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Audemars |
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| 1875 Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet, two talented master watchmakers, join forces to found in Le Brassus, a company which immediately specializes in ultra-thin watches with complications. George Bizet's makes its debut in Paris, finally bringing French opera fully into the Romantic era. 1882 A year with two significant events. First the "Audemars, Piguet & Cie" brand is officially registered at 12 noon on December 6th. And second, the Manufacture creates its first watch which includes minute repeater, a perpetual calendar displaying the phases of the moon, split-second chronograph, and a minute counter. Gottlieb Daimler, sets up a private workshop to continue work on the four-stroke petrol engine. 1892 Production of the first-ever wristwatch with a Minute Repeater. The first adding and subtracting machine with its own printer is introduced by the American. 1914 Audemars Piguet launches a project to develop a watch so complicated that it takes six years before the watch is ready for delivery to the importers Guignard & Golay in London. The article in question is a pocket watch with two dials and a one-minute tourbillon mechanism. As well as a tourbillon, this double dial Lepine, gold watch, Number 16.869, includes a minute repeater, a chronograph with 60-minute and 12-hour counters, perpetual calendar with displays which "jump" at midnight, display of the leap year cycle, the "age" and phases of the moon, and power reserve display. The second face shows an additional 24 hours based on the sidereal hour, moving a pair of independent hands. A special system connected to this gear-train makes it possible to see the changes in the London sky at any time of the day or night, through an oval-shaped opening in the rear dial. The sky is represented by 315 stars engraved on a plate of gold, enameled in blue. The stars, with their respective names, are all clearly visible. Zepellins used for military purposes for the first time in World War I by Germany, bombard London, devastating the British capital and introducing a new threat in aerial warfare. 1915 Audemars Piguet established a new technical milestone with the creation of the world's smallest minute repeater watch, having a diameter of just 15,8 millimeters. Albert Einstein announces to the world his new theory of relativity, forever redefining established concepts of the universe and the cosmos. 1922 Creation of a Hunter Model, (hinged-lid pocket watch) with a jumping second hand, also featuring a barometer, quarter repeater, independent second hand, the date and day of the week. Archaeologists in Egypt discover the tomb of King Tutenkahmon shedding new light upon the mysteries of antiquity era and providing the modern world with many beautiful treasures. 1925 Audemars Piguet's creative watchmakers produce another first: the world's thinnest pocket watch measuring just 1,32 millimeters. The French Open tennis championship held every year at becomes the third tournament to join the ranks of the Grand Slams, taking its place alongside the US Open at Flushing Meadows and Wimbledon. 1928 The first Audemars Piguet Skeleton watch arrives on the market. Alexander Fleming accidentally discovers Penicillin, one of the most widely prescribed antibiotics. 1946 The Manufacture establishes a new record for the world's thinnest wristwatch, with a movement measuring just 1.64 millimeters. It is still the basis of today's genuine classics. A team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania design the ENIAC, the world's first modern electronic Computer 1967 Establishment of a new record for the thinnest (2.45 mm) Automatic Movement, with a centrally placed rotor of 21-carat gold. The Concord, the world's first supersonic passenger plane, is unveiled for the first time in France. 1970 Creation of the world's thinnest movement(3.05 mm) to include date display and a central rotor made of gold. 5000 Soviet workers help complete the Aswam Dam across the Nile in Egypt. 1972 A "vintage year" for Audemars Piguet and an historic one for the craft of watch making with the launch of the world's first luxury sports watch, the Royal Oak. Its octagonal shape, steel edges and the use of prominent hexagonal screws as a design feature strike a perfect balance between power and elegance. Worthy of its name, the Royal Oak has since become a legend. An Audemars Piguet Success History Audemars Piguet watchmakers found themselves confronted with a new challenge: to reinterpret the classical watch for a new age. The solution they came up with is the refined heir to an aristocratic lineage: the peerless Royal Oak. Its octagonal design, originally produced only in high-grade steel, took the breath away even of many professionals. When the initial shock abated, some in the industry hinted that Audemars Piguet had taken a wrong turning. However, when the Royal Oak was unveiled at the 1972 European watch making fair in Basel with a price tag of just Sfr. 3,300 unheard of for a watch bearing the Audemars Piguet name its success was beyond even its creators' expectations! The Legend Of The Royal Oak The legend of the oak stretches back to the dawn of history, when man discovered the virtues of wood as a tool making material. The oak's structural strength was prefigured in the majesty of the tree itself. The oak has another, more recent association with majesty. In 1651 after the Battle of Worcester, King Charles II of England, Scotland and Wales found refuge from pursuers in the hollow of an ancient oak. A "royal oak" indeed. The name Royal Oak was adopted by the Royal Navy for a series of vessels of the line, in the days at the height of imperial glory when Britain "ruled the waves". The ships naturally distinguished themselves, in the Napoleonic wars and in the great wars of this century. It is this ancient, royal and naval heritage of the name Royal Oak that inspired Audemars Piguet in the creation of a legendary watch. The porthole, that symbol of the high seas, was the starting point for this virile design. The choice of an octagonal form, with a bezel secured by hexagonal screws in white gold, followed naturally. And how does one turn a hexagonal screw, to drive it home? That is just one of the closely guarded trade secrets of the engineers and designers in Le Brassus. The "rugged" look of this luxury sports watch is emphasized by the use of steel, satin-finished to highlight the quality of the Royal Oak's design. The bezel's rounded contours, somewhat soften the impact. The Royal Oak is also distinctive as the first successful use of integrated design, for watch and bracelet. The octagonal porthole motif is echoed in the bracelet, with its hand-made links of progressively diminishing size. Nixon, in a secret trip to Communist China, surprises the world community when he meets with Chairman Mao ushering in a new era of Sino-American relations and the beginning of Detente. |
1978 Another technical feat with the creation of the world's thinnest watch to include an automatic winding mechanism and calibre 2120 QP, measuring 3.95 mm. Polish becomes the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years. 1982 Birth of the Philosopher's watch, with a single hand and a rotating bezel. Thanks to these complementary features, the wearer can see at a glance what time it is in two different time zones. This highly original concept is a permanent invitation to reflect on the relativity of time. The first artificial heart implant is conducted and paves the way for future life-saving operations. 1983 Creation of the Royal Oak with a perpetual calendar. Two Astronauts become the first walk in space without the security of a tether. 1986 Creation of the first ultra-flat wristwatch with an automatic Tourbillon mechanism. The light Voyager Plane, makes its historic nine-day flight, becoming the first plane to fly non-stop around the world. 1990 The Manufacture's master craftsmen create the duo time watch to show the hours and minutes in two time zones with a single movement. This automatic model, measuring 4.85 millimeters, has a 21-carat gold rotor and displays the date and the reserve power. Canadian scientists discover the Fossil of animals 600 million years old, thereby proving the existence of multi-cellular life on earth far earlier than previously believed. 1991 Design of the Tourbillon II with an automatic movement and power reserve. The South African House of Assembly repeals the last main pillar of Apartheid bringing to a close its history of segregation. 1992 Presentation of a Triple Complication Watch with a movement comprising 600 components and 12 functions. Another new creation is a rectangular watch with minute repeater and jumping hours display. Representatives from almost every nation in the world convene in Rio de Janeiro for the Earth Summit a meeting in which principles for environmental and economic development are agreed upon. 1993 A new Museum housed in the original workshop of Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet allows visitors to discover Audemars Piguet technology "from A to Z." Its exhibits retrace the key stages in the history of the Manufacture, and show many of the creations which made Audemars Piguet famous, including the Grande Complication, an exceptionally beautiful pocket watch which has been one of the brand's greatest international successes. As well as its unique collection of antique watches, and in particular of watch complications, this very unusual museum enables visitors to see the intricacy and precision required in horology, by observing two master watchmakers at work in the modern Audemars Piguet atelier which is a permanent feature of the museum. Birth of the Royal Oak Offshore, requiring a year to perfect the case and ensure its water resistance to a depth of 10 atmospheres. The Offshore model offers following functions: chronograph to 1/5 second, tachymeter, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, date display, seconds display, automatic movement with central rotor in 21-carat gold. This year sees the explosion in use of a phenomenon known as Internet a vast system of connected computer networks, as the number of net users increases 2,500%. 1994 Presentation of the Grande Sonnerie on leather strap, featuring hour and quarter repeater and small seconds at 6 o'clock, with a miniaturized movement which represents a world première. Three years of work were required for this watch, whose movement consists of 410 components, includes 51 jewels and has a diameter of 28.6 mm, for a total thickness of 5.2 mm. The Royal Oak ladies watch offers an ultra-thin movement, water-resistant to 5 atmospheres, on a leather strap: available in genuine sharkskin or crocodile which has been specially treated, with a fold-over clasp bearing the Royal Oak signature. A special version is also available with a white dial, Roman numerals and leather straps in different colours. The quadrennial world cup championship of soccer, arguably the biggest sporting event on Earth, is held in the USA for the first time in history, with matches in 9 different cities. 1995 The 20th anniversary Limited Edition Royal Oak, the first watch to indicate the 52 weeks of the year. New photographs taken by Hubble Space Telescope, oppose traditionally help views on the origins and the age of the universe and spur wide debate. 1996 The "Automatic Grande Complication", More than 600 pieces are contained in an integrated movement which does not exceed 8.5 mm in height. Audemars Piguet embarks on a new era, representing itself on the Internet with its official Website, This year marks the Centennial Olympics Game, a century to revival of the ancient Greek ritual. 1997 Grand Sonnerie Minute Repeater Carillon, The first wristwatch to contain 3 gongs and 3 hammers. 1998 Ladies Minute Repeater Carillon, a watch consisting of 3 gongs and 3 hammers of tiny proportions (22 mm in diameter).
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