High-end watchmaking and attention to details characterize both ItalianWatchSpotter and Audemars Piguet, and it is in this context that our first event was born.
When two excellences cooperate, only something beautiful can born. So, together with the independent house of Le Brassus, we brought together 15 enthusiasts in a truly exclusive place.
Last September 12th, in the early hours of evening, three guys made their entrance into the AP House, the brand’s apartment in the center of Milan, ready to cut the ribbon of what will be a long series of events. In this article we want to take you with us through this experience…
Team & evening
In addition to ItalianWatchSpotter’s Fabrizio, Andrea and Vittorino, the event was animated by members of the Audemars Piguet “family”.
Andrea Cardillo (Country Manager), Simone Benvenuti (Retail Manager) and Antonella Liviero (Marketing Manager) have managed to give our guests a pleasant sip of watch history, past and present.
Starting from the maison’s founding in 1875, we have come to the brand new CODE11:59 with our presentation, passing through all the technological and aesthetic primates that the maison has had in its history. A nice way to approach a diverse and distinct brand, which over the years has been able to create its own world.
If that wasn’t enough, every (modern) model seen was accompanied by…a dedicated spot of ours!
The result was to see timepieces worn by people known to us, thus discovering not only the product but also the customer, thanks to our work as Spotters.
The guests
On the face of it, 15 people can seem very few to a reality that boasts more than 90,000 followers, but everything has its sense.
The limited number of guests has allowed all of us to establish a personal relationship and to be able to converse and look at the watches with the utmost tranquility and comfort, in a fantastic setting like the Audemars Piguet House.
For this first evening we chose friends, old and new, with the result of a young but very cohesive group, pleased by the success of the event. The comments were positive both from guests and brand. It’s great to be able to concentrate passion, beautiful watches and beautiful people in an evening, and we are proud to have succeeded.
The watches
Delete any piece you’re thinking about: there was definitely more to our evening than you might expect…
“The aperitif” featured the CODE11:59, arrived in our guests’ hands immediately after their introduction, and present on the wrists of the three IWS representatives from the beginning of the event.
So much curiosity, so many details, many first impressions: we loved the CODE.
A watch made of aesthetic and mechanical details of the highest level, with Oscar-grade calibers and finishes and an amazing feeling on the wrist. Criticized by some as little “eye-catching”, in our opinion it is precisely in this feature that lies its real strength.
Two pieces easily dominated the presentation (and curiosity): the tourbillon skeletonized and the minute repeater, followed closely by the rest of the line.
For “dinner and dessert” we then discovered 3 record-grade pieces
To begin, we unveiled the Royal Oak Concept Chronograph Tourbillon Skeletonized Automatic, presented for the first time by Horoloupe, which we greet.
It is an ultralight 44mm sandblasted-titanium tourbillon chronograph, with peripheral rotor and 100m of water resistance. A very appreciated watch and produced in very few pieces, made available for us in the version with blue strap. It is the most explicit essence of Audemars Piguet’s research and development in the field of performance to date.
Next, we “pulled out of the hat” two gems: the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Skeletonized and the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon (lady).
On the first one you find our previous article so here’s just a comment: big but divine, a fearful concentration of mechanics combined with a subtle and gritty aesthetic.
On the second, we could spend hours…
Tourbillon with more than 9 carats of diamonds and a bright overall white color, is one of the top offers in Audemars Piguet women’s collection. The skeletonization makes it really unique, with a pattern that almost recalls the floral theme, very readable in spite of everything.
Women’s or not, it was a real thrill to try this baguette-cut diamond-studded tourbillon on our wrists. The dial and the play of lights make it a very flashy watch with an almost “loud” character, suitable for those who are not afraid to dare and those who know how to have fun.
One thing is certain: it is not a timepiece that you will often see around…
Ref: 26228BC.ZZ.D011CR.01
The catering
Like any respectable event, the palate wants its part, and this time we came prepared.
To the surprise of the participants, Chef Giancarlo Morelli, owner of the homonymous Michelin-starred restaurant at Hotel Viu in Milan, as well as the “Bulk” and another restaurant in Seregno, delighted our diets.
Along with raw meat and fish, the Chef exclusively prepared his risotto and an exquisite sorbet, to accompany our presentation. All this, of course, flanked by a profusion of bubbles, which must never be missing!
Fun fact: Chef Morelli is not a random presence.
The star-awarded chef in fact is an Audemars Piguet brand ambassador, as you could see from his wrist, more than starred… stellar!
We thank all the participants and Audemars Piguet for this experience, with the hope that it will be the first in a long series and the hope that you too can experience it, outside these pages.
Translated by Lorenzo Spolaor (@lorenzospolaor)
