Gears, openworked mechanisms, crowns, bracelets and case finishes take the leading roles in the new global campaign by Audemars Piguet. Instead of telling a broader story about the Swiss Manufacture’s heritage, Bonjour Paris brought the camera closer to the watches and their details, building the campaign’s visual identity through material, light and movement.
The production relies on Cinemotion technology, which enables camera movements to be precisely programmed and repeated. The approach was adapted to each of the ten models, allowing different textures, surfaces and mechanical complications to react to light in a way specific to each watch.
The choice of production technique is an important part of the creative idea itself. At a time when product images are increasingly created or enhanced using 3D tools and artificial intelligence, Audemars Piguet and Bonjour Paris chose to work with physical objects, real sets and a camera. Minor imperfections, shifting reflections and the behaviour of materials were not removed, but incorporated into the way the campaign communicates manual craftsmanship and watchmaking precision.
The project involved photographer Laziz Hamani, director Daniel M. Cox and craft photographer Adrien Sgandurra. The production was organized across four sets, while Bonjour Paris supervised the overall project and entrusted the set design to Ocurens. The collaboration between the photography and video teams was intended to ensure that still and moving formats remained part of the same visual system.
The production generated more than 400 assets, ranging from close-ups of dials and openworked calibres to content placing the watches in contemporary life situations. The large number of formats allows the campaign to function simultaneously as a product presentation, a story about the craft process and a global communications platform.
The campaign has just been unveiled and will remain active throughout the year. The assets are being distributed globally, with London’s Piccadilly Circus and digital billboards in Chengdu, China, among the first locations where they have appeared.
