A Woman Of The Hour

SINCE the BEGINNING, AUDEMARS PIGUET has ALWAYS PUTS the FEMININE PERSPECTIVE at THE HEART of ITS NARRATIVE

- ANGELYN KWEK

Audemars Piguet’s relationship with women’s watches harks back to its roots, nearly 150 years back. The Swiss watchmaker has long pioneered mechanical watches for women, elevating the brand to another level of technical and artistic difficulty, as these women’s timepieces were diminutive objets d’art, worn as pendants, brooches or rings.

A quick Google search will turn up vintage timepieces straight out of The Great Gatsby, with bejewelled wristwatches notably miniature in size, which meant the calibres powering these classics had to be just as small — and indeed it is these rare, in-house movements that speak of the knowhow and innovation of the brand. These early feminine creations played a trailblazing role in the Manufacture’s quest for miniaturisation, leading to the development of the modern wristwatch in the first half of the 20th century.

Case in point: The designs of its timeless classics such as the Royal Oak. The iconic watch designed by Gérald Genta was followed by its first women’s Royal Oak four years later, designed by Jacqueline Dimier, one of the most important female watch designers. Dimier reinterepred Genta’s design into a 29mm Royal Oak, one that is resolutely sporty, but feminine at the same time.