Audemars Piguet Opens First Flagship Store in Central Seoul

Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet will open its first flagship store in Korea on August 13th, located in the heart of Cheongdam Fashion Street, a premier commercial district in Seoul. This six-story complex, combining a boutique, AP House, and customer service center under one roof, is expected to immerse visitors in the world of Audemars Piguet and elevate the brand’s personalized approach to hospitality, service, and retail to a new level.

An Audemars Piguet representative stated, “This flagship will welcome watch enthusiasts in a modern yet warm atmosphere where the natural environment and heritage of the Vall?e de Joux in Switzerland, where the brand is rooted, perfectly harmonize with Korean cultural elements and the vibrancy of Seoul.” The grand opening of the flagship is scheduled for later this year.

[Provided by Audemars Piguet]

Spanning 940 m², this complex building covers six floors, including the boutique, AP House, and customer service center. It also features a rooftop terrace offering vibrant views of the luxury fashion street as well as Seoul’s iconic landmark, the N Seoul Tower, located atop Namsan Mountain. The bronze-colored mullion structures on the building’s exterior, reminiscent of falling raindrops, are inspired by the natural landscapes of the Vall?e de Joux, Audemars Piguet’s Swiss home. The interior design, weaving together Audemars Piguet’s Swiss heritage with Korean culture and the dynamic rhythm of Seoul, was created in collaboration with Swiss-based Blndd. Studio, led by Kosta Stathakis, a long-time partner of the brand.

Spanning two floors, AP House Seoul represents the flagship’s most significant component, standing at the intersection of the brand’s heritage and modernity. The design of AP House Seoul incorporates the five elements of Korean culture?metal, water, wood, fire, and earth?known as the Ohaeng. These elements also strongly relate to the natural environment of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland, where Audemars Piguet’s origins lie, and to watchmaking.

Audemars Piguet’s longstanding affinity for music, contemporary art, gastronomy, and technology permeates the environment of AP House Seoul. Believing in the power of creativity to nurture culture and connect people, Audemars Piguet fosters dialogue across creative fields.

Conceived as a meeting place, AP House ultimately provides a local platform where customers and watch enthusiasts can build deeper relationships through experiences that highlight the manufacture’s creations, expertise, and contemporary stature.

AP House is designed as a second home, a comfortable space where visitors can relax, connect, or disconnect according to their mood. This concept was developed in collaboration with the manufacture’s most valued clients, imagining how the brand’s founders, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, would travel the world in the 21st century sharing their passion for beautiful watches. The result is a sophisticated space that prioritizes homely comfort and human relationships. Today, Audemars Piguet operates 21 AP Houses located in some of the world’s most vibrant cities, including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York, Shanghai, Saint Barth?lemy, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Zurich.

AP House Seoul will elevate this concept of hospitality and retail to a new level, meeting the diverse needs of customers and watch enthusiasts while providing personalized services and experiences.

Frederic Leys, CEO of Audemars Piguet Japan & Korea, said, “This opening is a cornerstone for Audemars Piguet in Korea. Establishing a new AP flagship, a space dedicated solely to our brand, demonstrates how continuously important the Korean market and its customers are to us.”

Additionally, Ninebum, Head of Audemars Piguet Korea, stated, “The opening of the new AP flagship, featuring a boutique, AP House, and customer service center, complements our first boutique opened last year at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam and strengthens AP’s presence in the region. It will also lay the foundation for the brand’s future business growth in Korea.”