Monday, October 8, 2018

Audemars Piguet Introduces Pro Golfers to the Art of Watchmaking


(Le Brassus) – Lee Westwood,  Andrew “Beef” Johnston and Matt Wallace, three members of Audemars Piguet’s Golf Dream Team, travelled to Le Brassus to visit the manufacturer’s home in the Vallée de Joux.

After an exciting visit of the museum and restauration workshop, the invited golfers tried their luck at assembling a watch movement. Lee Westwood, brand ambassador since 2005, describes his admiration for the watchmakers’ skills: “To see first-hand how much thought, skill and patience goes into each watch is just incredible.” Rising star Matt Wallace adds: “I’m proud to have been a member of Audemars Piguet’s Dream Team since the beginning of the year. To have the chance to explore the company’s history in this beautiful region, to wear that watchmaker coat and work on a real movement was a lot of fun. You really appreciate the watchmakers’ attention to detail and what the brand stands for.”  Whether on a green or in the universe of Haute Horlogerie, it is always a question of precision and perfection, the beauty of both gesture and performance.

After their visit of the Manufacture, Audemars Piguet Chief Executive Officer and former golf professional François-Henry Bennahmias took the three ambassadors on a sightseeing helicopter trip to Caux, near Montreux, where they stopped for a dedicated visit of the Chalet Claude Nobs. This chalet houses the archives of the Montreux Jazz Festival, the first audio-visual library protected by the UNESCO. The archives contain more than 15,000 hours of audio-visual recordings encompassing almost half a century of the festival’s history. Quincy Jones has described this unique collection as “the most important testimonial to the history of music, covering jazz, blues and rock.” Audemars Piguet supports the Montreux Sounds and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) in the development of the Montreux Jazz Digital Project, which seeks to digitise, restore, and preserve these sound archives. This digitalisation project is perfectly aligned with the Audemars Piguet’s quest for innovation and endeavour to maintain heritage and tradition.

The ambassadors were fascinated by the chalet’s magnificent memorabilia and the richness of the audio-visual recordings. Andrew Johnston, Audemars Piguet ambassador since 2017, shared his passion for music: “This hidden place is incredible, there is so much to discover. I could sit here all day and listen to one concert after the other.”

The guests enjoyed one last drink at the Chalet Claude Nobs with the beautiful view on Lake Geneva before heading off.

The English trio is part of Audemars Piguet’s Golf Dream Team, which constitutes one of the finest teams of professional golfers. It also includes Wesley Bryan, Patrick Cantlay, Bud Cauley, Darren Clarke, Paul Dunne, Branden Grace, Emiliano Grillo, Tyrrell Hatton, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Romain Langasque, Renato Paratore, Ian Poulter, Xander Schauffele, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Andy Sullivan, Peter Uihlein, Bernd Wiesberger, and Danny Willett, as well as Tania Tare and Me and My Golf.

The full video of the visit will released on the AP Golf Instagram account @audemarspiguetgolf October 10.

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