Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Holding SA (French pronunciation: [odmaʁ piɡɛ]) is a Swiss luxury watchmaker headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring the name Audemars Piguet & Cie in 1881. The company has been family-owned since its founding. It is considered one of the Big Four privately-owned watch brands alongside Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille. The company is best known for introducing the Royal Oak wristwatch in 1972, which helped the brand rise to prominence within the watchmaking industry. One of its earlier achievements was creating the first minute-repeating movement in 1892. The company developed the first skeleton watch in 1934 and has manufactured some of the thinnest watches, such as the 1986 ultra-thin automatic tourbillon wristwatch (Calibre 2870).