Audemars Piguet is proud to announce Claude Emmenegger as new Creative Director after the sudden departure of Octavio Garcia after the SIHH 2015. Octavio had been the Chief Artistic Officer —Creative Director— at the manufacture from Le Brassus for more than a decade. Claude Emmenegger started his career with an interesting start at Longines followed by Gucci —where he created 23 collections including the G Watch—, to later join Audemars Piguet in 1999 and then leave in 2003 to launch his own horological consulting firm and work with more than 40 brands during 12 years. Passionate about complicated movements, horology and in constant pursuit of innovation and creativity, his main creations include the Tradition of Excellence models 2, 3 and 4. Not only do they combine design and technique, they also represent a new milestone for Claude in terms of approach, as case and movement are addressed simultaneously for a perfect fit.
Claude, who is also the creator of the Royal Oak Concept —which was first launched in 2002 after significant technical developments in horology—, leads his team through the entire creative process of this highly technical piece, from drawing the first sketches all the way through to production. Today, July 17th, 2015 he is back at Audemars Piguet and more passionate than ever. His main objectives include the development of the women category and the development of high tech concepts and new functionalities. “The idea is to break the rules in order to revolutionize horology” says Claude, a promising thought in line with the brand’s philosophy: “To break the rules, you must first master them.”
Big congrats to Claude Emmenegger on the new job, who for sure has some big shoes to fill. Can't wait to see what the impact will be from a design standpoint.
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