Resulting from an architecture and museography competition launched in 2013, the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet required 7 years of development.
Some 1000 people practicing different trades have pushed further the limits of their craft to create this living museum, whose complexity is akin to that of a Grande Complication.
In celebration of the museum’s opening, the Audemars Piguet’s Heritage team has put together a temporary exhibition—on view through spring 2021—to immerse visitors in the backstage of the project.
Different stages in the making of the Musée Atelier have been captured through the lens of one Audemars Piguet employee, Yvan Rochat, in charge of the Manufacture’s watch distribution around the world. Impassioned by photography, he has used his talent to bear intimate and aesthetic witness to the construction of the glass spiral designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
A film also gives insight into the numerous skills and techniques that have given life to the Musée Atelier—from the building of the spiral and the renovation of the historical building where Audemars Piguet debuted, to the making of the exhibition design.
The temporary exhibition glimpses at some of the Musée Atelier’s main materials, carefully chosen for their aesthetic, functional and sustainable properties.
The Musée Atelier has been conceived to seamlessly integrate the historical and geographical environment of Le Brassus, where Audemars Piguet has been rooted since 1875. This museum, which fulfils the latest Swiss Minergie® requirements in terms of energy efficiency and high quality construction, speaks to Audemars Piguet’s commitment to sustainability and to the preservation of local craftsmanship.
Each Audemars Piguet watch is born from the talents and passion of hundreds of artisans, engineers and watchmakers. The Musée Atelier results from a similar process. All architects, cabinetmakers, lighting and building engineers involved came up with exceptional solutions to meet the project’s technical and aesthetic challenges. A mosaic pays tribute to these experts’ exceptional contribution.
