Masterclass and Museum - My Visit

[JTY_Canada]

The Birthday Gift.

This past week, I had the opportunity to attend Audemars Piguet's Masterclass and visit the Musee Atelier. The Masterclass held special meaning for me, so there will be more detail on it than the museum visit. First, however, we need to rewind about five months to understand how it came to fruition.

Early December 2022, the company I work for held a meeting in Manhattan and in a matter of "seizing the opportunity," I had an hour between the end of the meeting and needed to be at the airport. I took the opportunity to book an appointment at the AP House in the Meatpacking District. There I met with a unique SA, let's call her JJ. JJ was fantastic, providing the history of the brand, showing me the entirety of the AP House, some terrific pieces and trying on the exhibition pieces as well. After JJ found that I travelled often, she mentioned the museum and the Masterclass and asked me to visit it if I could. That conversation stuck with me every day for the next week or so. As a result, I emailed the museum in mid-December and found out they only booked 90 days in advance. So my opening to book would be mid-January for an April visit, a visit during my birthday. Note to those who want to attend the Masterclass; it sells out quickly. There is only one weekly session, on Thursdays, either in German, French or English. Back to my booking, after a few back-and-forth emails, I got a call from the other end of the email; let's call her Urte. Urte understood I wanted to attend a Masterclass on the date of my birthday (fortunately, on a Thursday this year). Let's say she made it happen. Air tickets, hotels booked, vacation time booked (in that order).

72 hours of Geneva and Le Brassus

Day 1:
Arrive in Geneva from Canada (10-hour travel time with connection)
Book a car.
Drive to Geneva City Center.
Kill some time.
Drive to Le Brassus.
Check in to Hotel des Horlogers.
Pass out.

Adventure to Le Brassus

Let me tell you about the drive from Geneva to Le Brassus. If you're used to highway driving or suburban driving on flat land, the drive from Geneva to Le Brassus could be white-knuckle. Winding mountain edge driving with locals driving like it's a race. Slightly terrifying with a rental car that moved more like a minivan than a sports car. I took a different route back to Geneva, and it was a stunning drive, overseeing the entire city, the lake and the mountains in the background. Sadly, I didn't stop to take any pictures for safety reasons.



Getting back to my arrival at Le Brassus and Vallee de Joux, it was exhilarating, despite the exhaustion, to finally see a sign for Le Brassus. Not two minutes after, I saw a Patek Phillipe building and almost instantly saw the AP buildings and, ultimately, the unmistakable Hotel des Horlogers. Parking across the street was free, and upon entering the hotel, a stunning ceiling decoration greeted you, which at first looked like deer antlers on steroids. However, upon closer inspection, somebody pieced together tree branches to look like an upside-down tree. After checking in, I was a bit exhausted and fell asleep soon after unpacking and cleaning up.





Day 2:
Woke up to an amazing view.
Enjoyed a fantastic breakfast.
Explored the hotel interiors.
Eagerly anticipating the Masterclass.
Attended the Masterclass.
Eagerly anticipating dinner at Brasserie Le Gogant.
Enjoyed every single bite and taste of dinner.
Had champagne in my room to celebrate my birthday.
Pass out.

Waking up Fresh

I woke to the most magnificent view, with each room facing the valley and the Risoud Forest. The forest went as far as the eye can see, as it is the largest forest in Europe. I must've stood right by the window admiring the view for about an hour, just staring at the homes, the valley, the forest and the river cutting across the valley. I also saw a large construction site and later learned it would expand the existing Audemars Piguet central watchmaking site. If you youtube "Le Brassus Switzerland," you will see a video by "seby DJI 2021" showing the AP construction site. The blending of the new building and the old create a rotor-like-looking campus.







The quality of the breakfast was no doubt accentuated by my lack of food intake the day before. However, I can confirm that after a great meal later in the evening and being well-nourished, the breakfast the following day was equally great. But I'm sure you guys are not interested in the breakfast, so let's get to the Masterclass.

The Masterclass Begins

The Masterclass would take place in the original workshop and home of the original Audemars family house. We saw a sign to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the session would begin. The eagerness meant a few of us would be surrounding the nearby buildings (Hotel des Horlogers, AP Headquarters, AP Museum) and taking pictures from the roadway. Then with Swiss precision, we would be at the door exactly 15 minutes to the hour, awaiting our host.









We started the Masterclass with a sit-down conversation with refreshing drinks, coffee and snacks in the former family room of the Audemars family. Karina, our host, would gently remind us that having coffee might not be a great idea as we could experience shaky hands later. Next, everybody would introduce themselves, and Karina went through the history of Audemars Piguet and Vallee de Joux's unique region for watchmaking. After the history conversation, Karina led us upstairs to the workshop area and turned into the archive room before the workshop began.







In the room, we went through the history of the Royal Oak and got to handle and try on the unique pieces. I tried to experience as much as possible during the Masterclass without too much digital interference (i.e. Taking too many pictures) but broke my own rules. I snapped some photos that were not the highest quality, but my main focus was learning and creating memories from the moment, not from pictures. I would succumb to it again later, a big regret.











After experiencing the timepieces in our hands, we asked questions about the books, catalogues and record keeping. One of the exciting things I found was the books of other brands in the room in its library. There is a sense that AP wants the industry to thrive, not just its brand. The region is very family/community-oriented.







The Workshop

Willy, the watchmaker, greeted us in the workshop room to the left of where we had just been. Willy was a former pro hockey player, and I imagined he was more on the goal-scoring side than the enforcer side. Afterall, he transitioned into a watchmaker so the hands must be golden.



There would be two separate phases. The first phase would see us create a loupe made from the famous Royal Oak bezel on a wooden barrel with finishing as the theme. We would polish one part of the bevelled edge, create perlage on the case back and create the satin-brush finish on the bezel. I have always appreciated the finishing on the Royal Oak, especially the bracelet. After going through only one small part of finishing, I have a greater appreciation for the dedication of the artisans to perfect their craft. I will never see or feel the same way when I hold a Royal Oak again.

















After a quick intermission in the family room, the second phase would see us assemble the 4302 movement. The advice Karina provided earlier would be very prophetic. Fortunately, I did not have coffee during the greeting session and was doing well until the second last step, inserting the balance wheel bridge to give the heartbeat to the movement. It took me quite a while, and I'm not ashamed to say I was the last in the group to get it right. I might have exhibited the most joy when it did happen with my arms raised in victory. Knowing I had given life to the movement, like a heart, was a bit emotional. I put in the final two screws for the bridge and marvelled at the movement I had finished assembling. At that moment, it wasn't about me. I started thinking of Willy and the other watchmakers who dedicated their lives to the craft of watchmaking. The region's legacy, the brand's history, and the watchmakers who all tell a story in each timepiece. I will never look at Audemars Piguet the same way but rather feel it. The connection deepens, and the journey continues.

















The Masterclass Goodbyes.

Willy then presented each of us a certificate with a personalized instax of us working. Included in the package were the Royal Oaks Origins book and a notebook with a pencil. Seeing the certificate with my birthdate on it was special.







We meandered down the stairs and made it back to the reception area. There Urte greeted us. If you've noticed, I have not mentioned Urte since the introduction, despite her involvement during the day of the Masterclass. I wanted to save the best for last. I want to call her the co-architect of the experience. My wife and kids are the others. Well, JJ as well, since she told me about it five months earlier. Ok, there were many people involved, and I am incredibly grateful. Without Urte calling me back when she told me she would, it would not have been possible without her taking the initiative to create a memorable experience for my birthday. So for that, Thank You, Urte. I want you to know that you fulfilled all my wishes, expressed and unexpressed. I am very appreciative beyond words.



Hotel des Horlogers and The Perfect Egg.

At this point, I want to talk about the hotel. For those who don't know, AP owns the Hotel Des Horlogers but operates outside of AP. However, most of the visitors I saw in the lobby or restaurants, I saw them visiting the AP facilities. Based on my small sample size, most guests are affiliated with AP. The unique architecture reminded me of the Old Head Golf Club resort, providing all occupants with an uncompromised view of the environment. Each floor connects in a zig-zag manner, and no rooms are stacked. As a result, the rooms were tranquil, only the occasional guest room door on the same floor transmitting noise. I will only get a little into the very comfortable guest rooms. There was a welcome gift of herbs, spice/salt, and a water bottle. I brought them all home to use.





In my limited time, I did not have the opportunity to visit the bar for a drink or the spa. However, there is a space near the spa where I spent some time reading, which smelled heavenly. The bar looked very nice and could be a great meeting spot. There is a collection of books, catalogues and magazines on the main level, including a giant book as a centrepiece.















As for the restaurant, the layout was visually appealing and very comfortable. The menu had many unique dishes, leading me to spy on what other guests had ordered. I ordered the "Perfect Egg" as an appetizer, wondering what the perfect egg could be. Well, culinary foam/soup with croutons and the hidden egg yolk. It was delicious. I ordered my main dish, "Vegetables as Risotto," an imposter but a very good one. Despite being alone, the meal was memorable, and I highly recommend both dishes.

Returning to the room, I made a Facetime call to my family, where we celebrated my birthday virtually, which was the end of day two.













Day 3:
Explore the region.
Museum visit.
Drive back to Geneva.
Return car.
Check into the Airport hotel.
Depart the following day to Canada.

Vallee de Joux

As the story goes, the farmers, blacksmiths and loggers had long winters to endure in the region and needed to find a hobby to kill time. As a result, the hobby exponentially increased amongst the community and suddenly became watchmaking's mecca.





I spent a little time driving out to a lake nearby to pass some time before the museum visit in the afternoon. It was a beautiful place with scenic views. However, the stay was interrupted by little flies, so instead, I went on an Easter egg hunt to find the various manufacturers in the region. JLC had the most significant footprint. I might've passed by Philippe Dufour's workshop but I'm uncertain. It looked like the building in the header of his website but out of respect for privacy, and I did not stop nor take a picture. Time flew by relatively quickly, and I headed back to the museum.







I also drove to an area I had spent the last two days looking at, thinking it would be a great spot to take a picture of the hotel, the AP buildings and the museum.



Musee Atelier

The group for the museum visit was more significant and less intimate. The visit began in the family room with an overview of the region's history and the family house's history. Since I was the only one who had taken the Masterclass, a lot of the material was already presented by Karina the day before but was new to the other visitors. I met Paul, an interior designer from Singapore, and a pair of couples from Canada and Germany. Two other ladies joined us late and departed early.

I won't go through all the details of the museum visit but will share that there was an element of the Masterclass in small dosage during the visit. We were able to create the perlage on a small brass bezel, along with making the satin brush finish. I joked with my brother that I would use the brass bezel as a golf ball marker. Would you?



BIG beautifully designs the museum itself. The spiral building integrates into the land, and the museum can only partially be seen from the road. The architecture is stunning, and equally captivating, when we heard the artisans on site made the grandest compilations in the museum workshop. That meant we got to see the most experienced AP watchmakers at work, which ironically juxtaposes against what we created on the workbench a few meters away.

































Driving back to Geneva

While driving over Jura Mountain to get back to Geneva, I caught a glimpse of the new AP campus from a vantage point which saw the building directly between two big trees. I had just visited the modern Hotel des Horlogers, the modern Musee Atelier, the original home of the Audemars family, a building with a historical legacy and poetically, the future of AP was the last memory I would take back as I departed Le Brassus. In some ways, Audemars Piguet has historical significance in the world of horology and often paves the way for the future. The Jumbo, The Beast, what next?

The rest of the trip was very logistical. Get to the airport hotel, work, sleep, wake up, return the rental car, and return to Canada.

Some Very Random Thoughts.

I hope I haven't bored anybody to death. Hopefully, I have provided a glimpse of what to expect if you enroll for the Masterclass. I highly recommend it to those who are on the fence. The class will change over time. This session for Royal Oak will turn over to a new theme by June.

There were a lot of VIPs visiting and getting private tours. They may be clients, collectors, celebrities or their provenance, but it would be cool to be invited by AP directly.

Whatever instincts there are about encountering stand-offish or snobbish attitudes, it never happened once. Conversations were easy and not transactional.

Others offer several other Masterclasses. JLC enamelling is a very interesting one. After seeing enamelling, I'm fascinated.

Those road cyclers riding up the mountains are nuts, but I respect their dedication and discipline.

I want to learn French to connect better with the locals.

Special shout out to the Dallas AP boutique manager who gifted me this hat, and I wore it for the first time since receiving it. My wife loves her's as well. He also gave me something else, which he told me to use only when I received my Royal Oak—patiently awaiting the Royal Oak so I can use that something else.


*note: the hat is clean. The light played tricks on it.

I wondered if Francois Henry would be in Le Brassus during my visit. His parking spot was empty, however. It's almost foreshadowing his departure from AP at the end of this year.



Extremely grateful for the experience. I can't wait to answer any questions you guys might have.

Thanks for taking the time to read my journey to Le Brassus. I hope it was an enjoyable read.