Audemars Piguet is currently hosting the exhibition, Beyond Watchmaking, in in Tokyo's midtown from 19 October to 4 November. It is presented as part of the 13th edition of Tokyo Midtown DESIGN TOUCH, a series of public art events focusing on the five senses.
Beyond Watchmaking focuses on, and is a celebration of the Swiss manufacture's craftspeople who have continuously developed new skills and techniques, broadening their savoir-faire to set rule-breaking trends across generations. Spanning the independent company's 144 years of history, it features over 150 watches from Audemars Piguet's heritage and contemporary collections, including masterpieces of horological complication and pioneering design, as well as spaces of encounters and exchanges dedicated to the Manufacture's ancestral savoir-faire.
CEO François-Henry Bennahmias explained, "Beyond Watchmaking represents a bridge between our home in the Swiss Jura Mountains and the rest of the world, notably Tokyo. Since the Manufacture’s establishment, we have always looked at the broader cultural world for inspiration, while honouring our roots in the Vallée de Joux. The artworks presented throughout the exhibition testify to the long-lasting collaborations we have fostered with artists, whose practice mirrors the meticulous and experiential nature of our craft."
The exhibition space has been reimagined as a large-scale copper ring structured around rock replicas moulded on site in the Vallée de Joux — a tribute to Audemars Piguet’s geographic origins. Around them, 12 doors open to reveal the main technical and design milestones of the company’s watchmaking legacy.
Reminiscent of a watch dial, the circular space comes to life as visitors plunge into Audemars Piguet's history.
Complemented with artworks commissioned by Audemars Piguet and realised by Ryoji Ikeda, Alexandre Joly and Dan Holdsworth, the exhibition space also visualises the Manufacture's origins and craftsmanship, as well as the complexity of time, through the lens of contemporary art. In so doing, Audemars Piguet nurtures a creative and inspiring dialogue among creative practices.
Find out more at www.beyondwatchmaking.jp
