From Sporty to Classic

On May 16th, Audemars Piguet relocated and reopened its directly managed boutique in Ginza with an entirely new concept. The Royal Oak, born in 2012 and celebrating its 40th anniversary, is the originator and masterpiece of luxury sports watches, continuing to captivate watch enthusiasts worldwide. This esteemed brand, founded in 1875, has seen its popularity steadily grow among both men and women in recent years.

Amidst the ever-expanding global popularity of luxury watches, what is Audemars Piguet contemplating now? What compelling products will they offer us in the future? We took this opportunity to speak with Tim Sayler, Chief Marketing Officer, who oversees product development, marketing strategy, and even the management of museum collections, during his visit to Japan. We delved into the concept of the new boutique and the present and future of Audemars Piguet.

The Atmosphere of Le Brassus, Now in Ginza

“This Ginza boutique is the fifth directly managed store worldwide to adopt our new concept. The core idea is to evoke the serene environment of Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux, where we have been crafting watches since our founding in 1875. We aim to allow visitors to experience the atmosphere of our manufacture.”

“To achieve this, we’ve paid close attention to the interior materials, using stone imported from Switzerland for the flooring and oak for the entrance handles. We would be delighted if our customers could feel even a moment of the Le Brassus air upon entering this boutique.”

Focusing on Classics Moving Forward

For watch aficionados, Audemars Piguet has always been a brand that commands unwavering attention. However,Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Models in 2012since then, the collection has leaned more towards sporty models, with a perceived scarcity of new releases in traditional classic and complication watches.

With classic timepieces regaining prominence in the watch world, there is growing anticipation for new classic models such as the Edward Piguet and Jules Audemars. Can we expect such releases in the future?

New Releases: Quality Over Quantity

Incidentally, the number of new Audemars Piguet models announced annually at S.I.H.H.Audemars Piguet's new releases at S.I.H.H. each yearis not particularly high compared to other prestigious watch maisons. With the luxury watch market's continuous expansion, there has been a trend among watch brands to compete in the number of new releases. However, Tim Sayler indicates that Audemars Piguet aims to change this dynamic.



“In fact, we have intentionally slowed down our pace of new product development since 2013. This is because previously, new models were released before customers could fully absorb the information or appreciate their appeal. We want to create a system where we can thoroughly explain and ensure customers understand the appeal of each new creation, limiting completely new models to perhaps one or two per year.”

“That said, we are planning to unveil an innovative high complication at Watches & Wonders in Hong Kong this autumn, and we will present noteworthy new models at next year's S.I.H.H. We hope that our Japanese audience will follow the future of Audemars Piguet with even greater interest and anticipation.”

Tim Sayler
Born January 3, 1972, in Munich, Germany. He began his career in 1998 at Procter & Gamble in Geneva. In 2004, he became Marketing Director for the Prestige division at Procter & Gamble, overseeing fragrances for Hugo Boss and Dunhill. In June 2011, he was appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Audemars Piguet. He leads a team of 50 staff, overseeing product development, marketing strategy, communications, and the management of museum collections.