Jules Audemars
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars: Classical Haute Horlogerie
The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars collection, named after co-founder Jules Louis Audemars (1851-1918), consolidated AP's classical round-cased dress watches and grand complications under a single banner beginning in the late 1990s. Housed exclusively in precious metals, the collection ranged from ultra-thin two-hand models with cases as slim as 6.7mm to minute repeaters incorporating Supersonnerie technology developed with EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) for unprecedented acoustic projection. The collection was phased out by the mid-2010s as AP redirected focus toward the Royal Oak family and the forthcoming CODE 11.59 (2019). This discontinuation created a pricing anomaly: AP grand complications, perpetual calendars, and minute repeaters built by the same watchmakers in the same Le Brassus workshops became available at significant discounts to their Royal Oak equivalents simply because they wore round cases instead of octagonal ones. A Jules Audemars Ultra-Thin in 18K rose gold now trades from $12,000 to $18,000, a price that would barely cover a steel Datejust.
Last updated: 2026-04-02
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Specifications
History
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded their watchmaking company in 1875 in Le Brassus, deep in the Vallée de Joux. While Piguet handled the commercial side, Jules Audemars was the watchmaker, the man whose hands assembled the first grand complications that established the firm's reputation. The Jules Audemars collection, formalized in the late 1990s, honored this legacy by housing AP's most refined classical watchmaking: round cases in precious metals, ultra-thin movements, and the full spectrum of grand complications: minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, tourbillons, and their combinations. Where the Royal Oak represented Gérald Genta's 1972 revolution, the Jules Audemars represented 1875: the founding tradition that made the revolution possible.
Iconic References
Buying Guide
- • Classical watch enthusiasts who value traditional round-cased haute horlogerie over luxury sports watches
- • Collectors seeking AP craftsmanship at a fraction of Royal Oak pricing
- • Those building a well-rounded collection who need a genuine dress watch alongside sport pieces
- • Complication enthusiasts seeking minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, or tourbillons from a top-tier manufacture
- • Contrarian collectors who buy quality, not hype, the Jules Audemars is AP's best-kept secret
Pricing & Market Data
Retail MSRP
Pre-Owned Market
Market Trajectory
Jules Audemars prices are slowly appreciating from their lows as collectors discover the value proposition. The trend toward classical watchmaking and smaller, dressier watches benefits the collection. However, without the Royal Oak's cultural momentum, appreciation will be gradual, not explosive.
Investment Grade
B-tier for simple models (undervalued but demand is limited). A-tier for grand complications (perpetual calendars, minute repeaters hold value regardless of collection name). The Jules Audemars is the most undervalued product of a top-tier manufacture in the current market.
Best Value Pick
A Jules Audemars Ultra-Thin in 18k rose gold, starting at $12,000-$15,000, offers the most extraordinary value in AP's entire output: genuine Audemars Piguet precious-metal craftsmanship at prices that would barely buy a steel Datejust.
Comparisons
Cultural Significance
Traditional haute horlogerie collectors
Jules Audemars (various)
The Jules Audemars never had celebrity associations, and that's precisely its character. This was the collection for collectors who bought AP for the movement, not the marketing. Its audience was established watch collectors, often already owning Royal Oaks, who wanted AP's finest complications in the most classical form.
Frequently Asked Questions
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