Audemars Piguet's soon-to-open New York lounge is only for VIP: Very Important Piguet. As such, the AP House, as it's known, kicked off with a bang thanks to musical ambassador and AP ride-or-die Mark Ronson, who debuted a brand new song created in partnership with AP (kinda).
So the context is that super-producer Ronson — responsible for such megahits as "Uptown Funk" and the entirety of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black — was approached by Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias to represent the Haute Horlogerie manufacturer as its musical ambassador, which lead to an AP-produced miniseries called Syncing Sounds, which tracked Ronson as he assembled a brand new song under the purview of AP.
Ronson also brought in 2022 Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Lucky Daye to handle the vocals and the resulting track, "Too Much," premiered at the AP House to an exclusive gathering of peers.
Offset, Bloody Osiris, Don C, Nigel Sylvester, Zack Bia, and even Marky Ramone all descended on New York's Meatpacking district on the eve of May 12 to behold the live debut of "Too Much" and soak in the AP House sights.
Opening ahead of summer to Audemars Piguet's clients and VIPs, the AP House is fully stocked with drinks and amenities, replete with a deck that overlooks the bustling neighborhood.
Inside, rare AP models line the walls and archival timepieces are displayed in glass cases, reflecting the watchmaker's long legacy. But its enduring influence is also made clear through the lounge's hip furnishings.
In a press preview, Bennahmias explained that Ronson's AP partnership is indicative of the era, wherein Audemars Piguet is coveted by venerable collectors and young watch enthusiasts alike.
Ronson and Daye, to Bennahmias, epitomize the AP House's entire purpose: a meeting of the minds that forges a middle ground between heritage and happenstance, where heritage coexists with the cutting edge.
To sum up the cultural relevance of a juggernaut like Audemars Piguet would be a fool's errand but AP House, as a concept alone, comes pretty close.
