CLOCKWISE, FROM
FAR LEFT: Sebastian
Errazuriz’s ‘Second
Nature’; Errazuriz
overseeing the carving
of the wood; the intricate
work that goes into
an Audemars Piguet
piece; Audemars Piguet,
perpetual calendar
wristwatch with
leap-year display- a world’s first, made in
1955; a still from Cheng
Ran’s ‘Circadian Rhythm’.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 GQ.COM.AU 165WATCH
The aim is to express that the tree must be
transformed by man to reach its long-term
potential. “There is also the resounding
notion of responsibility and stewardship that
we have to our environment,” he adds.
Another collaborator is Chinese artist
Cheng Ran, whose video installation, entitled
‘Circadian Rhythm’, depicts the powerful
and ever-changing natural patterns found in
the Swiss mountains, mixed over a pulsating
soundscape. Changing tempo in response
to imagery shot at different times of day, the
work replicates the beats of nature overlaid
with those of a mechanical watch, with the
two eventually meeting in unison.
Looking ahead to Art Basel Miami Beach
in December, the brand will showcase a new
large-scale work by Lars Jan, an American
artist and activist based in Los Angeles. His
installation will be centred on man’s
relationship with time and nature, while
promising to be highly experiential,
integrating emerging technologies.
A little closer to home, Danish architect
Bjarke Ingels has been commissioned to
expand the watchmaker’s original 1875
headquarters in Le Brassus, by adding a
spiralling museum that coils majestically up
from the landscape. Dubbed Maison des
Fondateurs (Home of the Founders), the
building comprises a spiral-shaped pavilion
that is partially sunk into the fields behind
the existing workshops, revealing a series of
glazed galleries and event spaces.
The result of an architectural competition
to create not just a sensitive addition to AP’s
historic facilities, but also to the local
landscape, construction is currently
“WE AREN’T HERE
TO COLLECT ART –
WE’RE HERE TO
LEARN AND BE
TRANSFORMED BY IT.”
underway, with an opening expected in 2019.
It’s clear the soul of the company sits firmly
in the Vallée de Joux. But for Audemars
Piguet, it seems the involvement with art
stems from a practical desire to discover
something new about their hometown, and
about themselves.
For Olivier Audemars, the way that people
from different cultures and backgrounds
perceive Le Brassus can be seen through
the brand’s choice of collaborators. Indeed,
it’s a novel way for an independent company
located in a remote Swiss valley to maintain
such a deep understanding of the parts of the
world in which it is involved.
“It’s a great inspiration to work with
international artists who understand our core
values and are able to creatively translate
them through their own point of view,” says
Audemars. “We aren’t here to collect art –
we’re here to learn and be transformed by it.” n
audemarspiguet.com; artbasel.com