Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. All Together Now: Audemars Piguet Launches the Atelier des Établisseurs
An ambitious collaborative project uniting artisans and elite watchmakers under one roof to create incredible timepieces.
Audemars Piguet launches the Atelier des Établisseurs, an ambitious project that resurrects the collaborative “établissage” system of late 18th-century watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux. Marking a novel way for the brand to produce remarkable watches using time-honoured traditional crafts, the Atelier des Établisseurs is a twofold enterprise that fosters creativity and collaboration while preserving rare artisanal skills for future generations. Proof positive of this collaborative spirit can be seen in the three exceptional creations unveiled during Watches & Wonders 2026.
The Atelier des Établisseurs is inspired by the traditional établissage system practised in the Vallée de Joux, a decentralised cottage industry based on division of labour adopted by Swiss watchmakers in the 18th century. Rooted in the harsh winters when local farmers crafted specialised components like wheels or screws in home workshops, the system was overseen and coordinated by an “établisseur” (assembler) who sourced parts from the different workers, checked them and then assembled the finished watch – a role Audemars Piguet assumed in the early decades of its history.
Located in the brand’s historical house, home to the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet, the Atelier des Établisseurs unites skilled artisans – engravers, enamellers, gem-setters, lapidarists and skeletonisation specialists – with designers and engineers to produce unique pieces. More than reinterpretations of the past, the timepieces are contemporary, enhanced with ancestral craftsmanship. As you would expect from AP, the aesthetic bravado is matched by technical prowess revealed by the modern calibres powering the new creations.
Celebrating the launch of this multidisciplinary project, AP unveils three remarkable timepieces that exemplify the aesthetic and mechanical richness born of the collaborative spirit of the new Atelier.
The Établisseurs Galets is a mini 31mm pebble-inspired yellow gold bracelet watch with natural stone-set links and dial. Bringing together jewellery, watchmaking and stone-cutting skills, the shape of the Galets is inspired by smooth stones polished by the waters of the Lac de Joux. Each link has its own silhouette and is set with natural tiger’s eye or turquoise – five different stone combinations will be available. The links are connected by small gold ball joints, allowing them to move fluidly, like pebbles in water. The asymmetric gold dial, set with turquoise, dispenses with indices and features gold baton hands and an applied gold AP monogram at noon. Powered by AP’s ultra-slim calibre 3098 (height 2.8mm), derived from the extra-thin calibre 3090 – the brand’s first fully in-house movement of 1999. The movement is shaped to fit the pebble-shaped case and decorated with hand-grained bridges. It is assembled, adjusted and cased by a single watchmaker.
The Établisseurs Nomade is a transformable timepiece that can be opened to sit on a table or closed to fit in your pocket. Its three-dimensional protective cover is composed of jutting triangular shapes of titanium or white gold set with natural stones. Sliding the cover back reveals the impressive calibre 7501 skeletonised by hand using a hacksaw. A skill preserved at AP since the 1930s, hand skeletonisation is practised by very few watchmakers. The outer dial is made of natural stone and slips into the armoured case. Five variations, each with a different combination of stones, will be available throughout the year.
The third model is the Établisseurs Peacock, a fascinating secret watch that resembles an engraved white gold beetle when closed. With a simple push, the automaton unfurls the wings and head of a miniature peacock, revealing its beautiful blue and green iridescent enamel tail. Time is indicated in a window with dragging hours at the centre of the tail. Powered by the calibre 3098, based on the historic calibre 3090, this movement was specially conceived for this piece. Fitted with a white gold bracelet, composed of hollowed-out, engraved feather-shaped links, the timepiece could conceivably be worn on the wrist. A miniature masterpiece, the peacock is the joint effort of jewellers, enamellers, engravers and watchmakers. Three variations will be available in 2027.
More information at audemarspiguet.com.
