Manufacture des Forges

February 18, 2010 – Built in the beautiful Joux Valley where Audemars Piguet originated in 1875,  German magazine Immobilienmanager recognizes Manufacture des Forges  for its environmentally-friendly design.

Never before has an  industrial facility received this coveted award for its efforts in compliance to “Minergie-Eco®” standards.  Director of Audemars Germany Axel Felmy accepted the award with great pride,  mentioning  the employees and local people will all benefit from this design.

Taking into account health and environmental issues  in the construction of the building  and based on the “Minergie-Eco®” criteria the designers used non-toxic materials in the creation of the plant.  The heating system utilizes a carbon-neutral wood-fired design and instead of traditional air conditioning, the plant is cooled with a “Free-Cooling” design using outside air.

The 300 workers who are employed at the plant enjoy their ergonomic workstations created especially for them.    Special attention was paid to the lighting which is north-facing and offers views of the Orbe.  Beautifully landscaped gardens using native plants provide a stable bank on the river and a lovely sight for the workers.  The landscape design took the local trout into consideration as well offering them a shady place to rest.

Making sure standards were met by the Audemars Piguet Foundation Mrs. Jasmine Audemars, great-granddaughter of the founder and president, presided over the project.  The foundation ensures the  preservation of endangered forests and of raising awareness since 1992.

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Royal Oak Offshore Tour Auto 2010 Chronograph

 March 1, 2010 – Audemars Piguet has released its Royal Oak Offshore Tour Auto 2010 Chronograph to  honor the status of becoming the “Official Timekeeper” of the historical car rally Tour Auto 2010 .  Sponsoring the Mecenat Chirurgie Cardiaque team in their Jaguar MK1 and the Blanchard/Cloche-Dubois ladies’ team in their AC Bristol  Audemars Piguet pays homage to this historical race and its drivers.

Appealing  to lovers of the automobile, this new series is sure to be a big hit.   The case back is engraved with the “Tour Auto” logo and the legend “Royal Oak Offshore – Serie Limitee” to remind youof this special event. 

Caliber 2326/2840 this timepiece has a power reserve of 38 hours.  The chronograph has central seconds hands, 30 minute and 12 hour sub-dials in red and silver.  The tachometric scale resides on the inner bezel.  The date is displayed at the 3 o’clock position.  42mm stainless steel case and bezel finished off with a sapphire crystal and black rubber screw lock down and pushers.  Water resistant to 100 meters in case you decide to go for a little dip to cool off.

The dial is Anthracite with a “Méga Tapisserie” design.  The numbers, hour and minute hands have a luminescent coating to light up the night.  The strap comes in racing black perforated leather with a stainless steel clasp.

Maintaining the car theme throughout its design, the Tour Auto Optic 2010 comes in gas cap shaped box in the style of a Ford GT.  This watch has racing written all over it.  Only a limited numbered series of 60 are available.

Technorati Tags: Chronograph, Luxury watch, Men's watch, News, Royal Oak Offshore, Tour Auto 2010

Royal Oak Offshore

March 13, 2010 – In conjunction with its latest boutique in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Audemars Piguet introduces the Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix chronograph inspired by racing.  With 200 exclusive international brands in the “Moda Mall” a 240 meter building with twin towers resembling sails in the Arabian Gulf, Audemars Piguet now joins the luxury watch offerings.

 This is the third store opening in the Middle East region, Audemars Piguet is plans a fourth store  in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  The Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix Collection was warmlyreceived at SIHH 2010 and is reminiscent of the world of fine cars. 

The face of the watch resembles the dashboard of a car, the crown looks reminds one of a gear and the bezel like a disc brake with bolts holding it to the case.  Limited series, each watch is a work of sophistication and fine engineering.   

Three models to choose from:

26290IO.OO.A001VE.01
. carbon case, carbon and black ceramic bezel
. black titanium crown, ceramic and titanium pushpieces and pushpiece guards
. titanium caseback with  sapphire crystal
Limited to 1750 pieces

26290RO.OO.A001VE.01
. 18-carat pink gold case and crown
. carbon and black ceramic bezel
. black ceramic and pink gold pushpieces
. carbon pushpiece guards
. pink gold caseback with sapphire crystal
Limited to 650 pieces

26290PO.OO.A001VE.01
. 950 platinum
. carbon and black ceramic bezel
. white gold crown
. black ceramic and white gold pushpieces
. carbon pushpiece guards
. platinum caseback with sapphire crystal
Limited to 75 pieces

Technorati Tags: Audemars Piguet, Grand Prix Collection, luxury watches, mens watches, News, Royal Oak Offshore

Thailand’s King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament

March 18, 2010 – Since 2001 the King’s Cup Elephant Tournament has attracted people from all over the world to raise money to protect Thailand’s elephants and their heritage.  Audemars Piguet and Anantara Resorts to date have raised US$250,000 used to care for more than 60 elephants. 

In 2006 the proceeds were used to build an elephant ambulance for use at the National Elephant Institute (NEI) which provides free veterinary and in-patient care.  Audemars Piguet selects projects that reflect its fundamental values of tradition, excellence and innovation. 

Conserving the planet’s natural heritage and safeguarding animals, Audemars Piguet supports educational projects and environmental awareness-raising.  Anantara Resorts is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) the world’s largest independent hotel group.

GHA partners are renowned for respecting local culture and traditions through their services and products.  The name Anatara is taken from the Sanskrit word meaning “without end” after a Thai tradition of welcoming passing travelers with a jar of water outside of their homes.

Thailand is thought to have a population of around 3,600 domesticated elephants and 1,500 wild elephants.  Medical care, sustenance, employment and mahout training is provided for the elephant population. 

Proceeds from the 2009 project were used as part of a joint Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, Chiang Mai University project investigating the benefits of using elephants to treat Autism.  Forty players from four continents and at least 15 countries made up the 12 teams from 2009. 

It has gone from a small two-day event to a week long extravaganza.  The event takes place on the grounds of the Anantara Resort Golden triangle, admission is free.

Technorati Tags: Audemars Piguet, News

MC12

Imagine if you will wearing a piece of technological wizardry on your wrist designed after the limited edition MC12 Maserati sports car.  A work of art built for only 150 lucky individuals, the Audemars Piguet Millenary MC12 Tourbillon Chronograph and the car are limited editions. 

The tourbillion chronograph offers a platinum case protected by a sapphire scratch-resistant crystal with self-winding movement.  Every piece of this watch is made by hand.  With a 237 hour power reserve and indication you will always be in the know about your battery life. 

The off-center skeletonized dial  allows a view deep into the inner workings of this masterpiece.  The strap is made from blue crocodile offset by white stitching.

Audemars Piguet Caliber 2884 contains 30 jewels, 336 parts and 21,600vph.  The chronograph has a 30 minute carbon totalizer at 12 o’clock.  You will find the sweep center seconds, chrono pushers in the 10 and 2 o’clock  positions.

This watch measures in at 47.0mm with a transparent back to admire it from both sides.   With a fixed  bezel it is also water resistant to 20 meters or 65 feet making it suitable for any Spring shower, taking a dip or light diving should the mood strike you.

Matching the Maserati MC12 high performance sports car in every detail, perhaps if you are lucky enough you can make it a matching pair.  It would be exquisite.

Technorati Tags: Audemars Piguet, luxury mens watches, MC12 Tourbillion Chronograph, mens watches, Millenary

The Audemars Piguet Offshore Chronograph Men’s Watch comes from the Royal Oak Offshore collection, one of AP’s most well known and sought after watch styles. Combining the ultimate in both sportiness and luxury, this watch is piece to be reckoned with.

Product Description

The 25940OK.OO.D002CA.01 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Men’s Watch is crafted from an 18kt rose gold case and measures a large 44mm and 14.4mm in thickness.  The bracelet is made from black rubber and the bezel is fitted with 8 screws. The crystal is sapphire and scratch resistant. There is a date display at the 3 o’clock position. Black rubber bracelet. Black dial with date display at 3 o’clock. The movement is automatic and water resistant up to 100 meters (330 feet).  Made in Switzerland.

Highlights

The Audemars Piguet Offshore Chronograph Men’s Watch retains the iconic octagonal case that has become a trademark of many of AP’s watches. The combination of the rose gold case, gray dial and black rubber bezel make this a stand out watch, as is the high price tag.

Who’s Wearing It?

The Royal Oak Offshore Men’s Chronograph has been spotted on the wrists of these famous men from all walks of life including: pro golfer Greg Norman, Iranian-American designer Bijan and Flavio Briatore, an Italian businessman who is also managing director of the Renault Formula One team.

Technorati Tags: 25940OK.OO.D002CA.01, ap watch review, ap watches, Audemars Piguet Offshore Chronograph Mens Watch, audemars piguet watches, luxury watches, mens luxury watches, mens watches