The new Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet, a glass and steel pavilion stands on a grass land between the company’s two 19th-century buildings at its headquarters in Le Brassus, Switzerland. “We did have a small museum here but we had in mind to build an extension to present the richness of our watchmaking culture,” Jasmine Audemars, chairwoman of the family-owned company’s board of directors, said.
Bjarke Ingels, the Danish architect who founded Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in Copenhagen in 2005 has undertaken projects like the tent-like Silicon Valley headquarters for Google and the Danish power plant with a slanted roof that doubles as a ski slope. His proposed design for the watch museum, submitted to the brand’s competition in 2013, initially had little chance of success. For one thing, its circular, nearly flat roof violated regional building codes.
“Swiss building rules, to say the least, are very strict,” Mr. Ingels said at the preview. “I was told a building here must resemble other buildings, meaning that it must have a double-sided angled roof.” Still, Mr. Ingels managed to win over not just Audemars Piguet, but also the local council, and construction began in March 2017. “We weren’t trying to be provocative,” Mr. Ingels said, “we were just tapping into the heritage of the valley without creating a replica of what was already there. We aligned ourselves around the concept of an ‘oxymoron,’ a word I had to look up,” he added.
The pavilion’s interior, which totals 2,500 square meters (26,910 square feet), was designed as a coil — deliberately meant to resemble a watch spring. One part houses a workroom, called the Grandes Complications Atelier, where visitors will be able to look through glass partitions to observe watchmakers at work. The other showcases the brand’s heritage display: 300 timepieces ranging from chiming and astronomical complications to jeweled pocket watches, all mounted inside clear protective domes.
And at the center of the spiral: The 1899 Universelle pocket watch — with 21 functions and 13 hands, the most complicated timepiece ever produced by Audemars Piguet. Many of the vintage pieces formerly were owned by Marcus Margulies, a London-based watch retailer who, watch blogs have said, amassed the world’s best collection of Audemars Piguet watches that he then sold to the company in 2016.
Few people outside the Swiss watch world know that most of Audemars Piguet’s vintage pieces are one of a kind because, until 1951, it sold complications to distributors and retailers rather than making its own watches. Initially, “the company was too small, and focused on hand-finishing movements and creating complications,” Michael Friedman, the brand’s head of complications, said at the preview. “It was the powerful retailer’s name that went on the dial.” The museum features a large display dedicated to the Royal Oak, a highly popular, signature model designed in 1971 by Gerald Genta, which celebrates 50 Years this year.
The pavilion’s structural glass walls were curved to support the steel roof, made of two circular plates totaling 470 tons, which rises from the hillside slope. In February, the roof was covered with snow. In spring, it has a carpet of regional grasses, planted to help control the building’s temperature and to absorb rainfall. A brass mesh runs along the edge of the outer glass walls to regulate light and heat.
Le Brassus is less than 40 miles north of Geneva, but it is an area of farmlands and vineyards, set against the pine tree forests of the Jura mountains. Historically, the area’s long, harsh winters kept farmers indoors for months, and by the 1700s they were occupying their inventive minds and nimble fingers with horological invention.
In 1875, two of the village’s enterprising residents, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, founded a watch company specializing in high complications. It was Ms. Audemars’s forebears, like those of the LeCoultres and the Meylans and others, who made this valley an epicenter of Swiss watchmaking. The valley itself also helped. “In the 15th century, iron was found here,” said Sebastian Vivas, historian and museum director at Audemars Piguet, “which was used to make steel, and allowed farmers to make watchmaking tools.”
For years the village has had just two hotels — one of them, a 50-room inn called Hôtel des Horlogers, owned by Audemars Piguet since 2005 and just a short distance from the company complex along the Route de France, the village’s lone main road. But its basic utilities as well as the pine walls and brown leather furniture had become seriously dated over the years, so the building was razed and work began on a new hotel in mid-2018.
adapted from Forbes / New York Times / Bloomberg
Our take at CPP-LUXURY.COM
But why would the two new projects (museum + hotel) not be provocative ? – being provocative through innovation coupled with a novel approach – are an integral part of the Audemars Piguet DNA. Audermars Piguet has always mastered innovation and it has never ceased to lend a wow factor both through its products and its unique approach to marketing communications and branding. The Audemars Piguet brand has always been perceived as bold and daring, seeking to break barriers and constantly create and re-create a WOW factor.
Through its constantly evolving watch-making (movements, shapes, design, materials etc) but also through its retail and cutting edge advertising campaigns, Audemars Piguet has also recreated a an Audemars Piguet Lifestyle, which is desirable, exclusive and only accessible for the few. The Audemars Piguet lifestyle has been continuously shaped and refined by the jet-setters who buy or even collect an Audemars Piguet watch. There is a very well defined profile of the Audemars Piguet customer, who is constantly drawn to the incessant and ever growing desirability which Audemars Piguet is mastering. The pursuit of ultimate performance and the strive for perfection are also part of the Audemars Piguet lifestyle.
Audemars Piguet made clear steps in defining the Audermars Piguet Lifestyle by launching the very first AP House in Hong Kong in 2018, which was followed by AP Houses in London, Barcelona, New York, Madrid, Munich, Shanghai and most recently, a second AP House in Hong Kong. This latest opening in Hong Kong is probably the most expansive and most luxurious and sophisticated in interiors, resembling a breath-taking penthouse – elegant and sleek, masculine yet with some delicate feminine cues too.
The ‘AP Houses’ resemble more like a luxurious residential penthouse crafted as the ultimate customer experience elevation. François-Henry Bennahmias, AP’s chief executive officer, explains that the AP Houses can be used to “invite friends for lunch, organize a business meeting… there’s no obligation to buy a watch. You can take a seat, relax and chill out, if that’s how the mood takes you”. With each house, the interiors have become more comfortable and more luxurious.
The retail concept of the Audemars Piguet stores has constantly been evolving too, with sleek luxurious interior designs, with a novel approach on how watches are presented and how they can be tried on. Almost all Audemars Piguet mono-brand flagship stores have a dedicated VIP area. The interiors are luxurious in every sense, once again refining the luxury Audemars Piguet lifestyle which customers aspire to. Stores are conceived to extend a WOW factor, with a deep sense of prestige, yet still remaining welcoming and non-intimidating.
That is why, adding a hotel has somehow can come as as obvious expansion reflecting the Audemars Piguet DNA and lifestyle in a most discreet / subtle manner.
The Hôtel des Horlogers in Le Brassus which Audemars Piguet has rebuilt from scratch is probably even more spectacular and ‘provoking’ than the museum itself. And it is not only the futuristic shape of the hotel which is impressive – from certain angles it can look like a space ship – but also the vision which ensures longevity and relevance for the next 50 years. It is incredible how the building has been erected with the utmost respect to nature, with the highest standards of sustainability – at every inch of the hotel – in the materials used (most of them locally sourced) but also energy rationalisation.
Nevertheless, sustainability has not eroded in any way comfort which is of the highest luxury hospitality standards, on the contrary, it has enhanced the experience which the hotel provides. The implementation of all the strict sustainability and ecology measures has been done almost in an effortless manner, which almost comes as natural. Water sourcing, waste and overall recycling are of the highest ecology standards, every single detail being taken care of. The Spa and the restaurant source products exclusively from local Swiss producer. You will be impressed with Alpeor Swiss beauty brand at the Spa but also by the finest quality Swiss wines, meats and other ingredients.
The hotel meets the latest Minergie-Eco® requirements for energy efficiency and eco-responsible construction, with 86 photovoltaic panels are placed on the roof of the establishment. The entire hotel is paperless: digitisation of the majority of our communication media, business cards, restaurant and bar menus – as well as digital check-in sheets at check-in. There is a zero plastic policy with choice of biodegradable materials for single-use items.
The bags are burlap, pencils with thyme seeds that we can plant in the forest instead of pens, wooden combs, cornstarch straws, organic slippers, etc. Eco-friendly dispensers combining single-use pouches and traceability for liquid soaps and shampoos with a reduced environmental impact that results in 67 times less waste. The hotel has its own bottling system for spring water from the Valley to avoid the transport of tons of glass bottles all year round by reducing our carbon footprint.
Audermars Piguet must have most probably realised from the early days of planning that the Hôtel des Horlogers can be a destination in itself – a luxurious retreat, so close to Geneva, which entices guests to reconnect with nature but also pause and make time for oneself. From the moment you enter the hotel and your room, you feel a sensorial push to slow down and embrace yourself. The serenity of the hotel is out of this world! It embodies all the elements of a luxury hotel, with ultimate comfort standards – bedding, bathrooms furnishings, lighting, technology – whether a very short business stay or a few vacation days.
There are subtle cues in the architecture which will give you a deep ‘sense of place’, such as the use of woodworks but also a wall with a superb digital drawing of the mountain and valley contours. Every single design decor element, including furnishings are bespoke, executed by prestigious specialist companies. No detail has been overlooked such as lighting which blends ultimate modernity (minimalist in many ways) with utility. The wooden ceilings and floors but also the texture of fabrics on the furniture, and the colour palette, with shades of blue, beige and grey make up a very cozy and warm feeling of the interiors.
The luxurious Spa features natural / botanically sourced products (all Swiss sourced) by Alpeor. Alpeor research uses no less than three scientific disciplines (phytotherapy, phytochemistry and dermatology) to create technological and innovative treatments inspired by the genius of nature. This multidisciplinary approach allows Alpeor experts to control the origins of aging and to bring out the anti-aging and relaxing solutions of tomorrow from plants. State-of-the-art equipped treatment rooms (superb beds) are completed by a dry sauna, hammam and a sensorial shower. There is also a superb relaxing lounge with stunning panoramic views of the picture perfect nature, including the not so distant forests.
Be prepared for an ultimate sleep experience, with divine beds, flawless soundproofing which sources fresh air, but also curtains which extend a complete black-out. The shower experience with the perfect water pressure and the high-performance AC are probably among the most sophisticated and advanced I have ever seen and experienced at any luxury hotel in almost 14 years. Each accommodation features generous wardrobe space, with one-of-a-kind custom-made wooden hangers which have a surface that prevent clothes from slipping.
The floor to ceiling expanded windows recreate a picture perfect scenery of nature – all rooms are facing the breathtaking green grass land, the forest – and it is not only the cows wondering around but also wild animals such as deers or hares you can spot from the hotel. The only sound you may softly hear comes from the church-bells or the nearby church. The space of all accommodations is so well conceived that there is also an indoor soundproofing – you will not hear the smallest noise from your neighbour, whether above, below or nearby on the same floor.
Lighting is also thoughtfully projected in both accommodation and public spaces, with different ”moods”, thus subtly adapting intensity of lighting to one’s needs – whether reading a book, using a handheld device or laptop but also in case of watching TV. The architects have obviously considered the darker days of the late Fall / Winter and early Spring. The custom-made furniture and decor elements are abundant in the public spaces. It was impressive to see how many locals (non-hotel residents) have already welcomed, becoming loyal patrons of the dining venues and the Spa, but also utilising the meeting spaces.
Technology has not been overlooked, with state-of-the-art smart Tvs which run their own software (easy to connect to your devices), ultra-secure high speed wi-fi (an individual password is generate for each stay. There are easy-to-use ipads in each room, which centrally control the rooms (AC, lighting, curtains, lights, DND) but also provide extensive information on offerings at the hotel and a wide range of activities in the Valle de Joux. At the Spa and in the restaurants ipads replace physical printed menus.
You will love the fresh flowers and plants carefully placed in all public spaces, the AC infused with natural scent of the forest, but also the daily fresh fruit amenities in your room, most of them locally sourced. The strawberries do have such a powerful smell, which I even forgot. The reception is among the centre points of the hotel, with vertically hanging trees, fresh flowers and a furniture decor are truly impressive. Locally infused fresh ice-tea and home-made cakes are part of the welcome amenities.
There is also a small lounge space by the reception, but also a library designed on the steps from the lobby leading towards the Spa on the lower floor. One can sit on comfortable leather pillows and spend some quality time reading – there is a carefully curated selection of books. The space is casual, warm, reflective, yet slightly secluded. For convenience, there is also a lower level parking space but also one right in front of the main entrance across the street
The Restaurant La Table des Horlogers is headed by three-star Michelin Chef Emmanuel Renaut (Flocons de Sel Restaurant in Megeve) invites its guests on an exclusive gastronomic journey. A tasting menu is served seven days a week. The adjoining room is the perfect place to host smaller private events. Designed to push your senses a little further. The glass-see-through kitchen reveals the perfection achieved by Chef Emmanuel Renaut, both in presentation and the exquisite quality of the dishes. The quality of the locally sourced ingredients is outstanding, making up for an exceptional gastronomic experience. The hotel can also organise cooking classes
The Bar des Horlogers completes the main restaurant with a more casual offering available for lunch and dinner. Bar des Horlogers captures the energy of local residents and watchmakers. It recreates a friendly ambiance to discover signature cocktails, made with plants and trees found in the Risoud forest. It is also ideal for a more casual meal, whether it is snacks and salads. It is also an ideal meeting point, whether casual or slightly more formal. Do try the sweets which you will find of the calibre of a top luxury hotel, both in taste and presentation.
The ambiance and interior design of the two venues (restaurant / bar) is impeccably conceived, with a unique mix of contemporary elements, yet all predominantly plush, cozy and warm. Many decor elements are subtly inspired by the uninterrupted spectacular forest views. Table setting elements are luxurious, of the highest luxury standards, from custom made plates to covers, glasses and cutlery. Like all the rest of the interior design, lighting fixtures are custom made of the highest standards.
The Concierge is highly knowledgeable to arrange the most diverse activities and experiences outside the hotel, the Vallée de Joux offering an incredible variety of activities, from water sports, hiking, skiing, fishing – not to mention the numerous exceptional authentic gourmet restaurants which can provide a most unique experience. All nature-related activities are a huge opportunity for the hotel to become a retreat holiday destination in itself. Do ask about tasting experiences but also culinary
When building the new hotel Audemars Piguet also understood that an exceptional product / design and location must benefit from exceptional services. Headed by highly experienced luxury hotelier André Cheminade, the team is very young and highly trained. He placed a lot of attention on fine tuning service to achieve consistency of the already high service standards. From discovering talent, Cheminade’s mission is to constantly nurture and motivate young talent, especially considering the rather secluded location of the hotel.
Considering the very short time since opening (soft-opening), service standards are very high, with a very motivated and well bonded team. The team is enthusiastic, passionate and very dedicated – obviously all of them being aware of the fact the hotel is owned by one of the top luxury watch makers in the world – which may translate into stability but also a workplace that ensures continued training and building a career with such a prestigious brand in the background. The entire teams must have made their choice of being part of the hotel team, knowing Audemars Piguet owns the hotel.
With quite a few good number of luxury watch manufactures located across Vallée de Joux (Jaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Breguet, Patek Philippe), the hotel has instantly become a top choice for their visitors – whether corporate or VIP guests. Audemars Piguet made it very clear when opening the hotel that it would welcome all other watch-makers. The hotel is already hosting Audemars Piguet staff especially from overseas who may come for a training – as an example, but also business partners of Audemars Piguet – dealers, partners etc.
It remains to be seen whether Audemars Piguet will seize the opportunity to further expand the hotel with other key international locations as a huge boost to the brand especially during these continued turbulent times. Or Audemars Piguet will suffice to source the hotel mostly with business traffic (visitors to the other manufactures and its own staff from abroad) and to a lesser extent guests who could choose the hotel as a luxury retreat destination (holiday / vacation) as part of a unique Valle de Joux experience. For now, it is expected that more AP Houses will be opening across the world.
Oliver Petcu in Le Brassus /Vallée de Joux
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