I visited every AP boutique in the US

[Gandor]

I visited every Audemars Piguet boutique in the United States.

I’ve been traveling across the US and as a little side quest I’ve decided to visit every Audemars Piguet boutique across the United States. I was curious as to the consistency of the AP experience across the US and this log details my experience at each store.

The TL;DR is that most AP boutiques are highly consistent in delivering an experience that enthusiasts can respect. Staff is always highly knowledgeable about the brand and focus on hospitality above all else, this is something that other brands seem to miss. When you become an AP customer you really join a club of people that appreciate the craftsmanship and history of these timepieces. Wherever there is an AP store, it’s worth a stop as you’ll always be welcomed as a friend.

Bal Harbour 10/10:
My journey starts in Miami at the Bal Harbour boutique. I’ve been visiting this boutique for a little over 5 years now but only recently became a customer. This is my home boutique and I am very grateful that it is. The crew working this store is amazing, truly world-class service and love for what they do. I feel like I’ve become friends with everyone here at the store and love to stop by just to say hi. The Bal Harbour mall in general is also one of the best high-end malls in the US with plenty to eat, drink, and shop as well as many turtle and koi fish friends to keep you company.




Dallas 2/10:

Unfortunately my first AP stop in my travels was not the greatest. From online reviews of this boutique it seems your experience can vary wildly depending on what S.A. you work with. Unfortunately there is one S.A. that most people have a poor experience with and I was meeting with him on my visit. The experience was oddly confrontational, I requested to see one of the 43mm offshores they had on display and while he let me see it as soon as I went to touch the crown he told me not to do that. I came into the store wearing my AP offshore so the guy knows I’m a client and this is an exhibition piece of a relatively ubiquitous watch, no need to be so weird about it. I obliged and then basically ended the interaction and headed out. If this store is your only option, pick your SA carefully or try and build a distant relationship somewhere else, from what I've heard the other SAs at this shop are lovely. The store itself was nice and Highland Park in general was great. The rolex shop just down the street was also really nice and had great people working there.





Las Vegas Crystals Shops 9/10:

This is the main boutique in Las Vegas and if you plan on visiting make sure to make an appointment as they only provide demos to visitors with an appointment, I imagine this is due to the large amount of foot traffic this boutique gets due to its central location. Overall my experience was great during my appointment. I had the fortune of working with a sales associate that truly had a passion for horology and was able to exude that passion when demoing watches to me. Had my initial visit been as good as my appointment I would rank this one higher.



Las Vegas Palazzo 8/10:
This boutique is much smaller than the one at the Crystals shops. It’s attached to the Roberto Coin boutique which is roughly the same size as the AP section of the store. Selection for exhibition models was fairly limited with only a single code available on my visit. My experience here was fair but it didn’t give the same grandeur of walking into a dedicated AP store. Interestingly I did see a diamond punk in the display at this location when walking by one day which is something I’ve never seen at any other AP boutique. The staff working at this location when I visited were extremely nice and provided the hospitality expected from an AP boutique.



Beverly Hills 9/10:
The Beverly Hills shop was fantastic, I was greeted and shown the demo models around the store. The SA I worked with here had such great energy and enthusiasm for AP. This store in general seems to be pretty busy due to the location on Rodeo Drive and is interestingly designed with a (slight) multi-level floor plan. The experience I had here is what I expect across all AP stores for all customers.



South Coast Plaza 9/10:

My experience at this location was phenomenal. The staff here was kind and showed a great passion for the brand.I would highly recommend visiting this location if you’re looking to start a relationship with AP. It’s located in the south coast plaza mall which is very much a central hub for all things luxury hosting other brands like VC, JLC, and ALS. The mall itself is a bit weird since it’s packed with all these high end brands but structured like any typical simon mall property. This mall also lacks a food court but there’s plenty of restaurants nestled around the mall.



Aspen 9/10:

Maybe it’s the Aspen air, but the vibe here was amazing. The experience here was super casual and the staff goes above and beyond to make sure that your AP experience is none other than top-class. I would highly recommend a visit to this store, and a trip to Aspen in general.


Chicago 8/10:

The Chicago boutique is probably one of the smaller AP boutiques. It’s nestled in the back of the Swiss FineTiming shop on the magnificent mile which carries several other brands such as Tudor and Zenith. This is one of the only multi-brand AP store left in the US but special care has been taken to highlight the AP section of the store. Exhibition pieces at this location were extremely limited with only a single code on display. This store stresses appointments in order to visit so please take that into consideration when visiting.



Atlanta 9/10:

My experience with the Atlanta store was great. This store is very small yet all the AP details you would expect are present. The SA that worked there was happy to assist and provide great service. The mall itself was a bit odd with lots of security and metal detectors in the common walk areas like the food court which was a weird juxtaposition after getting out of the AP boutique. The rest of the mall was more like any standard mall you would find and nothing to write home about.



Boston 9/10:

The staff here is great, just an amazing energy with the passion for the brand to match. I wouldn’t think twice about starting a relationship with this store if I lived in the area.



Manhasset 8/10:

Just a train ride on the Long Island Railroad away from the hustle and bustle of NYC lies the Manhasset store. There recently has been some rumors that this store is closing following the closure of the East Hampton location; however the staff there assured me that they’re still operating with no current plans of closure. This location is part of the London Jewelers store which sells other brands such as Patek and Rolex. Staff here was pleasant and provided the kind of experience one should expect from AP. I forgot to take a picture at the store, so please enjoy this picture of the sign at the train station.



New York City Flagship:
9/10
The new york flagship store was phenomenal and would have been an easy pick as a primary boutique prior to the introduction of the AP house, and even after the introduction of the house there is still reason to pick this as your primary location. The store itself is incredibly spacious and the staff did an amazing job at hosting me there for a chat. Amazing staff working here with a great attitude and appreciation for the brand.


AP House NYC:
10/10
The AP house is a boutique experience like no other, if AP were a club this is the club house. You enter through a fairly hidden door next to the restaurant downstairs. You are whisked away into a small museum of important AP pieces and told the history of the brand and these pieces (which was incredibly cool) after that you are transported to a lounge area to have a lovely chat and discuss watches with an SA. The SAs they chose for this location mostly come from a hospitality background and it shows, everyone here was amazing and I cannot stress how much effort they will put to ensure your visit is great. They have basically every single size of piece available to try so it's a great experience if you're curious about dabling into a larger or smaller size that you don't usually wear. The house really is an attraction in and of itself and every fan of AP should make the trek to visit one!



All in all this was a fun trip and it definitely made me appreciate the AP brand more :)