In 1881, Audemars Piguet & Cie was established in Brassus by 23 year old Jules Audemars and 21 year old Edward Piguet. One year later, the watch firm launched its first complicated watches. The premier watches in this collection included perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, and chronographs. Today, Audemars Piguet is one of the oldest watch firms in the world that is still operated by the founders families.
In 1891, Audmars Piguet released the smallest repeater movement the world had seen, which was 18 mm in diameter. By 1893, Audmars Piguet began to focus on producing luxury wristwatches. That same year, the watch manufacturer released the first wrist minute repeater in the world for architect, Louis Brandt.
From 1895 through 1912, Audemar Piguet produced more than 35 timepieces for the German capitol of horology.
In 1899, the watch company released the Grande Complication pocket watch, which included 400 pieces. This also marked the year the watch firm set a world record, which is still unmatched, by creating the world’s smallest five-minute repeater movement.
1920 marked the year Audemar Piguet released the world’s most technical fob watch. This watch featured more than 16 complications, which included the equation of time indicator, a large and small chime, tourbillion, perpetual calendar, and a blue enamel dial decorated with 315 stars that immolated the night sky in London. Five years later, the watch company launched the slimmest fob watch available, which was 1.32 mm.
The watch firm re-introduced the 18th century skeleton watch in 1934. In 1946, Audemar Piguet released the smallest mechanical caliber in the world, which measured at 1.64mm.
The watch company produced the flattest automatic movement in 1967. The movement measured at 2.45 mm and featured a flat gold rotor “A” model including a jumping date, which was added to the watch in 1970. Two years later, the first luxury sports watch with a steel case was released. The Royal Oak, which was named from the oak tree where Charles II hid, marked an innovative timepiece the company designed.
In 1983, the Royal Oak was released with an added lunar calendar and lunar phases. One year later, the Royal Oak was released with a perpetual calendar.
Audemar Piguet released the first self-winding tourbillion in 1986, which included a minute repeater and repeater striker that featured 412 components. There was also a ladies edition of the watch released that included a minute repeater and carillon.
In 1989, the watch firm produced the Dual Time. This wristwatch was able to display time in a second time zone, but was still driven by a single self-winding movement.
The watch firm launched the hand wound caliber 3090 in 1999. The caliber 3090 measured 2.8 mm thick, included 148 components, and featured a power reserve of 48 hours.
At the start of the new millennium, the watch firm released the Jules Audemars Dynamograph wristwatch with a caliber 2891. This was also the year the company launched the Chiming Grand Strike, which was added to the Audemars Piguet Classic Collection.
In 2002, the Royal Oak Concept was released to commemorate its 30th anniversary. The Royal Oak Concept was a limited edition model, which included 150 in Alacrite 602 and titanium. Three years later, the watch firm released the Edward Piguet Moss Agate Tourbillion. This was the first watch that featured a plate in moss agate and a semi-translucent mineral graced pattern.