Audemars Piguet opens flagship boutique in Geneva

The much-awaited new Audemars Piguet boutique opened its doors on 6 March, greeting its first visitors with a spacious, airy, well thought out-interior. The space is divided into a number of different areas, including a central section for the brand�s latest creations, top-sellers and products based on the chosen annual theme; a versatile sales space; a private library for reading and relaxation, with wine and cigars also available; and an after-sales area, where customers can admire watchmakers' handiwork. Georges-Henri Meylan, Brand CEO: "We wanted to offer our customers a genuine experience, to give them a complete Audemars Piguet experience that incorporates our key values. The boutique paints a full picture of our product range in all its breadth and depth, showcasing older timepieces that mark milestones in our history alongside the latest innovations. The most exclusive and sought-after pieces in our watchmaking and jewellery collections are also on display. We want customers to witness every aspect of our watchmaking expertise."
The new boutique clearly reflects the Audemars Piguet visual identity yet is in keeping with the style and character of the original building. The Manufacture retained key architectural features including the high ceilings and elongated entrance to create a particularly warm, well-lit interior. The chosen materials place the emphasis on natural products such as wenge, glass, natural wood, stone and fabrics; the dominant colour is green, in keeping with the Audemars Piguet identity, blended with metallic grey, pearly white and brown. The overall effect conveys the brand's core values of tradition, excellence and innovation. Tradition

is reflected in the choice of natural, noble materials with a nod to the Joux Valley through the use of natural-wood parquet flooring and Jura stone, always with a dominant green hue. Pictures of the Jura Valley decorate the walls and fixtures. The Manufacture also reveals its roots through a number of period tools, old photographs, collector�s pieces and history books on Audemars Piguet and the art of watchmaking. The impressive layout, high-quality materials and flawless finishing all suggest excellence, while innovation is apparent in the blend of tradition and modernity, with classic materials such as wenge mixing with state-of-the-art technology such as "active glass" lit by LEDs.

To mark the opening of the new boutique, Audemars Piguet created a limited series of 500 numbered Royal Oak Offshore Rhone-Fusterie watches. The chronograph has a style all of its own, reflecting the colours of the Swiss flag: red with white counters and hour markers. The red crocodile-leather bracelet features white seams and the dial boasts the Mega Tapisserie motif found on all Royal Oak Offshore watches. The push-pieces are moulded in red rubber. The first timepiece in the series will be auctioned during the official boutique inauguration on 29 May 2008 with proceeds from the sale donated to the Little Dreams Foundation, founded by boutique sponsor Oriane Collins. Until then, the watch will be on display in the boutique window.