彼 (ài bǐ), which means “love” and “that.” But most people just call it “AP” these days, nice and simple. Whether you’re in Switzerland or China, this company’s got a reputation that sticks. It’s luxury, it’s class, and it’s been making watches that folks love for over a century now.
So, if you ever come across an Audemars Piguet watch, just remember – you’re looking at something with history, something that’s been around for generations, and something that’s still going strong today. Ain’t that a fine story for a watchmaker?
Tags：[Audemars Piguet, luxury watches, Swiss watchmaking, history of watches, Royal Oak, Code 11.59, watch industry, Swiss craftsmanship, high-end watches]
