Audemars Piguet and Watches of Switzerland Group have shared the first walk-through photographs of their AP House in Manchester, UK, which had a soft opening at the beginning of May.
Not a store or showroom, in any traditional sense, it occupies an entire three-storey mid-18th century townhouse close to St Anne’s Square, which is home to the majority of the city’s major watch retailers representing brands including Rolex, Tudor and IWC, Glashutte Original, Bovet, H. Moser & Cie., Bulgari, Breitling, Omega, Cartier Chopard and Longines.
AP Houses are either run directly by the brand, as we see in London, or through joint ventures, the case with Material Good’s iteration in New York’s Meatpacking District.
The global network of uniquely-designed properties now includes Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Munich, Bangkok, Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Milan, Mexico City, New York, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, St. Barth, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Zurich.
Manchester’s AP House occupies all three floors of a historically protected building and has 4,600 square feet of space divided into open or more intimate spaces for events or private consultations.
It also has a large roof terrace with views across the city centre skyline; perfect for admiring a new Royal Oak under natural light.
Unlike in London, where the current AP House is up a flight of stairs from Bond Street to a first-floor lounge, the Manchester outpost will welcome guests into a ground floor reception, lounge and watch cellar.
The interior design combines references to Audemars Piguet’s birthplace in the Vallée de Joux with a strong theme connecting to Manchester’s cultural and industrial heritage.
The city’s historic bees, which came a symbol for hope and love in the aftermath of the 2017 Ariana Grande terrorist bombing, are represented in a honeycomb feature in the house’s watch cellars and two metal mesh sculptures in the reception have leaf shapes of Manchester Poplar trees.
Most popular is likely to be a music room that recalls the glory days of Factory Records, the record label responsible for the birth of the Madchester scene in the 1980s centred around the Haçienda nightclub and music by the Happy Mondays, New Order and Joy Division.
AP House’s music room is designed to look a little like a recording studio with vinyl records lining the walls and a PRS Silver Sky guitar co designed by Paul Smith and Grammy-winning musician and feted watch collector John Mayer.
This AP House aims to be as welcoming as possible, rather than a sanctuary where only clients with six-figure watch budgets will feel comfortable, which may explain why it has swerved any divisive references to either Manchester City or United, whose soccer players are sure to be an important constituency for the project.
It is designed as a place for the public to discover AP’s watchmaking and promises to offer clients and newcomers alike with the opportunity to explore the world of Audemars Piguet in a warm and engaging way.
One visit might be to browse a constantly rotating display of artworks, another could be to sample AP’s own branded craft beer on the terrace or in the top floor games room over a game of shuffleboard or darts.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of AP House Manchester,” says Daniel Compton, country general manager for Audemars Piguet UK. “It feels particularly special to be bringing the concept to such a dynamic and culturally rich city – renowned for its distinct musical influence and spirit of hospitality.”
Craig Bolton, president of Watches of Switzerland Group UK, looks forward to AP House becoming a hub for Manchester’s watch-lovers.
“As a leading cultural hub outside of London, Manchester is home to a growing community of watch collectors and enthusiasts. Through the AP House, we’re excited to work with our long-standing partner to bring like-minded people together through shared passion, immersive storytelling and bespoke experiences,” he says.
AP House London
Down in London, Audemars Piguet has taken the decision to relocate its off-street AP House on Bond Street to another historic townhouse at No.9 Clifford Street, a road running from Patek Philippe’s Salon and Louis Vuitton’s flagship on Bond Street to Savile Row.
Again, the property is a large rebrick home (most recently broken up into offices) with direct access from the street.
It is built over three main floors plus attic and basement rooms.
It is considerably larger than the Manchester AP House and will be run directly by the brand.
No date has been given for the new London AP House, but scaffolding went up in front of the building in January.
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