An Exclusive Tour of Audemars Piguet's Museum
Walking around Le Brassus, nestled into Switzerland’s lush Vallee de Joux, the charming 19th-century village appears to be untouched by time—but that is far from true. Look closer and a wholly modern building, the first completed in Switzerland by Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), rises into view. It is the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet and within its curving glass walls, the Swiss watch brand shows off 145 years of archives and its most exclusive workshops.
Opening June 26, the winding glass building resembles a watch’s key component, the spiral. “The spiral creates the energy for the whole watch,” says Thomas Christoffersen, a partner at BIG. “So it became a great metaphor for the architecture.” There is also a nod to the area’s natural environment, a green roof planted with meadow grasses blends the museum into the landscape; glass walls offer visitors the dual option to delve into the history of watchmaking or gaze out and contemplate the views.
For true aficionados, a guesthouse opening later this year offers a rare opportunity to completely immerse oneself into the heart of watchmaking, venturing inside the rarefied workshops and seeing how historic watches are restored firsthand. The expert collector's version of the ultimate sleepover party.
But graciously, Audemars Piguet welcomes all. The Vallee de Joux may be the birthplace of modern watchmaking, but it is also renowned for its ski slopes and spas. “Skiers, hikers, wine lovers, and even dogsledders, we are here for everyone, not just watch die-hards” says Michael Friedman, Audemars Piguet’s head of complications. “Architects and watchmakers both consciously create objects to outlive us, so we hope the museum is something that people still find engaging in 2040 and 2010.” It’s the long view to be sure, but one that perfectly suits a place where time is everything.
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