Inauguration of new Audemars Piguet (Renaud et Papi) site

Audemars Piguet (Renaud & Papi) inaugurated its enlarged and modernized production site in Le Locle on September 24 2003.
Renaud & Papi (RP), artisan manufacturers of complicated mechanical watch movements, was founded in 1986 by Dominique Renaud and Giulo Papi, two watchmakers formed by Audemars Piguet (AP). In 1992, when RP were seeking a partner to ensure its continuing success, AP became majority shareholders and the company name was changed to Audemars Piguet (Renaud et Papi).
The AP RP factory was established in Le Locle in 1992, but with more and more demands being made for its movements - mainly by Audemars Piguet but also by other leading brand names - AP RP decided to extend the building by some 30% and completely renovate the existing workshops.
The eye-catching result was unveiled to the press and specially invited guests in the presence of Jasmine Audemars, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Georges-Henri Meylan, President of Audemars Piguet and several local dignitaries and all those in attendance were given a detailed tour of the workshops with explanations of the working procedures by each of the department heads or section leaders.
Audemars Piguet (Renaud & Papi) manufacture complications from chronographs to tourbillons and minute repeaters, and given that each and every piece of the watch is produced and assembled in the clinically clean workshops, the company's output is naturally restricted to six or seven hundred movements a year ... although with the new workshops there is clearly room for any planned expansion.

DynamographConcept Royal Oak

http://www.audemarspiguet.com
Contact: [email protected]
(please credit Europa Star)

Source: Europa Star
September 2003