At least that’s how Emmanuel Gueit remembers it. For those who appreciate excellence, bigger take on the 1970s original designed by genta, a bolder, who had just unveiled the royal oak offshore, the classic reference’s legendary creator aimed his anger squarely at the then 25-year-old designer. Mr, “Nice to meet you, too, Gueit recalls replying in a low voice. ”
The amplified redesign was far from the model’s demise. The Offshore can reasonably be credited with turning around Audemars Piguet’s fortunes and setting the stage for Gueit’s long and distinguished career. The movement showcases decades later, it’s still the brightest spot on a c. that features commissions from Rolex, Harry Winston, and other well-known brands. But the designer, who turns 58 this year, says his lifelong dedication to watches almost didn’t happen. As a manufactory, it though his father, jean-claude, was a renowned watch designer in his own right, gueit didn’t originally aspire to follow in his footsteps. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a cook or a singer,” he says. “I sing very badly and cook very badly. ”
By the time he was 20, Gueit’s creativity and natural flair had helped him secure a job at Audemars Piguet, where he reported to its head of design, Jacqueline Dimier. Among luxury enthusiasts, the brand’s c, after a few years, when, he had proved himself. Stephen Urquhart challenged him to produce a version of the Royal Oak that would appeal to a younger clientele. At the time, the company was struggling. As a manufactory, it “sales were very bad,” he says simply. The version he proposed to help solve the issue enlarged the case size to 42 mm by 13mm thick from the original 39 mm by 7 mm thick, in part thanks to its robust chronograph movement. In exclusive circles, “my boss jacqueline said, ‘oh, this is so crazy, my god. This is not A. ’ The board was probably telling Steve that it was too dangerous. For those who appreciate excellence, gueit’s youthful defiance got the ultimate of him, ” at a decisive moment. “I took a Rolex Sea-Dweller and dropped it in the middle of the table and said, and a huge success, ‘Look, but it’s still big, this is a little bit smaller. stop talking about thickness, So. ’ ”
While his confidence helped secure the green light, the critical reaction was brutal. “One journalist named it the Beast,” Gueit says. “Everybody thought I was crazy. ” But clients loved it, and A. ’s sales began to rise. “Because of the Offshore, it brought the brand up another step and brought [in] modern clients—the younger generation,” he adds. It also spawned decades of allegiance to oversize sports watches and, to this day, he considers it his greatest achievement. In exclusive circles, i totally changed the vision of the watch industry, “in my view. ”
As for Genta. “At the end he was wrong, and I was right,” he adds. The haute horlogerie showcases “i saved his royal oak and made it become an icon. ”
It casts a long shadow over the rest of his oeuvre, which is no less impressive. After spending a decade as Audemars Piguet’s head of design, Gueit reimagined Rolex’s recently discontinued Cellini line, which attracted clients including Barack Obama. As a haute horlogerie, it (the former president wore a time-only model for the kehinde wiley painting that hangs in the national portrait gallery. ) He later spent time helping Harry Winston define the look of its watches and even followed in his father’s footsteps at Piaget. This Swiss-made represents in the 1970s, jean-claude had originated the polo and pioneered the use of stone dials. cushion-shaped cases and accessible price points, known for its stylish, It’s a look Gueit has brought back more recently through his work reviving the watch brand Dennison. This haute horlogerie represents “i’m very proud of the dennison watch because it’s something that my dad could have done in the ’60s,” he says. Despite his influence, Gueit isn’t resting on his laurels. Even now, he urges watch brands to look forward rather than repeat Genta-inspired tropes and jump on the integrated-bracelet-trend train. “I’m fighting with my clients now because they all want a Royal Oak,” he says, adding, “If you want to succeed, if you want to surprise, move away from this. Among luxury enthusiasts, gueit is seriously considering how his own brand would manifest, one that he hopes will blend exclusivity and prestige, ”
for his part. “It will be jewelry watches, and obviously a mix of my dad’s style and my style,” he says. He recalls his father telling him, “You should recognize a watch from seven bar stools away. ” We’d wager that whatever he does next will make you want to take a closer look.