Watches & jewellery - Audemars Piguet - Royal Oak Forty Years exhibition in New York, 21-24 March 2012 - 21-03-2012

Audemars Piguet - Royal Oak Forty Years exhibition in New York, 21-24 March 2012

by Henry

Design, photography, sound and film are combined in the Royal Oak 40th anniversary worldwide exhibition. Using work by artists Sebastien Leon Agneessens, Quayola and Dan Holdsworth, the brand has curated an exhibition of 100 exceptional timepieces set against the backdrop of a stage that underscores Audemars Piguet’s origins, mastery and artistry.
The rare watches, from the very first Royal Oak in 1972 to the latest models unveiled at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Geneva in January 2012, will be presented in a series of exhibitions. The first will be held in New York opening today, 21 March 2012, at Park Avenue Armory. Open to the public for four days only, the exhibition will then continue in five key cities around the globe throughout 2012.

To break the rules, you must first master them - 40 years ago, Audemars Piguet broke all rules of fine watchmaking when in 1972 it introduced the ground-breaking design of the Royal Oak. 40 years on, the four characteristics that defined this timepiece and the luxury watch industry are even more than ever recognisable; the octagonal bezel fixed with the hexagonal screws, one of the thinnest self-winding movements, the seamless integration with the bracelet, and the tapisserie pattern on the dial. 
The show illustrates how the Royal Oak became the icon it is today, by reinterpreting the Audemars Piguet canons as seen by artists Sebastien Leon Agneessens, Quayola and Dan Holdsworth. The exhibition installation, photography, sound and film by the three artists create an ambience that brings visitors to the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland.

The Vallée de Joux in the Swiss Jura mountains has been the home of Audemars Piguet since 1875. The early watchmakers worked the land during summer, while during winter, they concentrated on mastering the most complex mechanisms known to watchmakers. Throughout the centuries, the pursuit of excellence and building a long tradition in mastery and artistry in fine watchmaking have been values that have remained at the core of Audemars Piguet’s existence until today. 

Sebastien Leon Agneessens, the creative mind behind the overall design of the exhibition, drew his inspiration from the origins of the brand in Le Brassus. The exhibition also includes photographs by Dan Holdsworth, and film by digital artist Quayola.
The exhibition is open to the public, admission free. After New York, it will visit Milan, Paris, Beijing, Singapore and Dubai.



Exhibition Title: ROYAL OAK 40 YEARS: From Avant-Garde to Icon

Dates: Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 March, 2012
Location: New York City / Park Avenue Armory
Address: Park Avenue at 67th Street

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