Audemars Piguet Announces the Atelier des Établisseurs Along with Three Highly Limited Pieces

Today, Audemars Piguet is not just presenting a set of new timepieces but revealing an entirely new (or rather reviving an old) concept: the Atelier des Établisseurs.

This project celebrates rare traditional handcrafts, which have long been a part of the Maison’s repertoire in highly selective examples like the recent “150th Heritage” pocket watch. Now, there will be a permanent subset of the brand dedicated to these brilliant pieces, which will serve to preserve artisanal skills for future generations.

Along with the announcement, Audemars Piguet is presenting its first set of limited edition watches from the atelier: a unique wristwatch called the Établisseurs Galets, a portable clock fittingly named the Établisseurs Nomade, and an ode to the secret watch, the Établisseurs Peacock. Let’s dig in further.

The établissage system is what defined watch fabrication until the end of the 19^th century, anchored in a collaborative spirit that enabled horology to thrive for decades. Here, there was a traditional division of labor in which the production and assembly of timepieces was split among various dedicated craftspeople. Today, there has been a significant pendulum swing undermining this structure that long served the watch industry.
 

Now, the claim of producing watches entirely in-house has become a point of pride and status, delineating one category of watches from another. Even in instances when many (nearly all) prominent brands do enlist expertise from the countless specialized ateliers that still exist in the horological landscape, they remain unnamed and in the shadows. In fact, I have visited several such ateliers over the course of my career in the watch industry and was compelled to sign NDAs to protect the discretion of the brands that sought work there.
 

That said, Audemars Piguet’s establishment of the Atelier des Établisseurs is not just an exciting step for the brand, it’s a statement to the industry – one that I hope propels a re-evaluation or at the very least opens a dialog about illuminating the incredibly talented experts who make many of the watches we love so remarkable.

For Audemars Piguet, this concept comes to life today with the launch of three extraordinary creations that draw on the brand’s history as an établisseur. On display within these pieces, you’ll see a wide range of traditional crafts alongside more modern professions like design and engineering. This marks another broader statement for the industry regarding how ancestral techniques in danger of disappearing are equally as valuable as the advancements of contemporary calibres.
 

The Établisseurs Galets wristwatch draws inspiration from a model from 1972 called the Arabella, as well as the region of the Vallée de Joux, and the stones rolled and polished by the waters of the Lac de Joux. It features an oval dial made of natural stone, complemented by bracelet links of various shapes, also set with stones. Each bracelet link has its own silhouette and is connected by small gold ball joints that move with the fluidity of pebbles in water.

This new timepiece is powered by the Calibre 3098, which is derived from the extra-thin 9-line Calibre 3090, the first movement to be developed and manufactured in-house by Audemars Piguet in 1999. Today, the Calibre 3098 follows the pebble shape of the case and features bridges grained by hand, which is a rare and exclusive skill.
 

The Établisseurs Nomade is a portable clock, with proportions that allow it to be slipped into a pocket or placed on a table with three positions: closed, open or pendulum. The design combines faceted metal – titanium or gold – with natural stones and a specially designed chain, also in titanium or gold.

Still, the Calibre 7501 is the true hero of this timepiece. Based on the Calibre 7121 launched in 2022, it’s skeletonized using a hacksaw – a traditional fine handsaw. Hand-skeletonization is an exacting skill that only a few watchmakers have mastered. Here, the movement is punctuated with bridges that act as hour-markers to indicate the passage of time.
 

Lastly, the Établisseurs Peacock celebrates the lineage of secret watches. When closed, it resembles a white gold beetle, and with a simple push, the wings and head unfold to reveal a miniature peacock. A finely hand-engraved translucent enamel dial appears between the wings, representing the animal’s tail.

In a window, the dragging hour is displayed, powered by the Calibre 3098.
 

Based on the historic Calibre 3090, this movement was specially conceived for this piece and finely decorated by hand with a sunburst pattern. This creation is mounted on a flexible white gold bracelet composed of dozens of hollowed-out and engraved feather-shaped links.

Each watch is accompanied by a comprehensive list naming every set of hands that took part in crafting the timepiece from the ground up, and the lists are long, further illustrating that a single brand name does not suffice as credit for these creations.
 

For the Établisseurs Galets and Établisseurs Nomade, five variations of each will be available in 2026. For the Établisseurs Peacock, only three, with delivery in 2027. All pricing is available on request. For more information, visit the Audemars Piguet website.