For the past eight years, Freiholz’s team of six experts has used the technique on about 25,000 movements annually. The work is done by hand, using a machine equipped with a rotating peg that is lowered to mark the part’s surface. The decorator-watchmaker uses varying pressure to determine the luster and design of the graining. “By mastering this technique, we’re able to create patterns and textures that are increasingly beautiful,” he explains.

Aware of the aesthetic potential of this traditional decoration, the AP designers have become more interested in highlighting it. It can be found, for example, as a subtle touch on the balance of the caliber 3120. But it’s on the new Millenary 4101, on the market only a few weeks, that it can be seen in all its splendor because it appears on the face of the watch. In the future, according to Freiholz, it’s highly likely that this technique will be used in even more daring ways.

A low-pitched bell for each hour. Two medium-pitched bells for each quarter-hour and a single, higher-pitched bell for each minute of the final quarter hour. These are the crystalline sounds that ring out on demand, at the heart of Audemars Piguet timepieces.

This highly complicated mechanism was created by Dominique Burdet’s team in the Grand Complications Workshop at the Manufacture in Brassus. “We produce the Jules Audemars and Royal Oak minute repeaters, as well as a pocket model. Each watch requires between 700 and 1,000 hours of work, which means we rarely make more than three per year and per watchmaker,” says master watchmaker Burdet, who has worked for the brand in the Vallée de Joux for almost 20 years.

The movement parts are delivered unfinished, then polished and assembled one by one. The slightest error would have repercussions on the melody of time. “To create a beautiful sound, you need a lot of experience and expertise. The watch is patiently tuned, like a musical instrument, and must always strike the correct number of times. To accomplish this you must arm the movement with enough force to power a spring that operates the hour, the quarter-hours, the half-hour and the minutes that follow,” he explains.

For the past few years, the interest of collectors and enthusiasts in this type of model has grown, particularly for the pocket watch which now has a waiting list. “Owners regularly visit our workshop. They love to tell us about their relationship with their minute repeater, the pleasure they get from hearing it ring and from surprising their family and friends with it,” Burdet says with a smile.

A living legend in car racing. This is what repeatedly comes to mind when the name Michael Schumacher is brought up. That’s to be expected; with seven world champion titles, 68 pole positions, 91 victories and 154 podiums, the 42-year-old German driver has the most impressive record in the sport. He talks with Audacity about his memories, his projects and his relationship with time…

Michael Schumacher, what were the best moments of your career?
The emotional ones. Among the many memories of my career, the most astounding is probably the moment when I crossed the Suzuka 2000 finish line, winning not only the Japanese GP, but more importantly, the world champion title for Ferrari. It was 21 years after Ferrari had had a driver`s title, and it was also the culmination of 5 years of waiting, trying and fighting for myself. Winning the title was just an explosion of joy.

And the worst moments?
In 1994, that horrible weekend when we lost two drivers. I remember the shock of losing Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. For me, the era when people died on the racetrack was behind us, but then I had to experience that I was wrong. It was terrible.

What are your current projects?
I’m currently collaborating with Mercedes to develop a team and a car that will win races, and eventually championships. It’s not easy to develop a car that will win, but that`s what life is about: embracing challenges and trying to work them into something good.

As a racecar driver, you must have a very special relationship with time and precision: what is your opinion about Swiss watchmaking, and particularly a brand such as Audemars Piguet?
Time and precision have always been two key factors for me. They’re sometimes even my enemies, as I am obviously trying to master them both! Striving for perfection is in my character. In my view it corresponds perfectly with Audemars Piguet, who combines tradition and innovation to build and create something extraordinary. I can identify with that commitment perfectly.

Finally, who are your role models, in sports or in other areas?
I have to admit I do not really have role models. What I find intriguing are people who live out their passions. This is possible in any area of life. What really matters is not fame, but passion.

Skill, mental toughness, discipline, commitment and, above all, consistency and versatility: these are the qualities that allowed Lee Westwood to take Tiger Woods’ place at the summit of the world’s golf hierarchy last October, becoming the 5^th European player to attain the number one ranking. For Audacity, the British golfer agreed to comment on his career, his projects and his passions.

You have spent many years on the international tour. What are some of your best memories?
There are too many to mention! But you never forget your first win, and the Ryder Cup memories are indelibly etched in my mind. But hopefully my best memories are still to come.

And the worst?
I am a very positive person. I never look back and think what might have been. Hopefully I have learned from all the negatives I have experienced.

What are your objectives for the coming year?
Ever since I lost my number one ranking, I’ve wanted to win it back. That’s my goal, and winning tournaments will allow me to reach it. Next year, I’d really like to move into the Grand Slam club. And, as always, my main objective is the majors.

What do you think about the Swiss watchmaking industry and Audemars Piguet?
I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world that makes watches as well as Switzerland. Audemars Piguet’s watches have a fantastic look, and I love wearing one on my wrist.

You’re known for your love of champagne. Where did this passion come from?
I’m not a collector, but more a drinker – in moderation, of course! If I ever have anything to celebrate, then a glass of bubbly is definitely the best way to start …

You’re also a big football fan. Why did you end up choosing to play golf?
I would have really liked to play left wing for Nottingham Forest. That was not to be. As soon as I realized that I could have a future as a golfer, all my attention was turned to that.

Twenty-two year old Rory McIlroy has already been part of the golf world’s top tier for two years. He was the youngest golfer in history to obtain professional status on the European tour, and on June 19, he won the 111^th edition of the US Open. In his peers’ opinion, this title will likely be just the first in a long string of victories.

In view of your precocious results and your youth, you’re often compared with Tiger Woods. How are you different as players?
The main difference is in our records: Tiger has won 14 majors and I’ve only won one… but I aim to improve these statistics! We have much more in common, and the main thing is that we both want to win just as much as we possibly can. The quest for success is what drives us.

What are your objectives for the coming months?
It’s been a very good year so far, and I aim to make it even better.  As for next year, I have four major goals – the US Masters, US Open, The Open and the US PGA.

What do you think about the Swiss watchmaking industry, and Audemars Piguet in particular?
For me, Switzerland is synonymous with watches and clocks; nobody does it better. As for Audemars Piguet, I was a big fan even before the brand became a sponsor. They’re the embodiment of style, class, and reliability.

Watch aficionados have indubitably heard of “spiralage” without understanding the term. “It’s the equivalent of a human heart. Nothing beats without it. Time stands still,” explains Erika Meyer, cradling a hair-fine spring in the palm of her hand. In fact, this minuscule object plays a fundamental role in fine watch making – the quality of it’s assembly guarantees the smooth functioning and precision of the timepiece’s movement in the long term.

Due to technological developments in recent decades, an increasing number of timepiece brands have resorted to using high-precision machinery as the method to preform this spiralling operation. Audemars Piguet is one of the few houses to uphold the tradition of using a setter like Erika Meyer. “The spring must be centred and perfectly compared to the balance. It is crucial that the opening and closing movement be as perfect as the circles engendered by a stone thrown on still water,” explains the grey eyed woman in her fifties who has worked at Audemars Piguet for over 30 years.

These various exact motions require careful patience, skill, manual dexterity and an experienced eye. All of which are rather feminine qualities, explaining why women comprise the vast majority of those who have plied this fast disappearing trade. Erika Meyer confides that, “I am focused and tense all day. Although experience is beginning to give me a certain familiarity with the secrets of the timepiece’s little heart.”

The 800 to 900 odd pieces she produces yearly are intended for ultra-thin watches and the collection’s Grandes Complications as well as vintage models needing maintenance. Over the past few years, she has been teaching a young colleague the skills necessary to take her place, thereby ensuring that the traditional craft will be passed on again…

The story behind the birth of this resonating case is as charming as that of Audemars Piguet’s timepieces themselves. This because it is the fruit of a close collaboration between luthier and horology craftsmen who mingled their ancestral know-how and sensitivity in the heart of le Brassus, just a few steps away from Audemars Piguet’s headquarters.

“When the horology Manufacture commissioned me to come up with a harmonious, wooden resonance support that would be able to amplify the very sustained sound of a chiming watch, I thought of a case that would look like a grand piano,” recalls luthier Jeanmichel Capt, who founded JMC Lutherie. This particular case comprises two ultra-thin harmonic tables made of Vallée de Joux’s native spruce. Three chords tuned to the watch’s frequency give sustainability (the ability to maintain a note) to the very short sound of the timbres allowing the watch’s ring to be tuned. Mr. Capt’s passion for his craft is obvious as he explains, “This allows the note to be prolonged while having fun approaching it as closely as possible” while demonstrating the chiming device in his workshop.

This unusually elegant object is not created by chance. The harmonious wood must be absolutely perfect. The specialist himself goes out to find it, selecting his trees in the surrounding forests. The best specimens are very rare, less than 1 in 10,000. “I learned the technique with a tree gatherer, an old lumberjack who spent the better part of his life in the forest. I found out how to discern perfection using objective – as well as subjective – criteria by trying to sense the tree’s vibration,” explains Jeanmichel Capt. Once the tree has been felled, the trunk is quartered and stored all winter before being cut into thinner planks which are aged for 15 to 20 years. It’s only after this long period of rest that the wood can reveal its sensitivity by vibrating on either an instrument or a modern audio speaker (Soundboard) the luthier manufactures.

The resonance cases are sent across the globe with Audemars Piguet’s chiming watches.

www.jmclutherie.com

Photo credit: JMC

At the end of a long, brightly lit corridor in Manufacture Audemars Piguet at Brassus, the sound of ticking resonates continuously. The noise is far too rapid and loud to come from watch movements – it is generated by machines which perform the guillochage of Royal Oak’s dial. In other words, they make the weaving pattern that forms the square and lozenge motif of “Grand Tapisserie”. This highly intricate guillochage captures the light and accentuates the timepiece’s geometric relief.

“The brass dial is engraved by a burin (a precision metalwork chisel) that reproduces the motif on a disc attached to the machine, like a pantograph. A pointer rotates across the disc from the periphery to the centre. The system is combined with a tool that forms the little lozenges between the squares,” explains engineer Nicholas Prost, who heads the decorative engraving project. The process takes between 20 and 50 minutes, depending on the dial’s diameter. It’s a delicate operation. A mere skip is all it takes to damage the piece as the slightest impact is as visible as dust on a mirror. As the ‘piquetage’ gets closer to the circle’s centre, the rhythm gets faster and hails the birth of a brand new dial, ready to be sent out for the finishing processes.

Since the birth of Royal Oak in 1972, the guillochage work had been exclusively subcontracted to a dial-work artisan. In order to produce this element in the workshop, the horology brand recovered 40 year old machines in Canada and the United States. The machines were then completely overhauled and improved over the period of a year before they took their place in the manufacturing process 3 years ago.

The new range of Royal Oak models which are currently being produced in the workshop will be coming out in 2012 to celebrate the collection’s 40th anniversary.

In the Village of le Sentier in the Vallée de Joux, a region well known for the high quality of its technical and artistic creations, the Ecole Technique de la Vallée de Joux (ETVJ) is the institution of reference for anything having to do with horologic microengineering, jewelry making and micromechanics.  It’s no surprise that several former students are working in various departments of the Audemars Piguet Manufacture in the neighboring village of le Brassus. “From the very first day, I was completely fascinated by the program. The professors shared their passion for watchmaking with me, transmitting their appreciation of a profession that maintains a respect for tradition,” says Gilles Pellet, head of Audemars Piguet’s Research and Development Laboratory.

This unique school was created in 1901.  “At the time, the only watchmaking school was in Geneva. The companies that were traditionally in the Vallée de Joux, particularly Audemars Piguet, decided to create a school nearby, in order to provide the training that was needed to cover all the aspects of the profession,” explains Lucien Bachelard, who has been Director of the school since 2001.  In the past 30 years, the school has grown spectacularly. In the 1980s, only twenty students trained to be watchmakers – last year, there were 144. “This success reflects the high level of confidence in and respect for Swiss watchmaking know-how. Despite the crisis caused by the advent of electronic quartz watches in the 1970s, the enthusiasm for mechanical watches has never disappeared,” continues the director.

The program is spread out over three or four years. In the first two years, students learn the most important techniques. “They learn how to machine metal and work with materials, as well as make all the parts of a watch; for example, cutting the teeth of the wheel, filing the bridge, pivoting the axes of the balances,” explains Pellet. The third year is spent mastering the tuning of the escapement and posing of the balance-spring, as well as certain more complicated mechanisms such as chronographs or calendars. To be able to work on other complications, such as repair work, renovating or clockmaking, some students decide to stay and spend a fourth year specializing.

Photo credit: ETVJ

Although the watchmaking companies in the Valley’s villages have wisely accepted modernization and innovation over the decades, the natural beauty of the setting has been protected from urban and industrial development. A lovely lake, vast stretches of unspoiled forest and pastures greet the eye; and the clean air, the friendliness and the warm accents of the local inhabitants give the region a unique charm.

“Tourist attractions focus all year long on sports, families, quiet and relaxation. This exceptional setting allows visitors to escape from the traffic and noise of the city,” explains Cédric Paillard, director of the Vallée de Joux tourist office. Local products like the Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese, gentian liqueur and lake fish reflect the lifestyle adopted by the inhabitants of the various small hamlets that dot the Valley.

Audemars Piguet has been in the village of Le Brassus since 1875. To welcome haute horology enthusiasts from around the world, the Manufacture opened a museum that tells its history, as well as the Hotel des Horlogers. This four-star establishment offers a spa and a restaurant run by the famous chef Philippe Guignard, whose passion for the Vallée de Joux is palpable in dishes that feature fish from its lake, fresh aromatic herbs from its mountains and mushrooms from its forests.