Unearthing 18th Century Artisanship: Audemars Piguet's Atelier des Établisseurs Unveils Incredible Timepieces

Rekindling the ‘établissage’ system of late 18th-century watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, Audemars Piguet has introduced the Atelier des Établisseurs. An exciting project, this initiative crafts new paths for the brand to create remarkable watches using time-honoured traditional crafts. As an enterprise, this project has dual purposes – fostering creativity and collaboration, while preserving indispensable artisanal proficiencies. The three remarkable creations unveiled during Watches & Wonders 2026 illustrate this collaborative spirit. The Atelier des Établisseurs is deeply inspired by the historic établissage system, which was a decentralised industry based on division of labour adopted by Swiss watchmakers.

As a part of this multidisciplinary project, AP has unveiled three splendid timepieces that display the aesthetic and mechanical richness that the collaborative spirit of the Atelier can offer. The Établisseurs Galets is a small 31mm pebble-inspired yellow gold bracelet watch with natural stone-set links and dial. The Galets represents a unification of jewellery, watchmaking and stone-cutting skills and encapsulates the brand’s commitment to both aesthetic and technical excellence. Its unique design is inspired by the rich natural scenery of the Lac de Joux. Each link has its own silhouette and is set with natural tiger’s eye or turquoise – five different stone combinations are offered. The connecting links, made of small gold ball joints, allow fluid movement, reminiscent of oscillating pebbles in water. A handpicked gold plating on the asymmetric dial, dispenses with indices and showcases gold baton hands, with an applied gold AP monogram at noon, and is powered by AP’s ultra-slim calibre 3098.