Audemars Piguet opens new manufacturing facility and announces gradual increase in production capacity

As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, the Swiss watch brand Audemars Piguet has opened a new manufacture in Le Brassus.

The 23,700-square-meter facility, named "The Arc," unites Audemars Piguet's local production teams under one roof, underscoring the brand's ongoing commitment to the Vallée de Joux. One of the goals is a gradual increase in production capacity.

With an area of 23,700 square meters, the new production facility offers space for up to 700 employees in a work environment with open spaces and plenty of natural light. Transparent partitions and spacious meeting rooms promote communication and the exchange of ideas between teams, while separate quiet zones and traditional offices enable focused work and allow each individual to choose their optimal environment.

Equipped with electrochromic technology, the tint of the glass facade automatically adjusts to light intensity and heat, thus ensuring optimal comfort for employees at all times without impairing their daylight and view.

Audemars Piguet: Increase in production capacity

The new, centralized production site is ideally equipped for future brand growth and, thanks to optimized workflows and state-of-the-art equipment, enables a gradual increase in production capacity. Automated solutions that eliminate certain manual tasks allow more employees to focus on tasks requiring skill and expertise.

Modern storage system and a 15-second time saving

„"The Arc" is equipped with a centralized storage system that optimizes inventory management and increases efficiency. This GTP system makes optimal use of limited space and transports components and parts to the respective workshops via shuttles. Standing 15 meters tall and equipped with 66 robots, this automated system can perform up to 350 movements per hour. 1,200 movements are planned by 2023.

Production and customer service teams can now retrieve the required components, saving approximately 15 seconds per operation. As the technical heart of the Le Brassus factory, the central storage system required several months of construction and testing before it was fully operational and met the expectations of the various production teams.

Sustainable industrial building by Audemars Piguet

Following the example of Audemars Piguet's existing production facilities in Le Locle and Meyrin, the Arc is Minergie-ECO certified and thus meets the highest environmental standards for buildings in Switzerland. From the outset, the project was developed with the aim of minimizing its environmental impact.

Thanks to a carefully considered land-use plan, an environmentally friendly approach was prioritized. For example, a specially designed green roof creates ideal conditions for insects and birds while offering panoramic views of the Vallée de la Vallée de Le Brassus. Joux.

In addition to waste heat from industrial machinery, the connection to the neighboring "Brassus Bois" wood-fired power plant provides a fully renewable supplementary energy source. At the start of the project, uncontaminated excavated material from the same train station was reused for a larger infrastructure project, thus reducing the environmental impact of the construction phase. The installation of a photovoltaic system, which exceeds legal requirements, supplies the plant with additional energy.

The architects proposed a crenellated surface to enliven the 321-meter-long, curved facade. Besides its aesthetic effect, it reduces the risk of bird strikes and minimizes glare from glass reflections. To protect against flooding, the building is surrounded by an 80-centimeter-high wall that channels water into a natural drainage channel without impacting the surrounding area.

audemarspiguet.com