audemars offshore carbon replica

(Photo Credit: Audemars Piguet)This is a combination of posts that were originally published in April 2009, following my visit to the Audemars Piguet manufacture in Le Brassus. Click "more" to view the entire tour (37 photos, 4 slideshows, 1 video).I visited Basel, Switzerland in March, to attend the 2009 Baselworld show. And because I was already in Switzerland for the show, I decided to visit the Audemars Piguet factory as well. So after my final day in Basel, I took a 3-hour train ride to Geneva. The following morning, I traveled about an hour to the Audemars Piguet factory and headquarters in Le Brassus - located in the Joux Vall��e. (Part I) AP: Forged Carbon Department Tour This is the first part on my recent tour of the Audemars Piguet factory and museum, in LeBrassus, Switzerland. My tour started in the "forged carbon" department. Instead of taking notes, I figured it would be more interesting to actually photograph and videotape the carbon forging process. The slideshow (above) features photos of all the steps required to turn raw "carbon fibers" into a single piece of "forged carbon". First the raw fibers are unrolled, measured and cut. The small strands of carbon are then weighed on a digital scale, where they must be accurate to 1/100th of a gram. If the weight is off, even a hundredth of a gram, the process will not work. The weighed fibers are sealed in a small, dust-free container and taken to an adjacent room. Here, the carbon fibers are inserted into a metal mold for forging. This is done within a work su***ce that features a semi-sealed electronic dust filtration system. Dust can easily cause a piece to be rejected, so many steps are taken to prevent this. (Below) Video showing the process of manufacturing "forged carbon".(Part II) AP: The CNC Department (Cases, bezels and rotors ready to go to quality control and finishing departments)The second stop on my Audemars Piguet factory tour, was the CNC department. In this department, automated CNC milling machines are used to manufacture cases, bezels, watch hands and more. Most of the machines in this department are controlled by CAD/CAM software, however, some machines are still operated the old-fashioned way, by hand. AP recently added the capability of *** watch hands in-house. (Below are a few shots of the area where watch hands are now made.) (Part of the milling process that still requires the use of hand operated machines) (Gold watch hands ready to go to quality control and finishing departments) (Machine used for milling watch hands) (Drill bits used to mill watch hands on automated CNC machine.)Below is a CNC machine used to produce the casebacks for the Royal Oak Offshore. The caseback pictured in the machine below and the casebacks sitting on the finished rack, are actually casebacks for ROO "Survivor" timepieces. (Royal Oak Offshore caseback in CNC machine) (Finished Royal Oak Offshore casebacks) (Metal rods for watch cases and bezels.)(Gold shavings that are left behind after machine milling process.) I offered to help clean up these shavings, but my offer was kindly turned down. Please click the play button below to view a slideshow of all the photos I took in the CNC department. (Slideshow of entire CNC department tour)(Part III) AP: After Sales Department (AP Grand Sonnerie, with temporary wax protection around bezel, in for service/repair.)The third part of my Audemars Piguet factory tour, was a visit to the AP after-sales department. This was a very fun department to visit, because I could sense a true passion for watch***. And because laying on top of the different workbenches, were some of the most complicated timepieces I had ever seen. Grand complications, minute-repeater, quarter-repeaters, tourbillons and more. (Grand Complication pocket watch in for service/repair.) (Old-Fashioned watch*** machine.) (AP- Maintains a digital archive of all watches sold) (Pocket watch in protective case, awaiting service/repair.) (AP- Tourbillon in for repair/service.) (Watch*** repair/service/adjustment tools.) (Minute repeater in for service/repair) (Head of After-Sales Department holding document that is provided to all clients after their timepiece leaves AP.) (AP PR Director and master watchmaker.) (Fire safe full of old AP parts and unfinished calibres) (Box with parts dating back to 1898.) (One of the master watchmakers.) (Master watchmaker hard at work.) (Parts bin for timepiece that was being repaired.)Please hit the play button to view a slideshow that includes all photos taken in the AP after sales department. (Part IV) AP: Museum tour with Martin WerhliThe final stop on my Audemars Piguet tour, was the AP museum. The museum is housed in the old building where Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875. It is one of the most popular horological museums among serious collector's, because the collection is so far-ranging, that almost every important complication is on display. (Photo Credit: Audemars Piguet "Inside Museum") (Audemars Piguet T3)To show me around was AP Museum Director & Curator, Martin Werhli. During the tour we went room to room, viewing every piece of this truly amazing collection. Each room and each piece with its own story. Martin explained the historic and chonometric importance of every timepiece in the collection, whether it was the world's smallest minute repeater or the first ever Royal Oak Offshore. Telling a story of rich watch*** tradition, that began 250 years ago in the heart of fine swiss watch*** - the Vall��e de Joux. (Photo Credit: Audemars Piguet "AP Museum") (Audemars Piguet Ultra-Thin Tourbillon) (Photo Credit: Audemars Piguet "Inside Museum") (Audemars Piguet- Classic timepiece) (Photo Credit: Audemars Piguet "Inside Museum") (World's Smallest Minute-Repeater) (World's Smallest Minute-Repeater) (Photo Credit: Audemars Piguet "Inside Museum") (World's Smallest Minute-Repeater) (World's Smallest Minute-Repeater) Hit the play button (below) to view all the photographs taken at the Audemars Piguet museum. Check the AP site here for a video of the museum and more.I would like to say "thank you" to Juliane Gauthier, Martin Wehrli, Michel Golay, Sylvie Morselli and the entire staff of Audemars Piguet for their courtesy, kindness, hospitality and assistance in *** this amazing tour possible. Spending an entire day learning about a brand that dates back to the late 1800's was an unforgettable experience. by Jason Pitsch

[ via Audemars Piguet ]Pursuing its long-established involvement in the field of motor racing, notably including its support for Jarno Trulli and sponsorship of the Tour Auto, the Manufacture Audemars Piguet is delighted to announce its partnership with the promising young S��bastien Buemi who has just turned 20 and is joining the exclusive ranks of Formula 1 racing drivers. Switzerland has been eagerly awaiting another Formula 1 driver for the past 14 years. Associated with the image of the Manufacture Audemars Piguet, S��bastien Buemi from Canton Vaud will begin the 2009 season in Melbourne on March 29th, at the wheel of a Toro Rosso racing car powered by a Ferrari engine. In signing the agreement with S��bastien Buemi in Lausanne on February 27th 2009, Audemars Piguet's CEO Philippe Merk stated: "For Audemars Piguet, partnering this young man with a resolutely fighting spirit was an entirely natural choice. He embodies our brand values through the Tradition of a family firmly anchored in the world of motor sports; the Excellence of his career to date; and the Daring he has displayed in reaching the highest level of his discipline". After becoming Swiss champion in the mini-category at the age of 9 and then European go-kart champion in 2002, he began racing single-seater cars the following year. Right from the first race in the Formula BMW series, he was noticed by Red Bull who signed a five-year contract with him, leading to a string of impressive results including becoming Formula BMW vice-champion in 2005, Formula 3 vice-champion in 2007 and GP2 Asian series vice-champion in 2008. His track record is studded with remarkable accomplishments such as the GP2 race at Magny-Cours, the opening event of the French Grand Prix in 2008: having set off from the 21st spot on the starting grid, he pulled off a brilliant victory, the first of his two wins in the 2008 European series. In the previous year, his talent had already propelled him to a spot as the third driver on the F1 Red Bull racing team, at the age of just 18. On December 22nd 2008, S��bastien Buemi signed his first contract as a full-fledged Formula 1 racing driver, with the Scuderia Toro Rosso. The young man from Canton Vaud still has a long road ahead of him in his attempt to match and even surpass the feats of his illustrious fellow countrymen such as Toulo de Graffenried, Clay Regazzoni and Marc Surer. Audemars Piguet, a fervent sports enthusiast, is particularly proud to welcome this talented young Formula 1 driver into its circle of ambassadors. He will be wearing the iconic Royal Oak Offshore model, an undisputed benchmark in the field of Prestige sports. Keep updated with Sebastien Buemi's news on www.sebastienbuemi.com as of March 25th, 2009 Images/text provided by Paul L. & Juliane G. at Audemars Piguet